Kant's criticism of atheism
Kant-Studien 94 (2):198-219 (2003)
| Abstract | Although Kant argues that morality is prior to and independent of religion, Kant nevertheless claims that religion of a certain sort (“moral theism”) follows from morality, and that atheism poses threats to morality. Kant criticizes atheism as morally problematic in four ways: atheism robs the atheist of springs for moral action, leads the atheist to moral despair, corrupts the atheist’s moral character, and has a pernicious influence on the atheist’s community. I argue that Kant is right to say that moral theism can help support morality, and that (for some people), morality leads to religion. But I also argue that one may refrain from accepting the existence of God and still act from respect for the moral law, resist despair, cultivate and retain a virtuous character, and pose no moral threat to one’s community. Indeed, theism, even moral theism, raises moral risks of its own. This article includes discussions of different versions of the highest good, and of two main types of atheism (skeptical and dogmatic) | |||||||||
| Keywords | Kant atheism religion | |||||||||
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Similar books and articlesDaniel Howard-Snyder & Michael Bergmann (2003). Grounds for Belief in God Aside, Does Evil Make Atheism More Reasonable Than Theism? In Michael Peterson & Raymond Van Arrogan (eds.), Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Religion. Blackwell.
David O'Connor (2012). Spectres of False Divinity: Hume's Moral Atheism. [REVIEW] Hume Studies 36 (2):236-239.
Robin Le Poidevin (1996). Arguing for Atheism: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion. Routledge.
Benjamin Cordry (2011). A More Dangerous Enemy? Philo's “Confession” and Hume's Soft Atheism. International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 70 (1):61-83.
Thomas Holden (2010). Spectres of False Divinity: Hume's Moral Atheism. Oxford University Press.
Matthew Caswell (2006). Kant's Conception of the Highest Good, the Gesinnung, and the Theory of Radical Evil. Kant-Studien 97 (2):184-209.
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