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Kant's Philosophy of Religion and Climate Change by Thomas Paul Kant’s Philosophy of Religion and Climate Change by Thomas Paul York A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Religion University of Toronto © Copyright by Thomas Paul York, 2017 i Kant’s Philosophy of Religion and Climate Change Thomas Paul York Department of Religion University of Toronto 2017 Abstract This thesis argues that Kant’s Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason (1793) may be applied to climate change issues. This thesis makes use of James DiCenso’s interpretation of Kant’s philosophy of religion (2011, 2012), which argues that Kant’s key text on religion conveys a social and political vision. This thesis addresses both traditional religious worldviews and secular political movements engaged in climate politics. It argues for the need to ethically assess these social formations’ evolving responses to the climate crisis. The failure (to date) of religious traditions to adequately address the climate crisis, and possible reasons for this, are addressed. Examples of social formations, ideologies, and religious responses examined include consumerism, environmental theology, religiously motivated climate change denial and dispensationalist theology, as well as the secular climate justice movement. Kant locates the source of many of our problems in the power of choice and determining ground of morality. In this sense, his ethical system is distinct from the neo-Marxist interpretation of “systems of power.” The theory of what DiCenso refers to as “shared representations” of “supersensible” cognition is helpful for understanding the dynamics of belief that inform complex social and political formations. Kant’s philosophy of religion may be of value for those trying to understand how religions and political ideologies that employ powerful symbols and ideals play a role in the unfolding of historical events. Keywords: Kant, climate change, climate ethics, environmental ethics, dispensationalism, climate change denial, climate justice, biblical literalism, religion, philosophy of religion, consumerism, environmental theology ii Dedication and Acknowledgements This thesis is dedicated to mother, Lynn York, who urged me to complete it and enabled its completion. I am very grateful to all my advisors and external readers, and in particular Profs. James DiCenso and Larry Schmidt, for their encouragement, advice, wisdom, and friendship, and for providing a good example of philosophical inquiry, intellectual rigour and teaching excellence, which I will try to emulate for the remainder of my academic career. I also wish to thank Fereshteh Hashemi and Marilyn Colaço (of the Department for the Study of Religion at University of Toronto) for their support, assistance, and friendship over the last decade -- and for being kind to my dogs, Baby and Buddy, as well. Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not thank Pauline Hutchings and Paul Jenkins for their love, friendship and support over the course of many years. iii Table of Contents Dedication and Acknowledgements .........................................................................................iii Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................... iv Citations. ................................................................................................................................... vi Abbreviations .......................................................................................................................... vii Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1 1.0 Application of the principle of universalizability to climate change issues .................. 4 1.1 The Formula of Humanity (FH) and climate change .................................................. 31 1.2 Human rights and the moral law .................................................................................. 48 1.4 Intergenerational ethics ............................................................................................... 62 1.5 In defense of universal rational principles ................................................................. 74 Chapter II: Historical religions and Kant’s philosophy of religion ......................................... 79 2.0 The true church and the ethical community ................................................................. 79 2.1 Kant’s doubling of religion .......................................................................................... 90 2.2 The case for an ethical assessment of historical religious traditions ............................ 94 2.3 The failure of the potential of religion, to date .......................................................... 108 2.4 Cosmologies and ethics ............................................................................................ 120 2.5 Schematisms of analogy and biblical literalism ........................................................ 138 2.6 Theological chiliasm and dispensationalism ............................................................. 148 Chapter III: Applied ethics: animals, consumerism, the open society, activism ................... 162 3.1 Incentives, ethical consumerism and FH ................................................................... 168 3.2 Popper’s open society ................................................................................................. 178 3.3 Heteronomous forms of secular activism .................................................................. 186 3.4 The European Enlightenment and enlightenment as an ideal ................................... 207 3.5 The Doctrine of Right, the paradox of intolerance, and the state ............................. 219 Chapter IV: Principles and concepts applied to climate change issues ................................. 225 4.0 Freedom and free will ............................................................................................... 225 4.1 The propensity to evil ................................................................................................ 233 4.2 The Realm of Ends ..................................................................................................... 239 4.3 The concept of asymptoticality .................................................................................. 242 4.4 The Urbild ................................................................................................................ 247 4.5 The Inquisitor and the miser ..................................................................................... 254 4.6 Self-love .................................................................................................................... 264 4.7 Rational hope .............................................................................................................. 268 4.8 Theocratic despotism .................................................................................................. 275 iv 4.9 Morality ...................................................................................................................... 283 4.10 The sublime ............................................................................................................. 287 4.11 Predispositions and the vices of savagery of nature ................................................ 297 4.12 Supersensible cognition / objects ............................................................................. 303 4.13 Enthusiasm .............................................................................................................. 307 4.14 Autonomy and heteronomy of the will ..................................................................... 316 4.15 The postulate of God and the regulative use of postulates ....................................... 321 4.16 States of nature ......................................................................................................... 328 4.17 Non-consequentialism / the good will ...................................................................... 331 4.18 Ethical hermeneutics ............................................................................................... 334 4.19 The study of religion and conclusion ....................................................................... 339 Appendix: Additional Kantian principles and concepts ........................................................ 343 A.1 Universal ethical principles ....................................................................................... 343 A.2 The ethical community .............................................................................................. 347 A.3 Representations (Vorstellungen) .............................................................................. 348 A.4 Good life conduct and the good principle ................................................................ 349 A.5 Priestcraft / fetish-faith / counterfeit service / religious delusion ............................. 353 A.6 Regulative and constitutive principles / interpretation ............................................. 355 A.7 Revelation / revealed religion ................................................................................... 357 A.8 Pure practical reason a priori ................................................................................... 358 A.9 States of nature ........................................................................................................
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