Is the Universe Moral? God, Time and History in Kant and Heidegger

Large, William ORCID: 0000-0003-0447-5364 (2022) Is the Universe Moral? God, Time and History in Kant and Heidegger. Journal for Continental Philosophy of Religion, 4 (1). pp. 68-89. doi:10.1163/25889613-BJA10026

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Abstract

Kant argues against the ontological argument for the existence of God but replaces it with a moral theism. This article analyses Kant’s moral proof with emphasis on the Critique of the Power of Judgement, and his historical and political writings. It argues that at the heart of this argument is the idea of progress. The concrete content of the moral law is the idea of a just world. Such a just world would be impossible without the idea of God, since there would be no harmony between nature and freedom. It contrasts Kant’s concept of time and history with Heidegger’s. The difference between them is a reversal of modality. For Kant, actuality determines possibility. If I cannot imagine a just word as actual, then I would fall into moral despair. The idea of God grounds this actuality. For Heidegger, possibility is higher than actuality. Since history has no teleology, then no idea of God is required.

Item Type:	Article
Article Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Atheism; Heidegger; History; Kant; Modality; Morality
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General)
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Creative Arts
Research Priority Areas:	Culture, Continuity, and Transformation
Depositing User:	Susan Turner
Date Deposited:	22 Dec 2023 11:56
Last Modified:	24 Apr 2024 08:59
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/13586

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