“Freedom is a permanent problem for us, both unavoidable and insoluble.” ProblemPermanent Author:Allen W. Wood
“As with many metaphysical and religious questions, Kant thinks they lie beyond our power to answer them. If you can't stand the frustration involved in accepting this, and insist on finding some more stable position which affords you peace of mind and intellectual self-complacency, then you will find Kant's position "problematic" in the sense that you can't bring yourself to accept it. You may try to kid yourself into accepting either some naturalistic deflationary answer to the problem or some dishonest supernaturalist answer.” IfsThinkingTryingMindMaySelfProblemKidsLyingReligiousAnswersAcceptingPositionInvolvedFindingsIntellectualFrustrationPeace Of MindStableMetaphysicalComplacency Author:Allen W. Wood
“It would be nice, wouldn't it? if we could get comfortable about the problem of freedom. Kant thinks that we can't.” IfsThinkingProblemWould BeNiceComfortableBeing Nice Author:Allen W. Wood
“Kant considers belief in God and immortality to be items of "faith" because he relates faith to the pursuit of ends - in this case, the highest good.” EndsBeliefCasesHighestPursuitRelateImmortalityItemsBelief In God Author:Allen W. Wood
“Kant does not regard freedom as an item of faith because it is too basic to our agency to be related to any end.” DoeEndsRegardRelatedAgencyItems Author:Allen W. Wood
“Freedom is an unprovable but unavoidable presupposition, not an article of faith.” Articles Author:Allen W. Wood
“Kant was a rational theologian. He did not pretend to be a biblical or revealed theologian.” RationalBiblicalTheologian Author:Allen W. Wood
“Kant's aim was to develop a religion within the boundaries of mere reason (that is, reason unaided by special empirical revelation) and then to ask about existing ecclesiastical faith (especially about Christianity, and the Lutheran Christianity of his time and place) how this revealed faith must be interpreted if it is to be reconciled with reason, and even seen as a wider (though morally optional) extension of a religion of reason.” IfsReasonAsksChristianitySpecialAimMereBoundariesRevelationsExtensionsOptionalLutherans Author:Allen W. Wood
“We are generally forced to choose one way or the other of distancing ourselves from Kant. I suppose I tend to choose the irreligious way. But I regret that Kant's path has not been followed.” WayPathRegretOne WayI Regret Author:Allen W. Wood
“I wish that our culture could retain the symbolism and emotional power of traditional religion while combining it with reason and science and using the combination to enhance our humanity rather than impoverishing it by choosing the one side or the other.” ReasonHumanityCultureWishSidesEmotionalTraditionalCombinationSymbolismCombiningEmotional Power Author:Allen W. Wood