Kant and the creation of freedom: A response to Terry Godlove

Journal article


Insole, Christopher. (2014). Kant and the creation of freedom: A response to Terry Godlove. International Journal for Philosophy of Religion. 76(2), pp. 111 - 128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11153-014-9455-4
AuthorsInsole, Christopher
Abstract

In his review of my book, Terry Godlove raises some robust objections to the exegesis of Kant that I present in my recent book, Kant and the Creation of Freedom: a Theological Problem (Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press, 2013). I respond to these criticisms in this article. Properly to locate Godlove’s exegetical objections, I dedicate the first section to setting out the arc of the argument I trace. I then set out and treat in turn Godlove’s main objections to my exegesis: that it depends upon an interpretation of transcendental idealism which makes the doctrine ‘flatly inconsistent and probably just silly’; that I neglect the most plausible account interpretation of Kant’s various statements about transcendental idealism; and that I ‘pick and choose’ supporting texts too narrowly, leading to an unbalanced presentation, which is too convenient to my thesis. I conclude with some general methodological reflections—stimulated by Godlove, but not aimed at him—about how historical philosophical texts are often treated. I express some anxieties about the principle of charity that underlies much current exegesis, and ‘rational reconstruction’ of historical texts, and I propose a case for what might be called ‘creative decomposition’ (not of the text, but of the self).

KeywordsKant; Freedom; Theology; Transcendental idealism; Insole; Godlove
Year2014
JournalInternational Journal for Philosophy of Religion
Journal citation76 (2), pp. 111 - 128
PublisherKluwer Academic Publishers
ISSN0020-7047
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1007/s11153-014-9455-4
Scopus EID2-s2.0-84907084380
Page range111 - 128
Research GroupInstitute for Religion and Critical Inquiry
Publisher's version
File Access Level
Controlled
Place of publicationNetherlands
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