The Dignity of Religion Against Ehtics in Kant's Philosophy A Critical View to Reductionistic Interpretation of the Relation of Religion and Ethics in Kant's Philosoph

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages, Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

Kant's critical philosophy relies on certain fundamentals of practical reason, such as the immortality of the soul, the existence of God, and, most importantly, the supreme good as the ultimate objective of morality, encompassing virtue and happiness as its two key components. This perspective has led to the perception of absolute reductionism in Kant's philosophy. According to this view, Kant appears to reduce religion entirely to morality, advocating solely for its moral dimension while deeming other aspects and dimensions as redundant. In a more moderate form, Kant's philosophy faces explanatory reductionism, explaining religion solely in terms of morality. However, this paper argues that Kant, through various forms of reductionism, posits that while religion is an essential component that complements the ultimate goal of morality, he also acknowledges that religion holds a position beyond the ethical realm. As a result, both the complete reduction of religion to morality and the explanatory reduction of religion as morality are not without challenges in interpreting Kant's philosophy.

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References

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Philosophy of Religion
Volume 20, Issue 1
April 2023
Pages 55-66

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