Philosophie im Ausgriff auf konkrete Religion : Kants Umgang mit dem Topos »Orthodoxie«

The author shows that contrary to Kant's exclusively pejorative use of the term >orthodoxy< in his > Die Religion innerhalb der Grenzen der reinen Vernunft<, the Königsberg philosopher establishes a >vernunftgemäβe Orthodoxie< (reasonable orthodoxy) in his >Streit der Fakultäten<. According to Kant, religion has the aim not only to improve the deeds of men but to effect a moral reformation of men. Arguing with traditional orthodoxy and pietism as well, Kant rejects the idea of supranatural powers changing man. He introduces the Bible as the source of support of the higher intrinsic moral potentiality of man, namely his ability to act according to moral law against his >Neigung< (natural inclination) (Freiheit). Not the antithesis of God and mankind surmounted by God's selfcommunication in Christ but the hidden identity of human intelligibility with God is the scope of Kants concept of >biblical orthodoxy<.