The idea that God is an illusion, i.e. a transcendental illusion, is from Kant.VVilliam wrote: ↑Mon Dec 11, 2023 11:08 pmAssuming you are talking about an uncaused mind when you reference "God", why is it that you think mind is illusionary?Veritas Aequitas wrote: ↑Sun Dec 10, 2023 5:37 am Whilst God is ultimately illusory, it is still a very necessary useful illusion that is adapted via evolution.
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Here's Bard's [with reservations] answer in highly summarized outline.;
in [] = mine.
(to fully understand the points in detail one need to be very familiar with Kant's CPR)
Bard wrote:In his seminal work, the "Critique of Pure Reason," Immanuel Kant launched a powerful critique of traditional proofs for the existence of God, effectively declaring the idea of God an "illusion," albeit a useful one.
His complex argument can be summarized in the following points:
1. The Limits of Reason: Kant argued that human reason is inherently limited in its scope. It can only operate on the basis of sensory experience and organize it using categories like cause and effect. These categories, however, are not inherent in reality but rather represent the human mind's way of interpreting the world.
2. The Transcendental Illusion: When reason ventures beyond the realm of experience and attempts to grasp things-in-themselves, which are the "real" objects beyond our subjective perception, it falls prey to a "transcendental illusion." This illusion arises because reason misconstrues its own categories as features of reality itself.
3. The Dialectical Illusion: One of the most prominent examples of this illusion is the "dialectical illusion." When reason attempts to prove the existence of God, it leads to contradictory antinomies, such as the famous "cosmological antinomy" which argues both for and against the existence of a first cause. These antinomies reveal the inherent limitations of reason in dealing with matters beyond experience.
4. The Flawed Arguments for God: Specifically, Kant analyzed and dismantled the three traditional arguments for God's existence: the ontological, cosmological, and physico-theological arguments. He demonstrated how each argument falls prey to logical fallacies and ultimately fails to provide a valid proof for God's existence.
5. God as a Regulative Idea: [The idea of God is a useful illusion] Despite declaring God an illusion, Kant recognized the importance of the idea for both morality and science. He argued that the idea of God, while not objectively true, serves as a valuable "regulative idea" that guides human thought and action. It provides a sense of unity and purpose to the universe, inspires ethical behavior, and encourages the pursuit of scientific knowledge.
While Kant's critique of traditional proofs for God's existence left many questioning the very concept of a divine being, his work also opened up new avenues for exploring religious belief. By separating the "constitutive" function of reason, which aims to provide objective knowledge, from its "regulative" function, which provides moral and practical guidance, Kant offered a framework for a more nuanced understanding of the role of faith in human life.