The Influence of Swedenborgian Experiences on Kant's Thought

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
Omidreza Janbaz 1
Mahdi Shojaian Fard 2
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Yasouj University, Yasouj, Iran
2 M.A. Student of Philosophical Logic, Department of Philosophy and Logic, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
10.30497/prr.2024.246374.1921
Abstract
The conventional interpretation of Kant's critical philosophy, which emphasizes his response to Hume's empiricism and delineates the limits of knowledge, overlooks this crucial point that Kant's entire thought cannot be fully examined without considering his concern for conceptualizing the noumenal world and its relation to the phenomenal world. Contrary to the tenets of the Enlightenment, Kant grappled with Swedenborg's mystical experiences, realizing that the phenomenal indeterminacy of the object of such experiences does not negate their possibility of existence and significance. This recognition compelled Kant to integrate the formulation of the noumenal world and its connection to the phenomenal world within his critical system. Despite strong denials, one could argue that the influence of Swedenborg's thought on the overall structure and some of Kant's ideas and concepts is notable enough to raise questions about the similarities between his system and that of the great Swedish mystic. This inquiry, using a hermeneutic approach, invokes Swedenborgian teachings, concepts, and terminologies in comparison with elements of critical philosophy, highlighting both similarities and differences. Among the notable similarities are the distinctions and correlations between the phenomenal and noumenal worlds, the subjectivity of the concepts of space and time, the proportionality of actions to the moral law as a primary condition for attaining the highest good, and the concept of the kingdom of ends. While these parallels may reflect the depth of the influence of Swedenborgian experiences on the Kantian system or the possibility of a shared origin, they do not undermine the originality of Kant's philosophy.
Keywords
Emanuel Swedenborg
Kant
mystical experiences
pre-critical period
noumenon
Subjects
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