Abstract
‘Our age’, wrote Immanuel Kant ‘is indeed the age of criticism, to which everything must submit. Commonly religion seeks to exempt itself by virtue of its sanctity, and law by virtue of its majesty. But then they arouse justifiable suspicion against themselves and cannot claim that unfeigned respect which reason offers only to what has been able to withstand its free and open examination.’1 Uncritical belief is unregenerate religion not far removed from bigotry. Only the religion that survives criticism is worthy of our reverence. Such criticism takes several different forms. Historical and textual examination of the scriptures is one of them; philosophical analysis of the objects and contents of belief and of religious concepts is another; scientific criticism of cosmological myths and allegations of miraculous events is a third, and moral criticism of religious practices and precepts is a fourth.
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References
Kritik der Reinen Vernunft, Preface to the first edition, vi, n.
Cf. R. G. Collingwood, Faith and Reason. (Ed. L. Rubinoff, Chicago, 1968) p. 144: ‘The defeat of superstition is a victory not only for reason but for faith too.’
Beyond Good and Evil, III, 46.
Cf. Thus Spake Zarathustra, I, Of Joy & Passion, Of War & Warriors, Of Friends; II, Of the Compassionate, Of three evils, Of Old and New Law-Tables, 10; IV, Of the Higher Men, 11.
§16.
Cf. Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right.
Cf. Anti-Christ, §56 et seq.
Cf. Anti-Christ, §§39–45.
Cf. The Communist Manifesto.
Cf. The Future of an Illusion.
Cf. Nietzsche, Anti-Christ §56, and The Use and Abuse of History, in which Nietzsche himself advocated the noble lie. If Plato is rightly understood, however, the noble lie is not a lie at all.
It is hardly insignificant that, for all its professed atheism, the Marxist slogan is culled from the Scriptures. ‘If any would not work, neither shall he eat’ is Paul’s admonition to the Thessalonians.
The Future of an Illusion, §X.
Cf. Totem & Taboo §III and The Future of An Illusion §VI.
Cf. Hegel’s Philosophy of Nature, Tr. A. V. Miller (Oxford, 1970), p. 3.
Das Wesen des Christentums, Ch. I.
Ibid., Preface to the Second Edition.
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© 1977 Tulane University New Orleans
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Harris, E.E. (1977). The Positive Function of Atheism. In: Atheism and Theism. Tulane Studies in Philosophy, vol 26. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-9785-4_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-9785-4_2
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