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WHICH INITIATION DOES NOT LEAD ÁSTRAY FROM THE IRUE MYSTERIES
investigation into all forms of faith that relate to religion invariably runs across
a mystery behind their inner nature, i.e., something holy, which can indeed
be cognized /gekannt] by every individual, yet cannot be professed [bekannt]
publicly, i.e., cannot be communicated universally.”
Regarding mysteries, cognizance must be of practical use and, hence, it
touches upon practical reason. Seen from the subjective side, however, it is
“not something that can be imparted universally, each individual will have
to look for it (if there is any such thing) in his own reason.”” Regarding
“the inner, the subjective part of our moral predisposition,”’” Kant states
that one is “not allowed to count among the holy mysteries the grounds of
morality, which are inscrutable to us.”” For him, what cannot be considered
a mystery is the inscrutable though objectively (i.e., law) and subjectively (i.e.,
respect) clearly cognized determining grounds of our moral willing, which
imperatively ought to format the maxims of our will by the representation of
the moral law. Though the originating grounds of such moral willing remain
forever hidden in the depths of every human heart, the property that allows
human willing to be moral is clearly known and communicable to everyone.
Freedom, namely, is apodictically known (ratio cognoscendi”™) by the fact of
the moral law. Kant states: “Thus freedom [...] is no mystery, since cognition
of it can be communicated to everyone.”” Only the ratio of the final end of
freedom, “the grounds of this property, which is inscrutable to us, is, however,
a mystery, since it is not given to us in cognition.”” Kant refers these final
grounds to God and by doing so, he makes freedom and specifically its final
grounds into an issue within the domain of (moral) religion. By the same
token, as a religious issue, the grounds of freedom are made an issue of faith.
In this regard, it is important to notice the fact that Kant does not consider
the mysteries in religion to be an issue of faith in God “as the almighty creator
of heaven and earth, i.e., morally as holy lawgiver.”’”’ The moral attribute
of holiness pertains to God’s inner nature in connection with his wisdom
which, “considered theoretically, signifies cognition of the highest good, and
practically, the fitness of the will for the highest good.””* In the concept of divine
wisdom is the attribute of holiness (God as lawgiver) is, hence, united with
7 Religion, Ak 6, 137.
1 Religion, Ak 6, 138.
72 Ibid.
73 [bid. Meant are the formal grounds of morality (the objectively and subjectively determining
grounds, respectively, the law and the feeling of respect). Regarding the final ground
(the highest good), see infra on this page.
Critique of Practical Reason, Ak 5, 4n.
” Religion, Ak 6, 138.
7° Ibid.
77 Religion, Ak 6, 139.
"8 Critique of Practical Reason, Ak 5, 130-131.
74
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