Interpreting Kantian Religious Judgment for the Twenty-First Century

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Independent Scholar, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Abstract

This article clears a path for employing the affirmative way of interpreting Kant's general theory of religion as a guidepost for twenty-first century religious practitioners. Before attempting such an employment, I correct several misconceptions regarding the affirmative way of interpreting Kant's theory that, if adopted as mainstream, would risk weakening its universal applicability. With this purpose in mind, I consider and respond to a misplaced criticism of my interpretation of Kant's theory of grace, advanced by Douglas McGaughey in 2013. I then assess the current state of a debate that has arisen between several key affirmative interpreters, concerning Kant's reference to the two "experiments" that guide the argument in his Religion. I give special attention to Lawrence Pasternack's 2017 attempt to "dismantle" this whole line of interpretation as one that "may very well not be worth our time." After identifying several serious flaws in Pasternack's argument, I conclude by backing a better alternative developed by Brandon Love. By clearing away two very different sorts of potential roadblocks that could stand in the way of a reader of Kant gaining a fair understanding of the affirmative approach to interpreting his theory of religion, these arguments prepare the way for a concluding attempt to catch a glimpse of how Kant's theory of religious judgment (especially his four guidelines for designing the constitution of a church), if adopted widely by practitioners of various historical religions, could benefit the fractured world we find ourselves in, a quarter of the way through the twenty-first century.

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References

Brandon, L. (2018). Kant’s Baconian Method as a Transformation of Aristotelian Transcendental Philosophy—A Propaedeutic, Hong Kong Baptist University doctoral dissertation. https://scholars.hkbu.edu.hk/en/studentTheses/kants-baconian-method-as-a-transformation-of-aristotelian-transce
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Palmquist, S. R. (2012). To Tell the Truth on Kant and Christianity: Will the Real Affirmative Interpreter Please Stand Up?", Faith and Philosophy, 29 (3), 340-346. http://dx.doi.org/10.5840/faithphil201229334  
Palmquist, S. R. (2016). Comprehensive Commentary on Kant's Religion Within the Bounds of Bare Reason, Wiley-Blackwell
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Pasternack, L. (2014). Routledge Philosophy Guidebook to Immanuel Kant's Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason: An Interpretation and Defense, Routledge.
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Journal of Philosophical Investigations
Volume 18, Issue 47 - Serial Number 47
Special Issue
Special Issue: Kant's Philosophy in the 21st Century (Summer 2024)
2024
Pages 9-28

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