Kant: A philosophy of Freedom

According to Gibelin in his Foreword to Religion within the Limits of Reason Alone, Freedom is the central theme of Kant’s philosophy. This course will introduce to Kant, centering on Freedom as a key concept to understand his philosophy, in the three spheres defined by the critical project: Metaphysics, Moral and Aesthetics.

Course code: PHEN11

Professor: Emmanuel Boissieu

Table of content

STAGE 1. WAS KANT AN AUFKLÄRER ?

I. What was the crisis of the 18th century?
II. Kant’s solutions
III. In what way does the Kantian solution differ from the French Enlightenment?

STAGE 2. FREEDOM AND METAPHYSICS

I. In what way does the Metaphysic of Kant overthrow Dogmatism?
II. An overthrow of the relationship to the absolute
III. The problem of freedom
IV. The revision of metaphysics

STAGE 3. PRACTICAL FREEDOM

I. Freedom and moral law
II. Freedom and motive
III. Freedom and the sovereign good
IV. The postulates of practical reason
V. The critique of Kantian morality

STAGE 4. THE FACULTY OF JUDGMENT: BETWEEN NATURE AND FREEDOM

I. Mediation between nature and freedom
II. The beautiful and morality
III. The sublime and morality
IV. Law as mediation
V. Moral finality and theology

STAGE 5. RELIGION AND FREEDOM

I. Freedom and evil
II. Good and Evil
III. Church and morality
IV. Pure religion / Revealed religion
V. Moral religion / Cult religion
VI. A philosophical critique of Kant

STAGE 6. CONCLUSION: FREEDOM - A KEY TO KANTIAN PHILOSOPHY

I. Freedom as the keystone of the Kantian system
II. Philosophy and freedom
III. A progress of freedom within history
3.1 The affirmation of progress