Kant is a key thinker in the emergence of our contemporary sense of what 'human freedom' is, and why it is important. This book shows that important features of Kant's philosophy were forged out of difficulties he had in reconciling his belief in God as creator with the concept of human freedom.
A Critique of Anti-Realist Approaches in Contemporary Philosophical Theology
Focusing on a realist interpretation of religious discourse, the author critiques anti-realism for leading to absolutism and hubris. By engaging with a range of philosophical perspectives, including analytical and post-modern thinkers, the book offers a novel approach to longstanding debates in the field. Insole's arguments aim to revitalize discussions surrounding the nature of religious belief and its implications for understanding reality.
The thought of Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) is often regarded as having caused a crisis for theology and religion because it sets the limits of knowledge to what can be derived from experience. In The Intolerable God Christopher Insole challenges that assumption and argues that Kant believed in God but struggled intensely with theological questions. Drawing on a new wave of Kant research and texts from all periods of Kant's thought -- including some texts not previously translated -- Insole recounts the drama of Kant's intellectual and theological journey. He focuses on Kant's lifelong concern with God, freedom, and happiness, relating these topics to Kant's theory of knowledge and his shifting views about what metaphysics can achieve. Though Kant was, in the end, unable to accept central claims of the Christian faith, Insole here shows that he earnestly wrestled with issues that are still deeply unsettling for believers and doubters alike.