Religion und Theologie in Kants Religionsphilosophie

Abstract

Religion within the Bounds of Mere Reason cannot be understood as following from the pure scientific interest of its autor to state the reasons for pure philosophical morality. It does not belong to the System of Philosophy, but to the problem of the demarcation of philosophie from theologie and, thus, it forms the argumentative background of the defense against the censorship of the Prussian state.

In the preface to the first edition of the writing on religion it is clear that respect (Achtung) becomes free, if it happens through censorship. It means that Kant's control by censorship includes voluntarily his own control. He favours self-censorship of his own writing. But against this right the supreme censor right of the theological faculty is used, that has exclusively the right of the first censorship. Ecclesiastical and religious beliefs are well distinguished, but his book on Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason can be used by students of Theology as well to complete their studies.

It is a fact, that people do not posess all the means by the moral law to act obligatory, but that they still need a final end. It is unavoidable because of their limitation as finite beings. For that reason, morality must evidently refer to the concept of final ends.

In the end it is experience, in which the effects of morality demonstrate their ends, that brings the real ground of the expansion of men beyond of all morals. It must be an almighty moral being as a world creatur, that must be thought to take precautions of it. In this sense, morals lead inevitably to religion; that is, it can never be considered a being derived from mere reason.