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Kants Philosophy of Religion

Module description

In this module you will explore Kant’s philosophy of religion in his pre-critical and critical philosophy. You will examine how some aspects of Kant’s arguments for the role of God changed significantly changed between his pre-critical and critical philosophy whilst others remained largely consistent. You will also have the opportunity to consider the wider implications of religion both in the context of the societal importance of religion at the time of Kant, and the impact this had on his broader philosophy; including his political philosophy, his account of beauty, and his account of the experience of nature as purposive.

Module aims - intentions of the module

You will learn skills from a range of disciplines required for critically examining the extent to which Kant’s philosophy of religion was of central importance for his broader philosophical account. You will investigate Kant’s deep concerns about our knowledge of God’s existence and the importance of God for moral and political action. Kant’s philosophy is of unique importance for these questions because his philosophical outlook was so far-reaching; his intention was to develop a systematic explanation of how these aspects are interrelated all these issues under his account of critical philosophy. In light of the highly interdisciplinary scope of Kant’s approach, you will consider how this approach can offer a novel perspectives toward contemporary societal and global issues from theological, moral, political, and philosophical perspectives.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate detailed knowledge of Kant’s philosophy of religion.
• 2. Analyse and critique different interpretations of Kant’s philosophy of religion in contemporary Kant Scholarship.
• 3. Demonstrate the importance of Kant’s philosophy for his broader account of transcendental idealism.
• 4. Demonstrate proficiency in some core methods of study: historical analysis, philosophical reasoning and philosophical analysis toward a range of issues related to Kant’s philosophy of religion.
• 5. Apply aspects of Kant’s philosophy of religion to contemporary global and societal issues.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 6. Assess arguments from a range of interdisciplinary approaches.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 7. Communicate clearly in articulating one’s point of view in written and oral forms.
• 8. Assimilating in a relatively short span complex and detailed arguments and being able to both understand and analyse them but also to communicate this knowledge to others.

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

• Key themes from Kant’s philosophy of religion
• The broader significance of Kant’s philosophy of religion for his critical philosophy
• Debates in contemporary Kant scholarship concerning the extent to which Kant’s religious philosophy is separable from other aspects of his philosophy
• The contemporary significance of Kant’s philosophy of religion for global and societal issues

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Selections from the following collections of works by Immanuel Kant:

• Critique of Pure Reason, Paul Guyer and Allen W. Wood (trans.). (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998)
• Immanuel Kant: Practical Philosophy, Mary J. Gregor (ed.). (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996) doi:10.1017/CBO9780511813306
• Religion and Rational Theology, Allen W. Wood and George di Giovanni (eds. & trans.). (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996) doi:10.1017/CBO9780511814433
• Theoretical Philosophy 1755–1770, David Walford (trans. and ed.). (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1992) doi:10.1017/CBO9780511840180

Selections from the following commentaries and edited collections

• Allen Wood. Kant and Religion (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2020)
• Firestone, C. Jacobs, N. Joiner, J. (ed). (2017) Kant and the Question of Theology. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)
• James DiCenso. Kant, Religion, and Politics. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011) doi:10.1017/CBO9780511920851
• Gordon Michalson (ed). Kant’s Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason: A Critical Guide (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014)

Key words search

Kant, German idealism, philosophy of religion, history of religion.