The implied theodicy of Kant's Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason: love as a response to radical evil

This article begins with a brief survey of Kant's pre-Critical and Critical approaches to theodicy. I maintain that his theodical response of moral faith during the Critical period appears to be a dispassionate version of what Leibniz called Fatum Christianum. Moral rationality establishes the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal for philosophy of religion
Main Author: Rukgaber, Matthew (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Springer Science + Business Media B. V [2019]
In: International journal for philosophy of religion
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Kant, Immanuel 1724-1804, Die Religion innerhalb der Grenzen der bloßen Vernunft / Agape / Theodicy
RelBib Classification:AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism
VA Philosophy
Further subjects:B Leibniz
B Radical evil
B Love
B Theodicy
B Moral faith
B Kant
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
Description
Summary:This article begins with a brief survey of Kant's pre-Critical and Critical approaches to theodicy. I maintain that his theodical response of moral faith during the Critical period appears to be a dispassionate version of what Leibniz called Fatum Christianum. Moral rationality establishes the existence and goodness of God and translates into an endless and unwavering commitment to following the moral law. I then argue that Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason offers a revision of Kant's 1791 conception of "authentic theodicy." Kant comes to recognize that the ends of morality and virtue, as well as the action needed to respond to the noumenal evil at the heart of humanity, outstrip the "religion of good life conduct." This leads Kant to argue in favor of a new form of moral life embedded in a religious community and based on the love of God and of one's fellow humans. Such a life is rooted in the incorporation of a holy principle in our noumenal selves that he terms "divine blessedness."
ISSN:1572-8684
Contains:Enthalten in: International journal for philosophy of religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1007/s11153-019-09700-7