JUSTICE OF GOD IN KANT'S PHILOSOPHY: FOR A HUMAN BEING AND A STATE

The paper is an inquiry into the concept of retributive justice in Kant's "Religion within the Bounds of Reason Alone" (1795). Kant proposes an explanation of theological terms (God, grace, punishment, and discharge) in the common field of moral and politic realms. We find two kinds...

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Main Author: Nerija Putinaitė
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Vilnius University Press 1999-01-01
Series:Problemos
Online Access:https://www.journals.vu.lt/problemos/article/view/4216
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author Nerija Putinaitė
author_facet Nerija Putinaitė
author_sort Nerija Putinaitė
collection DOAJ
description The paper is an inquiry into the concept of retributive justice in Kant's "Religion within the Bounds of Reason Alone" (1795). Kant proposes an explanation of theological terms (God, grace, punishment, and discharge) in the common field of moral and politic realms. We find two kinds of justice as well as of worlds contrasted in Kant's philosophy: world of the absolute justice of God, and world of human justice. The strongest, rule-based justice is to be exercised in the world of human beings. This kind of justice must be based on the principles of speculative rationality alone. The justice of God is based on two principles: that of prudence and of grace. The possibility of grace that surpasses the speculative ability of human being is a secret or mystery to him. Grace refers to and forms an inner moral historicity of human being. The source of historicity is change of human natural state of guilt and punishment into the state of joyful inner moral development. Only grace makes it possible for human being to change his moral inclinations from vicious to virtuous. Kant considers pain caused by vicious inclinations as a sign of God's retributive justice. The paper raises questions about the possibility of discharge. Hypothesis is held that discharge takes place in time. It shows itself as the inner moral development of the human being and the state. The controversial notions of apologists and critics of Kant's philosophy are presented.
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spelling doaj-art-0bfc8e738388437d9d74e3418721d27a2025-01-20T18:25:20ZengVilnius University PressProblemos1392-11262424-61581999-01-0156JUSTICE OF GOD IN KANT'S PHILOSOPHY: FOR A HUMAN BEING AND A STATENerija Putinaitė The paper is an inquiry into the concept of retributive justice in Kant's "Religion within the Bounds of Reason Alone" (1795). Kant proposes an explanation of theological terms (God, grace, punishment, and discharge) in the common field of moral and politic realms. We find two kinds of justice as well as of worlds contrasted in Kant's philosophy: world of the absolute justice of God, and world of human justice. The strongest, rule-based justice is to be exercised in the world of human beings. This kind of justice must be based on the principles of speculative rationality alone. The justice of God is based on two principles: that of prudence and of grace. The possibility of grace that surpasses the speculative ability of human being is a secret or mystery to him. Grace refers to and forms an inner moral historicity of human being. The source of historicity is change of human natural state of guilt and punishment into the state of joyful inner moral development. Only grace makes it possible for human being to change his moral inclinations from vicious to virtuous. Kant considers pain caused by vicious inclinations as a sign of God's retributive justice. The paper raises questions about the possibility of discharge. Hypothesis is held that discharge takes place in time. It shows itself as the inner moral development of the human being and the state. The controversial notions of apologists and critics of Kant's philosophy are presented. https://www.journals.vu.lt/problemos/article/view/4216
spellingShingle Nerija Putinaitė
JUSTICE OF GOD IN KANT'S PHILOSOPHY: FOR A HUMAN BEING AND A STATE
Problemos
title JUSTICE OF GOD IN KANT'S PHILOSOPHY: FOR A HUMAN BEING AND A STATE
title_full JUSTICE OF GOD IN KANT'S PHILOSOPHY: FOR A HUMAN BEING AND A STATE
title_fullStr JUSTICE OF GOD IN KANT'S PHILOSOPHY: FOR A HUMAN BEING AND A STATE
title_full_unstemmed JUSTICE OF GOD IN KANT'S PHILOSOPHY: FOR A HUMAN BEING AND A STATE
title_short JUSTICE OF GOD IN KANT'S PHILOSOPHY: FOR A HUMAN BEING AND A STATE
title_sort justice of god in kant s philosophy for a human being and a state
url https://www.journals.vu.lt/problemos/article/view/4216
work_keys_str_mv AT nerijaputinaite justiceofgodinkantsphilosophyforahumanbeingandastate