Date of Award
8-1989
Degree Type
Master's Essay - Restricted
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Philosophy
Abstract
One of the most difficult tasks before the disciplines of philosophy and theology has been developing an understanding of freedom, a concept which is vital to how we understand ourselves and our world. The difficulty in understanding freedom arises from the dialectic inherent in the concept itself. Freedom is limited and limitless, radical and relative, abstract and concrete. The response to this problem of understanding has often been met by choosing to understand freedom in only one dimension, diminishing the complexity of freedom as well as that of humanity. Immanuel Kant, unlike others, recognized that the dynamic tension of freedom is essential in understanding ourselves and our function in the world. The question of humanity's function within the context of freedom understood m all of its dimensions becomes central for Kant the philosopher, and the response to this question is given meaning by Kant the theologian. The problem in understanding Kant's work is to recognize that it is energized by the dialectic of freedom, and that the culmination of his work is a successful resolution of the tension between function and meaning.
Recommended Citation
Wilson, Paula M., "Freedom and Community: The Vision of Immanuel Kant" (1989). Master's Essays (1922 - ). 2205.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/essays/2205
Comments
An Essay submitted to the faculty of the graduate school, Marquette University, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Milwaukee, Wisconsin