- The philosopher Immanuel Kant claimed that man 'constitutes' reality; that what we call reality is only a chimera created by the categories of the mind. This idea quickly became the foundation of all modern thinking. As I see it, this basic idea lies at the heart of the resistance to biblical creation among most intellectuals. The implication is that if man were created (fully formed) by a divine being then it's not man who creates reality but God. How so?
In the biblical 'model' man is not an accidental and independent creature who somehow created himself, but someone who was given his abilities and nature by god. While it's still true that man 'creates' reality, this is true only in a secondary sense - the ultimate cause of human experience is God. Therefore man cannot take credit for creating reality, all he do is experience things in the way God intended and intends.
Kant didn't deny the noumenal realm, but denied man can know it in and of itself. Here is the source of the animosity against special revelation, as it claims that man can indeed know the noumenal realm. We see here that resistance to creation stems from the very core of modern man's intellectual beliefs. Kant puts man at the center of things, while biblical creation puts God at the center.
Notes;
1. Modern intellectual tradition; from Descartes to Derrida; a lecture series by Lawrence Cahoone/Teaching Company [lecture #8 Kant's Copernican revolution]
- This series is the best introduction to modern philosophical thinking I'm aware of. There are two lectures on Kant.
2. By calling 'reality' a chimera, I may have overstated what Kant had in mind. (I find it hard to understand exactly what he had in mind.)
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