1848+: Last and First Men

Relevant to our consideration:
From The New Hegelians, Politics and Philosophy in the Hegelian School, ed. Douglas Moggach, Cambridge, 2006

In Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason Kant strips down the Christian religion to what he regards as its moral core. This is the pursuit of virtue with the aim of founding with all others a worldwide ethical commonwealth. Kant makes sit clear that he respects the work of churches and church leaders in trying to bring about this moral ideal, but he is equally clear that they do not represent the sole or, indeed, even the most important means in bringing it about. The general external trappings of religious faith Kant regards as, at best, symbolically representing the change at which true virtuous behaviour aims, and, at worst, seriously misleding the faithful in their goal of achieving goodness. Although Kant does not try to undermine entirely the metaphysical or transcendent side of religion, he does regard its role as secondary and dependent upon the pursuit of moral goals. It might be said with Kant that the essence of true religion, of which the best forms of Christian worship are part, is morality. Humanity is at the core of Kant’s interpretation of religion. It has to do with the perfection of the human race as the highest aspect of nature. With Kant, religion is moral anthropology. This brings him very close to Ludwig Feuerbach.