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Researcher at ACRPS

The ACRPS held its weekly seminar on Thursday October 22, 2015, hosting a presentation by Kamel Terchi which explored "the Status of Religion in Kantian Philosophy". His research focuses on the philosophy of religion, sacred and modern approaches to religious phenomenon, and the humanization of theology.

The researcher began by presenting the historical context and general framework of the philosopher Kant, a humanist in the Age of Enlightenment, at a time when the advantages of the French Revolution were evident. Europe finally recognized the rights of man and citizen and the profound influences of reformer Martin Luther on the Protestant Church were clear. Terchi posed two central questions: What is the status of religion and theology in Kantian philosophy, and what the nature of this religion according to the philosopher? The researcher further sought to determine how Protestantism affected Kant's philosophy, and how Kant established limits on reason and knowledge to make room for religious faith.  He asked how we can emerge from the ritualistic liturgical religion to an innate natural religion, from a historical religion specific to one people to a universal intellectual religion for all humankind.

Terchi discussed the roots of Kantian religious philosophy, referring to the stage he was most influenced by Protestantism, strict and disciplined education, as well as the teachings of the Collegium Fridericianum under the leadership of Franz Albert Schultz. Martin Luther's reform of the Protestant Church has had a profound impact, as well as the renaissance humanism in the age of enlightenment. Then the researcher touched on the stage before Kantian critique when he was faithful to the philosopher and scholar Isaac Newton and his mechanical interpretations of the universe, and the influence of the philosophy of Johann Christian Wolf and Leibniz on Kant's dogmatic rational convictions and his optimism. The researcher then moved to Kant's critique of reason phase. He analyzed the ambiguous statement by Kant: "I had to deny knowledge in order to make room for faith" who also asserted that the mind falls into a contradiction whenever it tries to prove the truth about the existence of God, because the evidence for both is equal.

The researcher also discussed the influence of Kantian philosophy on contemporary philosophers such as Jurgen Habermas, Paul Ricoeur, John Hick and John Rawls. He spoke about the centrality of the Kantian philosophy of religion to the contemporary Islamic reality. This presentation was followed by discussions between the researchers and professors who attended the seminar.

The Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies is open to researchers, students and interested residents in Qatar to attend the weekly seminar, who are encouraged to register by email to: seminar@dohainstitute.org