Kant and theology

by Elizabeth Cameron Galbraith

Immanuel Kant is often thought of as a great skeptic of religion. His onslaught against the traditional arguments for the existence of God in the Critique of Pure Reason is considered decisive evidence of his efforts to destroy theology. This text demonstrates that such an interpretation is mistaken. When Kant attacks the traditional arguments for the existence of God, he is doing so in order to clear the ground, as it were, in anticipation of a more convincing, moral apologetic. Neglected treaties by Kant, such as The Conflict of the Faculties, are used to show that the central concerns of theology lie at the heart of Kant's philosophy. Dr. Galbraith maintains that it is only towards the end of his life that Kant finally acknowledges the depth of his theism. In the Opus Postumum the theology that has always been present in Kant's writings finally comes to the fore.