Strictly, Kant himself regarded morality as resting on the claims of the supernatural (in particular, the promises of reward and punishment in the afterlife), but yes, future thinkers would note that his arguments for moral philosophy did not require his religious beliefs.

I'll say. I've even read some arguments that claim his moral philosophy doesn't even rest on claims of the Good, but rather on Duty.

Ugh. Must clear brain of Kant.

I'll say. I've even read some arguments that claim his moral philosophy doesn't even rest on claims of the Good, but rather on Duty.

Yep. I think for Kant they were synonymous, but that is (to say the least) contentious. And because his moral position was orthogonal to religious belief, it wound up being rather corrosive to Christianity's position. Possibly more so than that of Hume's cheerful atheism and rejection of moral absolutes.

Thinking on this, I've come to realize that I am an extremely cynical hobbesian (I think. It's been a while since I named philosophers.) I reduced everything I could think of regarding humanity down to a biological imperative to avoid being killed. Of course, that may have been influenced by traffic, hunger and the fact I really wanted to kill the guy who cut me off but he was in a hummer.

extremely cynical hobbesian

you misspelled cutiehead.

looks like my freecycle person is standing me up, which is fine, but I'd like to get rid of stuff sooner rather than later.

I'm completely embarrassed to admit (yet feel compelled to post it anyway) that most of bt's post above reads to me as blah blah Kant blah blah moral blah blah religious blah blah corrosive. I think I derailed somewhere around orthogonal. Curse my flabby English degree!

Curse my flabby English degree!

See, if you had a math degree, orthogonal would have been the only word you understood.

Thinking on this, I've come to realize that I am an extremely cynical hobbesian

My favourite trash-talk slur is "Yo' mamma's like Hobbe's view of nature - nasty, brutish and short."

See, if you had a math degree, orthogonal would have been the only word you understood.

Hee. From which we learn that it was the only word I understood.

To paraphrase, though Kant was a devout Christian, his moral philosophy made it possible to hold reasoned categorical moral positions without being religious. Which weakened the Church's position among the intelligentsia. Or, to paraphrase still further, it was the vibe.

My favourite trash-talk slur is "Yo' mamma's like Hobbe's view of nature - nasty, brutish and short."

That used to be used against Harlan Ellison - probably by him.

Thinking on this, I've come to realize that I am an extremely cynical hobbesian

Hmm. I think I'm a Calvinist.