Kant on History and Religion (review)

104 HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY Donovan's discussion of Black's work does not go past the mid-1760s, when Black was not yet forty years of age. Yet Black lived until 1799 and witnessed revolutionary changes in most areas of his professional life. This book may leave the reader curious about Black's relation to these later changes, especially since Cullen's relation to similar changes earlier in the century are discussed at length. But all this is not really so much criticism as a request for more. Donovan has done an admirable job in analyzing this important chapter in the history of chemistry. In particular, he has done so with an eye to the vital role of philosophy in this period, which should make this book of considerable interest to historians of philosophy as well and, it is hoped, set an example for a more "philosophical" historiography of chemistry in the future. CrtP~RLESD. IO,v University of Pittsburgh Michael Despland. Kant on History and Religion. Montreal and London: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1973. Pp. 355. $20.00. In his introduction Despland points out the interconnectedness of the philosophy of history and the philosophy of religion in the thought of Kant and (tightly) notes the importance of both of these within the context of the Kantian philosophical corpus. The main body of the book follows and consists of eleven chapters placed into Part 1 (The Philosophy of History) and Part 2 (The Philosophy of Religion). Part I opens with Chapter l, in which it is noted that only those teleological statements are contained within Kant's philosophy of history that are necessitated in general by moral imperatives and in particular by the ethical goals of mankind. In Chapter 2 the author outlines Kant's view of the natural progression of human history into five stages (ending with the moral commonwealth), noting that the perpetual (world) peace of the moral commonwealth will arrive only if voluntary human obedience to moral imperatives (the moral law) is added to this natural progression of history. Chapter 3 presents Kant's philosophy of history as basically a derivation of the results of Kant's three major works of critical philosophy: the Critique of Pure Reason, the Critique of PracticalReason, and the Critique of Judgment. Despland completes his treatment of Kant's philosophy of history with the fourth chapter, in which attention is drawn to the theistic basis of Kant's philosophy of history as it is shown to assume rational faith in the existence and activity of God. Part 2 of the book begins with a distinction between rational faith (pure religion)--those limited aspects of religion that can be legitimately derived from human reason alone-and historical faith (applied religion)--those aspects of religion legitimately embodied in specific religious traditions (e.g., Christianity) and the rituals, scriptures, and doctrines belonging to these religious traditions. To this it is added in Chapter 6 that for Kant both rational faith and historical faith are regulated by the use of symbols: numerous religious doctrines and rituals are labeled as superstitious (and therefore not allowable) if taken literally or dogmatically, yet as acceptable or even desirable if taken symbolically. Chapter 7 shows the connection between Kant's philosophy of religion and the three critiques by showing (but not overestimating) the importance of the former. The three critiques tell mankind what it can have knowledge of and what moral actions it must take; only through religion can mankind discover what can legitimately be hoped for of the future. Chapters 8 and 9 are devoted to discussion of Kant's major (small) tract on religion, Religion within the Limits of Reason Alone, and in particular to the analysis of its treatment of the doctrines of evil, Jesus Christ, the Kingdom of God, the Church, religious conversion, miracles , mysteries, revelation, grace, and justification. Despland places Kant's positions on these religious issues within the context of Kant's philosophy: Kant's treatment of miracles and BOOK REVIEWS 105 mysteries, for example, is shown not to create tension within his philosophical system, whereas his treatment of conversiq0~ and grace does result in such tension. Chapter 10 concludes Despland's analysis...