ABSTRACT
In the history of Western philosophy, debates about truth and error have
continued to develop, reflecting diverse views that have emerged over time. The
question of human nature became the center of intellectual attention, expanding
philosophical study from speculation to fundamental thinking. Amid this
context, Immanuel Kant emerged as a key figure who brought a new approach to
philosophical inquiry. Although he spent his life in Koningsberg, his ideas in
epistemology, anthropology, ethics, and education gained global recognition and
made him one of the most influential philosophers of the modern era. However,
his views have also drawn criticism, especially for the inconsistencies that
are perceived to support dogmatism, although he originally intended to criticize
it. This research analyzes Kant's thought, especially about the limits of human
knowledge, metaphysics, and criticism of dogmatism. The method used is
qualitative text analysis, which examines Kant's main work, "Critique of
Pure Reason," as well as the views of other philosophers. Primary and
secondary literature is reviewed to identify inconsistencies in Kant's
arguments. The results show that although Kant's philosophical system has made
an outstanding contribution, there are significant areas for improvement in the
handling of metaphysical concepts and the limits of knowledge, which ultimately
has the potential to fall into dogmatism. This study concludes that Kant's
thought remains relevant and essential, but it needs to be reread critically to
fully understand its impact on modern philosophy.
Keywords: freedom, immanuel
kant, idealism, german philosophy, god, metaphysics,
the three postulate idea
Corresponding Author: Duncan Matthew
Daunan
E-mail: [email protected]
INTRODUCTION
Immanuel Kant
is considered one of the most brilliant philosophers in history and is often
recognized as one of the leading figures in developing critical theory.
However, in modern philosophy, Kant's ideas have been the subject of
significant criticism from his contemporaries, especially in the German
tradition
One of the critical results of Kant’s exploration of
metaphysics is his recognition of the limits of human understanding
However, critics argue that Kant’s reliance on these
postulates edges his philosophy towards the dogmatism he intended to overcome.
His postulation of God as a guarantor of moral hope and the Soul as an
essential aspect of human identity has been viewed as contradictory to his
assertion that metaphysical entities cannot be known. These tensions highlight
the complexities within Kant’s philosophical system and have prompted ongoing
debates about his philosophical consistency.
This is different from the domains of mathematics and physics, which are
characterized by categorical elements, especially in the case of physics. As a
result, the possibility of physics as a science is a viable proposition. The
discipline of physics is concerned with the intellect, given that physics
includes elements of relationships and causality. Meanwhile, mathematics that relies on negation, limitations, and so on
is also found in categories in human intellect, so it is called possible.
However, Immanuel Kant's consistency was questioned when he wanted to change
his understanding of metaphysics as one of science. Metaphysics should be
classified as a science because it has an idea of substance. This opposition
was then explored in a more radical way by its successors. These opponents
opened up a new path for the philosophical way of thinking in the modern era,
which provided an opportunity for a new school of philosophy to develop and
look from a side that, according to the author, was more humanistic.
Philosophically, this tension has drawn extensive critique. Scholars such
as Norman Kemp Smith
This research builds upon previous studies, such as those of Bowie
Kant
realized this a lot, which gave him a stronger foundation in his thinking and
philosophical views on the field of ethics. However, it was precisely this
field that stood firmly in its territory and did not close its shortcomings and
stopped the other philosophers of German idealism (Fichte, Schelling, and
especially Hegel) from finding loopholes and taking parts of Kant's philosophy
to create a grander but also more fragile building of a philosophical system to
be destroyed.
One of the things that Kant formulated in his
epistemological system is the existence of various categories (Categorical
Imperials) in the domain of the human mind. According to Kant, there are things
that humans cannot know because they are beyond knowledge, and there is no
posterior evidence that can be understood empirically or practically
Kant’s
postulates — freedom, the immortality of the soul, and the existence of God —
are central to his moral philosophy, providing the necessary assumptions for
the moral law to function
The novelty
of this research lies in its critical reevaluation of Kant's postulates —
freedom, immortality, and the existence of God — by highlighting the internal
inconsistencies within his philosophical system, particularly the potential for
these postulates to reintroduce the dogmatism Kant sought to avoid. While
previous studies have explored the significance of these postulates within
Kant’s broader moral and metaphysical framework, this research offers a fresh
critique by focusing on the tensions between Kant's critique of dogmatic
metaphysics and his reliance on metaphysical beliefs to ground his moral
philosophy. This study goes beyond traditional interpretations by examining how
Kant’s postulates, intended as practical necessities, may undermine his
critical limits on human knowledge, thereby opening new avenues for
understanding the enduring complexities in Kant’s reconciliation of reason and
faith. This approach not only provides a deeper analysis of Kant's thought but
also offers a novel perspective on the implications of his work for
contemporary philosophical debates on metaphysics and morality.
As mentioned above, this makes Kant fall into
dogmatism, which he wants to criticize. This means that Kant has reached the
limit of knowledge, which is beyond human understanding. This study differs from other research on
Kant’s philosophy by offering a detailed critique of the internal tensions
within his system, mainly focusing on how Kant’s postulates of freedom,
immortality, and God potentially reintroduce the dogmatic metaphysics he sought
to eliminate. While many previous studies have explored Kant's work from a
purely historical or ethical standpoint, this research bridges the gap between
his metaphysical and practical philosophy, offering a unique interpretation of
how his reliance on these postulates challenges the very limits of reason that
he established in his critical philosophy.
The importance of this study lies in its ability to shed light on the
unresolved contradictions within Kant's thought, which are crucial for
understanding both his contributions and limitations in modern philosophy. By
critically assessing these inconsistencies, the study provides a more nuanced
view of Kant's relevance to contemporary debates in metaphysics, ethics, and
the philosophy of religion. Moreover, it deepens our understanding of how
philosophical systems may evolve or contain internal tensions that require
further exploration, making this research vital for scholars who seek to grasp
the complexities of Kant's influence on modern intellectual thought. This
research offers new insights into how Kant’s work can be reevaluated in light
of current philosophical issues, particularly in reconciling reason with faith
and the limits of human knowledge.
METHOD
This study
employs a qualitative research design focused on philosophical text analysis, explicitly
using hermeneutic interpretation to examine Kant’s primary works, Critique of
Pure Reason and Critique of Practical Reason, and critical secondary
literature. The primary texts were selected based on their centrality to Kant’s
philosophical system, particularly regarding his postulates of freedom,
immortality, and the existence of God, which are crucial to understanding the
limits of human reason and the moral framework he proposes. The analysis
process involves a close reading of Kant's texts, contextual analysis to place
his arguments within the broader scope of his critical philosophy, and critical
evaluation to assess whether these postulates align with or contradict his
rejection of dogmatic metaphysics. This method enables a detailed critique of
the internal tensions within Kant's philosophy. The theoretical framework is
grounded in Kantian transcendental idealism, which explores the limits of human
knowledge, and hermeneutic philosophy, which allows for interpreting the texts
within their historical and intellectual contexts, offering new insights into
Kant's reconciliation of reason and metaphysical beliefs.
RESULTS AND
DISCUSSION
Background
Immanuel Kant grew up in an atmosphere where poverty was rampant because
of East Prussia (the capital of the remote German province, now part of
Kaliningrad, Russia). His father was a man to Kant, miserly enough that at one
point, he jokingly revealed to Immanuel that not all the essential things in
life were available to them.
Although his father was very stingy, his mother played the most significant
role in Kant's life
In addition, there was also the growth of German solid man thought on the
influence of the French Enlightenment at that time, such as Rousseau's thought
moving through romanticism, which became the background for the growth of
Kant's thought in his philosophy. The side or impact of this strong influence
then finally encouraged the intellectuals of the time to be able to find a
scientific system that was universalistic. This grand ambition was undoubtedly
followed by a desire to dismantle the traditional forms of mysticism and
medieval doctrine that they considered to be cunning and abstract doctrines.
As a person, Kant mastered almost all the subjects available then,
including lessons on logic, mathematics, natural sciences, pedagogy, and so on.
This was thanks to a lecturer who gave Kant special access to borrow and read
his books so that Kant could study almost all existing fields of science at
that time. Kant then became a lecturer without a fixed salary (privatdozent)
for approximately 15 years. This period is widely known as the
"pre-critical" period in his life, in which the concepts of the
rationalism of Leibniz and Wolff so influenced Kant.
In addition to his philosophy, he is very rigorous and, of course, very
well structured, and so is his way of living. His life cycle is regular, with a
definite schedule and never changing habits.
After the death of his parents, Kant and his sisters lived in
Koningsberg during his lifetime. However, Kant never met his sisters for more
than 20 years. The first thing Kant did when he met his sister was apologize to
the audience at his house because Kant had forgotten his appearance and looks.
Nevertheless, Kant remained loyal to his interest in science. Kant read
one of Isaac Newton's most outstanding works on mathematics and physics and was
amazed at the system that runs against the principles of the universe and how
it works. Kant also read about Leibniz's rationalism, which, for him, was one
of the genius intellectual ideas and an extraordinary way of looking at nature
as a form of harmonious unity, as evidenced by the state of affairs in reality.
In this regard, Kant also read the work of the radical empirical
philosopher David Hume. Kant was fascinated and agreed with Hume's view that
everything that happens in the world and this reality is a series of
perceptions that produce a form of experience and that it occurs naturally.
Hume strongly rejected the form of cause and effect, uncertainty, and also the
concept of divinity. On the other hand, Kant refuses to agree with Hume's
arguments fully. Nevertheless, Kant is amazed by the consistency of Hume's
work.
Kant was also amazed by Rousseau's work, whose nuances of thought were so
pronounced with the scent of freedom and the spirit of romanticism. He admired
and opposed it because the systematics of Rousseau's thought seemed like it
needed to be more academic when compared to other philosophers of the time.
Kant was caught in doubt when he read several works that changed and
influenced his philosophical thinking
However, at one point, he read David Hume's paper entitled "Treatise
Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding," and Kant felt that he was finally
beginning to find a skeleton in the building blocks of his philosophy.
Therefore, Kant no longer produced any academic writings for the next few years,
although he remained faithful to his philosophy. At this time, a legend began:
Kant carried out his activities in a structured manner and at an almost certain
rhythm.
As
Heine puts it, "Waking up early, drinking coffee, writing, giving lectures
and lectures, afternoon breaks, and dinner are all activities that have a
structured schedule. The inhabitants of Koningsberg will know that the time
shows half past 4 when Kant is seen walking with a gray jacket for no more than
1 Pfennig and a cane in his hand towards a path decorated with Linden trees,
and this is widely known as "the philosopher's walk"
Kant is not
an attractive figure; his family background of living in poverty makes him not
known as a charming and neat person, as his habits. However, when the wealthy
people whom he taught as a privatdozent began to improve and help him with
elegant dress codes, and coupled with his experience of spending much time with
the wealthy, Kant was able to appear as a charismatic and respected figure,
making his name even more famous even though he never stepped far from his
hometown.
During the
"hiatus" in producing this writing, Kant seems to have tried to
develop his philosophical system until the birth of his work, Critique of Pure
Reason. This work is considered one of his most successful and widely known
works, although his writing could be more precise. The following two works were
Critique of Practical Reason and Critique of Judgement. Among these three
works, the first contains his philosophical system's teachings and central
views, crucial in epistemology and science.
Content
Kant divided the paper entitled Critique of Pure Reason into two parts.
First, the section on the doctrine of transcendental elements is almost 400
pages long, and the second on the doctrine of transcendental methodology is
described as long as only 80 pages. In this work, the explanation of
epistemology about the source of human knowledge in all situations is contained
in the doctrine of transcendental elements, which is then broken down into
three small parts, namely: the first part of transcendental aesthetics, the
second part of transcendental analytic, and the third part of transcendental
dialectic.
In general, Kant attempted to
critique Leibniz's metaphysics, stating that the human mind can clearly and
naturally understand something beyond knowledge's limits, even without
experience, such as the concepts of God, freedom, and eternity. However, Kant
opposed this because it was impossible to know. In this section, Kant seeks to
reveal a fundamental question about how a priori synthesis verdict is possible.
As previously expressed, this problem mainly exists in three different fields:
mathematics, physics, and metaphysics.
For Kant, space and time are
subjective, and without them, it is impossible to understand an experience
The "categories" referred
to by Kant here are like spaces in the mind containing various things such as
quality, relationships, modalities, inevitability, etc. In general, we can only
see reality by using both methods. However, according to Kant, only external
phenomena can be witnessed by a person using these two methods because they
cannot be used to display Noumena or something that Kant often considers to be
the real thing that creates the phenomenon.
In the perception of knowledge,
there are two parts of a person's mind. Here, Kant distinguishes between the
two as intellectuals (Verstand) and Ratio (Vernunft) as part of the human
process of acquiring knowledge
According to Kant, the abilities
possessed by both parts of the human body also do not have a fundamental
similarity. At the intellectual stage, the sensory data received through
phenomena will be processed and produce a cognitive decision that is the basis
of human action in expressing its state in reality. This verdict for Kant is an
ethical act with its purpose, but it cannot move independently and produce a valid
form of action. After going through the intellectual stage, the verdict will be
processed by the ratio stage, which Kant expresses at a higher level than the
intellect
Kant states that the function of
ratios is to make arrangements over data a priori that has gone through the
intellectual stage, where the data is ready to be synthesized to become a
cognitive decision. This decision becomes the basis for humans’ various actions
in life. With the existence of this category in the human intellect, Kant
proved that physics is possible
Physics is stated to exist through
the existence of cause and effect as the essential element that runs the system.
Man can understand the concept of causality, as stated by Kant, because physics
goes through a complex process, which man then projects in his understanding of
phenomena. This also applies to mathematics, which is considered valid and
valid as a science. However, Kant still found it challenging to view
metaphysics as a science. For him, metaphysics, a form of a pure ratio, is not
directly related to empirical objects because it does not have a specific
manifestation, in reality, capable of describing it and can be projected as a
form of experience.
According to Kant, the function of
the ratio stage in the human mind is as a regulatory decision-maker and cannot
expand knowledge independently. Kant, however, argues that metaphysics can
still be a scientific disposition since ratios tend to justify their
naturalness. However, Kant argues that this has pushed the boundaries of human
knowledge. For Kant, God and the Soul cannot be proven true because they have
exceeded the limits of knowledge
At first glance, it appears that the
philosophical edifice Kant established is like a gigantic system and so
powerful that it can be accepted. However, It was not as beautiful as it seemed
when the post-Kant idealistic philosophers discovered that Kant's philosophy
was inconsistent and criticized it to pieces. Then, these philosophers tried to
rebuild what Kant had started, but this time more radically.
Three
Postulate Ideas
Kant expressed the tip of his epistemological thinking on the concept of 3
postulate ideas closely related to his practical ratio. According to Kant,
categorical imperatives, as discussed earlier, have revealed that they are not
merely analytical verdicts but are synthetic. The predicate in the premise (the
content of the order) is not based on the analysis of the subject but must be
associated with the subject itself
The immortality of the soul must also be assumed, as it is the assumption
of reality, that the human ratio for Kant tends to find an absolute totality in
a practical field. It is called the highest form of goodness, including
happiness and virtue. However, it needs to be more logical and analytical
because sometimes doing virtue or obeying moral laws differs from seeking
happiness.
Kant declared that the search for happiness involves not only obeying the
moral law but also arguing that human beings can do good without obeying the
moral law, and in reality, this can be found. This opinion is unique for Kant,
considering his philosophy was strict and consistent at one point. In the end,
it never happened until the whole of his philosophical journey was intact.
An act that violates universal morality cannot be justified
deontologically. However, the happiness that comes from saving one's life, on
the one hand, is not morally justifiable when other morals are not observed,
and, strangely, it is said to be a crime. Thus, their unrelatedness is evident
in the relationship between these two understandings. Moreover, for Kant, God's
existence must be assumed. For Kant, it is assumed that rational subjects can
create whatever they expect. However, in reality, its implementation is complex
and challenging. Kant presupposes a harmony between the sensory realm and our
will. We cannot create what we expect. In this case, the subject must believe
that there is something beyond all that and that it is God. The existence of
God guarantees man's moral hope to achieve the highest good.
Critique
Kant gave such a harsh line of direction, and in his thinking, it was
clear that Kant was an intelligent man who built his philosophical system luxuriously.
He built a firm understanding of epistemology. In that framework, he reversed
the previous understanding that began with Aristotle and then after the Kant
era, which became a new foothold for future thinkers and was very evident in
the spirit of the German idealists. However, Kant's philosophical system must
be more consistent and have apparent weaknesses.
Regarding his deontological ethics, Kant reveals that the existence of the
categorical imperative is not based on the good according to the goal but on
the fact that the commandment has good in him. Kant's weak point is that when
it is considered good in him, the question arises: how do we know that a
commandment is good "through" its essence? This is certainly
different from Kant's opinion that the phenomenon cannot be known in nature
(Noumena). However, is kindness a reality phenomenon? So, how do we know the
essence of a universal value?
If it is said to be a good thing because of a universal verdict, it does
not apply because it cannot be known. After all, the person's views are
subjective. In other words, this understanding no longer exists in metaphysics
but rather as if trying to push the limits of knowledge. However, Kant's point
is that he seeks to recover metaphysics in a new way. This commandment cannot
be based on its goodness because it is not necessarily universal. When it is
universal, we cannot know that it exists in a priori action, and its verdict
becomes doubtful.
On the other hand, Kant revealed in his concept of 3 postulate ideas that the
assumption of the world, the soul, and God is a must. He argued that no
empirical science could prove it. Kant, however, was in danger of the dogmatism
he was criticizing. This is not related to the fact that the form of using
ratio will only dissolve itself that existential linkage as an action that is
undoubtedly causality exists in reality. This strict and rigid style will
certainly lead Kant back to the form of dogmatism that he had previously
experienced, as before Hume, through his work, awakened Kant from the shackles
of Leibniz and Wolffian rationalism.
CONCLUSION
The key findings of this research highlight the central role of Kant's
postulates of freedom, the immortality of the soul, and the existence of God in
his moral philosophy. These postulates serve as necessary assumptions for
Kant’s practical reason, allowing moral laws to function even though they are
not empirically verifiable. However, a significant result of this analysis
points to a critical inconsistency within Kant’s system: his reliance on
metaphysical postulates that seemingly contradict his critique of dogmatism.
While Kant aims to limit metaphysical speculation to the boundaries of human
knowledge, his use of the postulates reintroduces metaphysical elements,
challenging the limits he sought to impose. These findings are significant
because they reveal a tension between Kant’s epistemological framework and
moral philosophy. While essential for the moral order in Kant’s system, the
postulates suggest a return to dogmatic thinking, which raises questions about
the coherence of his critical philosophy. This contradiction offers a fresh
perspective on Kant’s work, suggesting that his revolutionary system may
inadvertently harbor the flaws he intended to eliminate. For future research,
it would be valuable to explore Kant’s postulates about contemporary debates on
metaphysics and ethics, particularly in how they influence modern views on
moral responsibility and free will.
Further examination of Kant’s influence on later philosophical movements,
such as German Idealism and existentialism, could provide deeper insights into
how these postulates shaped subsequent philosophical developments. Ultimately,
these findings matter for Kant’s system because they challenge the stability of
the framework he constructed. Kant’s ambition to ground morality in reason
without falling into metaphysical dogmatism is undermined by his reliance on unverifiable
postulates yet crucial to his moral theory. This tension in his work
underscores the enduring complexity of Kantian philosophy and its continued
relevance in philosophical discussions of reason, faith, and the limits of
human knowledge.
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