NATIONAL RESEARCH UNIVERSITY
HIGHER SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS
Faculty of Social Sciences
School of Philosophy
Project Proposal
Anthropological Foundations of Religion in the Philosophy of Religion of Kant and Schleiermacher
Student:
Anastasia Belyaeva
Argument consultant:
Rezykh Petr Vladislavovich
Style and Language consultant:
Zhilina Liliya Vasiljevna
2016
Contents
Y Introduction 3 Literature Review 6 Methods 8 Results achieved 9 Conclusion 11 References 12
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This paper focuses on basic concepts of philosophy of religion. These concepts are analyzed according to philosophical systems of Kant and Schleiermacher. The study investigates into the question of understanding how the phenomenon of religion connects with human being. So, showing anthropological aspects of religion is main goal of the research. The research is focused basically on two main works “On Religion: Speeches for its Cultural Despisers” of Schleiermacher and Kant’s “Religion within the Limits of Reason Alone” to achieve this aim. These works were chosen because they are considered to represent main ideas of Kant and Schleiermacher concerning their understanding of religion. Although the research is based mainly on these two works, a large corpus of Kant’s and Schleiermacher’s works were used, especially works devoted to ethics, law and epistemology. Hermeneutics method was used as the general methodological direction. However, because the large part of research includes clarifying religious concepts, concept analysis was also used in the research. The results of the examination of anthropological foundations of religion can be used in philosophy of religion and religious studies to clarify the main characteristics of all religions though creed. Moreover, comparison and finding common aspects of philosophy of religion of Kant and Schleiermacher clarify the continuity of the philosophy of religion in the Enlightenment and Romanticism and show the misunderstanding of interpretation of Romanticism as the age which stays directly opposite to the Enlightenment and which are based on totally different principals.
Introduction
After Kant’s statement about groundlessness of metaphysical and theological theories in gnoseological aspects, speculative theology became baseless in problems of religion. However, Kant still shows the importance of religion in human life. Although religion cannot give us positive knowledge, it is still very important in our practical life. The investigation of religion in its influence on human being was the beginning of a new sphere in philosophy, namely the philosophy of religion.
Background. The significance of the research is proved by the fact that despite the great research tradition of Schleiermacher’s philosophy in Europe there is almost no works on his philosophy in Russian philosophical tradition. Moreover, only two works of protestant theologian are translated in the Russian language, they are ‘On Religion: Speeches for its Cultural Despisers’ and ‘Monologues’. So, the research shows the main aspects of philosophy of religion of Schleiermacher.
Concerning Kant there are no lack of researches devoted to him both in Europe and Russia; however, often philosophy of religion of Kant is analyzed in ethical aspects and generally consists of investigation of postulates of practical reason. This research tries to change the focus of investigation of religion and for the most part connects it with such concepts as sense, infinite, the sublime etc.
Problem statement. This research is the comparison of two systems of philosophy of religion, one belongs to the Enlightenment and another one belongs to the Romanticism. The main aim of the research is to show the continuity of these two philosophical schools.
Kant’s and Schleiermacher’s philosophy of religion has the same foundation, namely the unity of infinite and individual being. The research devoted to investigation of that foundation and the origin unity of human being in both systems of philosophy of religion.
Delimitations of the study. The comparison of two philosophical schools is accomplished only in the sphere of religion, because this sphere according to Kant is one of the most basic and according to Schleiermacher it is the only basic sphere of human beings. Because both theoretical and practical aspects of human life join together in religion and there is no longer contradiction between physical and moral world.
After the fall of speculative theology religion starts to connect itself not with the transcendent world but with human being. In that case the research is devoted to anthropological aspects of religion, aspects which directly influence on human life.
So, the research is the comparison of anthropological aspects of religion in the philosophy of religion of Kant and Schleiermacher. It is the search of the one ground of religion in both systems.
Professional significance. The importance of the research is, firstly, in making works of Schleiermacher available for Russian readers. Unfortunately, thinkers of the Romanticism are known in Russia mostly for their literary works, and that creates the “unphilosophical’ attitude to these ages. So, the Romanticism is not fully represented to Russian readers.
Secondly, because of obscurity of the philosophical works of romantics, there is misunderstanding of their connection with previous philosophers, such as Kant, Jacobi, Spinoza etc. The research will help Russian readers to see the philosophy of Romanticism in its connection with previous tradition.
Thirdly, the excessive specialization of philosophical knowledge and its separation into different narrow spheres leads to the loss of unity in philosophy. There is a lack of general philosophical system in philosophy nowadays. If we look at Schleiermacher’s interpretation of religion we will see that he defines it as the main sphere of a human being, which is the foundation of all other spheres. So, studying philosophy of religion can help as to unite different philosophical knowledge.
Finally, modern religious life is not calm. Differences between religions and cultures lead to clashes, sometimes armed clashes. The main idea of philosophy of religion is to show the one root of all faiths, to explore the religion itself. Finding the common root of all religion can help in slowing many modern political and religious conflicts.