Generated by All in One SEO v5.0.0.1, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site.

# Critical Idealism

On the Structure and Responsibilities of Transcendental Consciousness; Immanuel Kant

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://criticalidealism.org/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [Was Kant Anti-Semitic? With an Addendum on Duty (38 pages) - Revised 10 March 2020](https://criticalidealism.org/was-kant-anti-semitic-with-an-addendum-on-duty-36-pages-5-february-2020/) - Was Kant Anti-Semitic? With an “Addendum on Duty” by is licensed by Douglas R McGaughey under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes) and page numbers: Was Kant Anti-Semitic? with an “Addendum on Duty”[1] “It is a peculiar habit of our capacity of attentiveness to focus precisely on
- ["The Cyclops and the Philosopher's Stone" (15 Pages) - 30 July 2017[1] - Updated Aril 2025](https://criticalidealism.org/the-cyclops-and-the-philosophers-stone-30-july-2017/) - Updated April 2025 “The Cyclops and the Philosopher’s Stone” by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes) and page numbers: The Cyclops and the Philosopher’s Stone[1] Abstract: Regardless of national, ethnic, religious, and/or gender identity, or commitment to/rejection of the natural sciences,
- ["Was Kant a Racist?" with Addendum on South Sea Islanders (29 Pages) 01 May 2017 - Rejection of Slavery, Colonialism, the Inhumane Treatment of Animals, and Wanton Destruction of the Environment](https://criticalidealism.org/was-kant-a-racist-with-addendum-on-south-sea-islanders-01-may-2017/) - Was Kant a Racist? Can Critical Idealism Contribute to Combating Racism? With an Addendum: On South Sea Islanders in Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. See Georg Geisman. “Why Kant was not a ‘Racist:’ Kant’s ‘Race Theory’ within the Context of
- [Original German Materials of the "Historical Reader" in David Friedrich Strauß: A Reading of His Gospel Criticism and Metaphysics](https://criticalidealism.org/theology-and-revolution-the-1839-zurich-revolution-a-reader-in-the-history-of-theology-for-the-theology-of-history/) - Original German Materials in the Order of Their Appearance in the 'Historical Reader' for David Friedrich Strauß, A Reading of his Gospel Criticism and Metaphysics Schultheß, Aufzeichnungen über die Straußische Bewegung und den 6. September 1839 Beschreibung des 6. Herbstmonats 1839 in Zürich Paulus, Ueber theologische Lehrfreiheit de Wette, Dr. Strauß und die Züricher Kirche
- [Navigating Through Climate Change: Beware of the Metaphors](https://criticalidealism.org/navigating-through-climate-change-beware-of-the-metaphors/) - Navigating Through Climate Change: Beware of the Metaphors by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Navigating Through Climate Change: Beware of the Metaphors [The following are reflections inspired by the reading of Wes Jackson and Robert Jensen, An Inconvenient Apocalypse: Environmental Collapse, Climate Crisis, and the Fate of
- [God is Necessary to be Good (10 pages) - Updated July 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/god-is-necessary-to-be-good-10-pages/) - Updated July 2019 “God is Necessary to be Good” by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. With Index to Footnote Themes Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes) and page numbers: Oxford Symposium on Religious Studies Ioannou Centre Oxford, UK August 2, 2018 God is Necessary to be
- [Critical Idealism:  A Brief Introduction](https://criticalidealism.org/critical-idealism-a-brief-introduction/) - Critical Idealism: A Brief Introduction by Douglas R. McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Critical Idealism: A Brief Introduction Critical Idealism has been out of favor at least since the Vienna Circle imperially proclaimed in the first third of the Twentieth Century that there are no such things as a
- [What is 'Radical Evil?:'  A Reading of Ricoeur on Kant and Religion (21 Pages) - Updated July 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/ricoeur-on-radical-evil-and-kant/) - Updated July 2019 What is ‘Radical’ Evil?: A Reading of Ricoeur on Kant and Religionby Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. PDF VERSION (with page #s and footnotes): What is ‘Radical’ Evil?: A Reading of Ricoeur on Kant and Religion Introduction What follows I can best describe
- [Call for Papers: "Religion and Morality" - University of Cape Town - 27 Feb. - 1 Mar., 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/religion-and-morality-presented-at-the-university-of-cape-town-27-feb-1-mar-2019-7-pages-with-notes-15-pages/) - Update of Presented Paper in Progress Conference Call for Papers Department of Religious Studies University of Cape Town Call for Papers Moral and Ethical Frameworks and Performances Convenors: Abdulkader Tayob; Andrea Brigaglia In spite of deep-seated modernist suspicions, religions have been expected by the state and by societies to take some responsibility for morality and
- [„Sternenstaub und Seelenvogel“ Animationsfilm zu Analytic Theology: A Review (2.5 pages) 1 June 2020](https://criticalidealism.org/sternenstaub-und-seelenvogel-animationsfilm-zu-analytic-theology-a-review-2-5-pages-1-june-2020/) - Sternenstaub und Seelenvogel Animationsfilm zu Analytic Theology: A Review by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Pdf version with page numbers: „Sternenstaub und Seelenvogel“ Animationsfilm zu Analytic Theology: A Review Film Available at https://www.analytic-theology.de.devweb.mwn.de/ Hochschule für Philosophie München Abstract A review of the Animation Film in Analytic Theology,
- [Letter to a Misanthropic Idiot (5 pages) 1 May 2020](https://criticalidealism.org/letter-to-a-misanthropic-idiot-5-pages-1-may-2020/) - A Letter to a Misanthropic Idiot by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes) and page numbers: A Letter to a Misanthropic Idiot[1] Dear Fellow Human Being, Please don’t get me wrong! I am not writing about the degree of your
- [Trump’s Utilitarianism: Placing the Economy First  is Anti-Democratic and Immoral (4 Pages) 26 March 2020](https://criticalidealism.org/trumps-utilitarianism-placing-the-economy-first-is-anti-democratic-and-immoral-4-pages-26-march-2020/) - Trump’s Utilitarianism: Placing the Economy First is Anti-Democratic and Immoral by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes) and page numbers: Trump’s Utilitarianism: Placing the Economy First is Anti-Democratic and Immoral[1] Trumps call to cease social distancing and “rev up the economy”
- [One World, One Reason, One Religion, but Many Faiths:  Religious Studies in an Age of Pluralism (12 Pages) - Updated March 2020](https://criticalidealism.org/one-world-one-reason-one-faith-but-many-religions-religious-studies-in-an-age-of-pluralism/) - Updated March 2020 "One World, One Reason, One Religion, but Many Faiths: Religious Studies in an Age of Pluralism" [With an Excursus: The nihilism of Meaning and Pure Religion] by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes) and page numbers: One
- [Reason Suppresses Feelings?  Or Moses Mendelssohn’s Influence on Kant’s Project of Three Critiques (20 Pages) - Updated August 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/reason-suppresses-feelings-or-moses-mendelssohns-influence-on-kants-project-of-three-critiques-revised-27-june-2018/) - Updated August 2019 Reason Suppresses Feelings? Or Moses Mendelssohn’s Influence on Kant’s Project of Three Critiques by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes) and page numbers: Originally Presented at Stellenbosch University in Stellenbosch, South Africa, 24 April 2017 Revised 27 June
- [On Martha Nussbaum's Reading of Kant March 31, 2016 (5 Pages) - Updated July 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/on-martha-nussbaums-reading-of-kant-march-31-2016/) - Updated 14 July 2019 On Martha Nussbaum's Reading of Kant by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Pdf version with page numbers: On Martha Nussbaum’s Reading of Kant: Aristotelean Teleology Meets Kantian Archaeology The following is an email that was sent to Herman Waetjen, Emeritus Professor of
- ["Desiderata 2018" - 5 Pages](https://criticalidealism.org/desiderata-2018-5-pages/) - Pdf version with footnotes: Desiderata 2018 by https://criticalidealism.org is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Desiderata 2018 The page is blank. It turns into a “text” because there is an “animal” capable of “seeing” more than just a blank page. The page is a metaphor for a life, and this “animal’s” capacity
- [Mea culpa – Anachronistic Metaphor Interference: Synthesis as nexus and compositio 28 October 2018](https://criticalidealism.org/mea-culpa-anachronistic-metaphor-interference-synthesis-as-nexus-and-compositio-28-october-2018/) - "Mea culpa – Anachronistic Metaphor Interference: Synthesis as nexus and compositio" by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Mea culpa – Anachronistic Metaphor Interference: Synthesis as nexus and compositio 28 October 2018 The postings on https://criticalidealism.org make no claim to perfection because the limits to reason are
- [Freedom!  What's It Good For?  17 Pages - Updated August 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/freedom-whats-it-good-for-18-pages/) - Updated August 2019 Freedom! What is it good for? by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes) and page numbers: Freedom! What’s it good for? In his 1979 essay “What’s wrong with Negative Liberty,”[1] Charles Taylor identifies Isaiah Berlin’s “Two Concepts
- [Studying Religion: More and Less than Mapping Territories (33 PAGES) - Updated July 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/studying-religion-more-and-less-than-mapping-territories-july-2019/) - Updated July 2019 "Studying Religion: More and Less than Mapping Territories" by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes) and page numbers: “Studying Religion: More and Less than Mapping Territories” Abstract Rather than portray Religious Studies by J. Z. Smith’s metaphor of
- ["What is Categorical about the Categorical?" Updated 3 September 2012 (7 Pages) - Updated July 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/september-3-2012-updated-what-is-categorical-about-the-categorical/) - Updated 14 July 2019 What is Categorical about the Categorical? by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at criticalidealism.com. Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes) and page numbers: What is Categorical about the Categorical? On the Sensible and the Supersensible Human experience is
- [Waetjen on Romans 17 November 2013 (10 Pages) - Updated July 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/waetjen-on-romans-17-november-2013/) - Updated July 2019 Waetjen on Romans: A Hermeneutics of Disclosure and Justice by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes) and page numbers: A Hermeneutics of Disclosure and Justice: A Reading of Herman Waetjen’s The Letter to the Romans: Salvation as Justice
- [Thinking Critically in Science and Religion (12 Pages)  18 November 2014 - Updated July 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/thinking-critically-about-science-and-religion-18-november-2014/) - Updated July 2019 Thinking Critically in Science and Religion by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes) and page numbers: Thinking Critically in Science and Religion Just what is critical thinking? Of course, there’s no single, right answer to this question
- [The Petri Dish Only Confirms that Kant was Correct:  Or Technical, Teleological, and Practical 'Purposiveness' in Science and Morality (15 Pages)- Updated July 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/the-petri-dish-only-confirms-that-kant-was-correct-or-technical-teleological-and-practical-purposiveness-in-science-and-morality/) - Updated July 2019 The Petri Dish Only Confirms that Kant was Correct by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes), page numbers, and proper formatting of the table portraying Newton's Laws of Motion and Kant's Laws of General Mechanics: Presented at:
- [Persons and Their Minds:  Höffe's Action Theory and Differentiation between Dogmatic and Methodological Determinism (15 Pages) 14 July 2012 - Updated July 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/persons-and-their-minds-hoffes-action-theory-and-differentiation-between-dogmatic-and-methodological-determinism-14-july-2012/) - Updated July 2019 Persons and Their Minds: Höffe's Action Theory and Differentiation between Dogmatic and Methodological Determinism by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes) and page numbers: Presented at St. Anne’s College, Oxford July 14, 2012 Persons and Their Minds:
- [On the Value and Lack of Values of Artificial Intelligence (9 Pages) - Updated August 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/on-the-value-and-lack-of-values-of-artificial-intelligence-9-pages-13-january-2019/) - Updated August 2019 “On the Value and Lack of Values of Artificial Intelligence” by Douglas R. McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes) and page numbers: Presented in Prof. Otfried Höffe’s Oberseminar 12 January 2019 Tübingen On the Value and Lack of Values
- [On the So-Called Conundrums in Kant's Philosophical Theology (37 Pages) - Updated July 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/on-the-so-called-conundrums-in-kants-philosophical-theology-15-november-2016/) - Updated July 2019 On the So-Called Conundrums in Kant’s Philosophical Theology by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes) and page numbers: On the So-Called Conundrums in Kant’s Philosophical Theology 7 Overview: In which three conundrums of Kant’s pure religion—the good will,
- [On Peace and "Religious" Literacy:  A Response to Ulrich Rosenhagen" 14 December 2015 (14 Pages) Updated July 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/on-peace-and-religious-literacy-a-response-to-ulrich-rosenhagen-14-december-2015/) - Updated 2019 "On Peace and Religious Literacy" by Douglas R. McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes) and page numbers: On Peace and „Religious“ Literacy: A Response to Ulrich Rosenhagen Not surprisingly, the popular response to religious violence is a call to peaceful understanding
- [Morality in Spite of Interest:  Absolute Skepticism Grounded in Skepticism's Necessities or Re-Examining Evolution and Epigenesis (18 Pages) 10 July 2011 - Updated August 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/3050-2/) - Updated August 2019 "Morality in Spite of Interests: Absolute Skepticism Grounded in s Necessities Enables Re-Examining Evolution and Epigenesis” by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes) and page numbers: Presented at St. Anne’s College, Oxford July 10, 2011 Morality in Spite
- [Incomplete Copernican Revolution  (12 Pages) - Updated July 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/incomplete-copernican-revolution-27-october-2016/) - Updated July 2019 The Incomplete Copernican Revolution in Popular Legend, the Natural Sciences, and in Practical Reason (Morality) by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. PDF VERSION (with page #s and footnotes): The Incomplete Copernican Revolution in Popular Legend, the Natural Sciences, and in Practical Reason (Morality) Abstract:
- [Freedom on This and the Other Side of Kant - Unabridged -  (15 Pages) September 2015 - Updated August 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/freedom-on-this-and-the-other-side-of-kant-unabridged-september-2015/) - Updated August 2019 Unabridged: Freedom on This and the Other Side of Kant is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes) and page numbers: This paper was presented in its abridged form at the 12. International Kant Congress. The abridged version is published in Natur
- [Divine Intervention:  Undeniable, but What Difference does it Make? (6 Pages) 16 July 2014 - Updated July 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/divine-intervention-undeniable-but-what-difference-does-it-make-16-july-2014/) - Updated July 2019 Divine Intervention: Undeniable, but What Difference does it Make? by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. “Divine Intervention: Undeniable – But What Difference Does It Make?” at the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion Conference at St. Anne’s College Oxford (July 13-17, 2014) Pdf
- [Design:  A Heuristic Strategy, not a Metaphysical Doctrine (13 Pages) 11 July 2008 -- Key Paper - Updated July 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/design-a-heuristic-strategy-not-a-metaphysical-doctrine-11-july-2008/) - Updated July 2019 Design: A Heuristic Strategy, Not Metaphysical Doctrine by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes) and page numbers: DESIGN: A HEUSRISTIC STRATEGY, NOT METAPHYSICAL DOCTRINE Abstract Because there's only indirect access to causes, given effects can be understood
- ["Critique, not Emotionless, Critical Thinking" (10 Pages) - Revised 2017, 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/critique-not-emotionless-critical-thinking-revised-04-may-2016/) - “Critique, Not Emotionless Critical Thinking” by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. PDF VERSION (with page #s and footnotes): Revised (2017/2019) version of “‘Critique,’ not ‘Criticism’” in response to Rob Jenkins’ “What is Critical Thinking, Anyway?” Critique, Not Emotionless, Critical Thinking When one encounters the word "critique," one
- [Critical Idealism and Religion (17 pages) 19 April 2011 - Updated July 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/critical-idealism-and-religion-19-april-2011/) - Updated July 2019 Critical Idealism and Religion by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at criticalidealism.com. Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes) and page numbers: Critical Idealism and Religion A virtue of Critical Idealism is that its starting point is the assertion of
- [Critical Idealism:  History, Scripture, and Social Responsibility (9 Pages) 20 April 2014 - Updated July 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/critical-idealism-history-scripture-and-social-responsibility-20-april-2014/) - Critical Idealism: History, Scripture, and Social Responsibility by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes) and page numbers: Critical Idealism: History, Scripture, and Social Responsibility The linguistic formulation “transcendental consciousness” appears to privilege the non- or a-historical and metaphysical over any and
- [A Post-Factual World? (10 Pages) - Updated July 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/a-post-factual-world/) - Updated 13 July 2019 A Post-Factual World? by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. PDF VERSION (with page #s and footnotes): A Post-Factual World? The boogey-man is alive and well in our scientifically “enlightened” age: Knowledge is profoundly under siege by a threatening relativism called the “post-factual” and
- [A Non-Secular "Critique" of Things Secular and Sacred 8 October 2015](https://criticalidealism.org/a-non-secular-critique-of-things-secular-and-sacred-8-october-2015/) - "A Non-Secular 'Critique" of Things Secular and Sacred by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. A Non-Secular „Critique“ of Things Secular and Sacred In one respect, John Lennon was right in 1966 when he observed that “The Beatles were more popular than Jesus.” That he was very wrong
- [Off-Print of "Freedom on This and the Other Side of Kant" from Proceedings of the XIIth International Kant Congress in Vienna, Austria (September 2015) - Updated August 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/off-print-of-freedom-on-this-and-the-other-side-of-kant-from-proceedings-of-the-xiith-international-kant-congress-in-vienna-austria-september-2015/) - Updated August 2019 This abridged version of the paper "Freedom on This and the Other Side of Kant" was presented at the XIIth International Kant Congress in Vienna, Austria, September 21-25, 2015. This abridged version is published in Natur und Freiheit, Akten des XII. Internationalen Kant-Kongresses, hrsg. v. Violetta L. Waibel, Margit Ruffing und David
- [Post-Update Project Underway](https://criticalidealism.org/post-update-project-underway/) - POST-UPDATE PROJECT (Summer 2019) A “Post-Update Project” has been underway here at criticalidealism.org since mid-July, 2019. All posts with an “Updated” line at the beginning have been completed. WHAT’S NEW: The post has been reviewed and edited. A pdf file download button has been added so that the paper is available with page numbers and
- [Kant Publishing Guidelines from de Gruyter 2015](https://criticalidealism.org/kant-publishing-guidelines-from-de-gruyter-2015/) - Publishing Guidlines for Papers 12. International Kant Congress in Vienna 2015
- [Historical and Pure Religion:  A Response to Stephen Palmquist (25 pages) 13 November 2014](https://criticalidealism.org/3036-2/) - Pdf off-print of article by Douglas R. McGaughey from The Journal of Religion, Vol 93, No. 2 (April 2013): 151-176. Historical and Pure Religion: A Response to Stephen Palmquist (Journal of Religion article)
- [Critical Idealism and Postmodernism 13 November 2011 (5 Pages) - Updated July 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/critical-idealism-and-postmodernism/) - Updated 15 July 2019 Critical Idealism and Postmodernism by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes) and page numbers: Critical Idealism and Postmodernism One of the intriguing ironies of the history of philosophy is that Enlightenment Modernism already anticipated and provided
- [Critical Idealism’s Defense of Investment in the Liberal Arts:  Précis (3 Pages)](https://criticalidealism.org/critical-idealisms-defense-of-investment-in-the-liberal-arts-precis/) - Creative Commons License Critical Idealism's Defense of Investment in the Liberal Arts by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. PDF VERSION (with page #s and footnotes): Critical Idealism’s Defense of Investment in the Liberal Arts: Précis Doug McGaughey https://criticalidealism.org A Critical Idealist begins by asking what are the
- [Zero Sum or Principles? (11 Pages) 13 November 2016 - Updated July 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/post-usa-election-reflections-2016-zero-sum-or-principles/) - Updated 13 July 2019 Zero Sum or Principles? by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes) and page numbers: Zero Sum or Principles?[1] Abstract: If we refuse to accept materialistic reductionism that makes our social lives exhaustively the product of capricious genetics,
- [On Normative Religion:  An Ethos not a Fact (5 Pages) 7 March 2014 - Updated July 2019](https://criticalidealism.org/on-normative-religion-an-ethos-not-a-fact-7-march-2014/) - On Normative Religion: An Ethos not a Fact by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Pdf version with footnotes (rather than endnotes) and page numbers: On Normative Religion: An ethos not A fact Christianity has been, is, and will be no one single, universal teaching of salvation. Since
- [Should Foreign Language Acquisition be Required?  29 December 2016 (5 Pages)](https://criticalidealism.org/should-language-acquisition-be-required-29-december-2016/) - “Should Language Acquisition be Required” by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Pdf version with page numbers: Should Foreign Language Acquisition be Required? 29 December 2016 According to today’s NY Times (29 December 2016), Princeton University is making the learning of a new language a mandatory requirement of
- [Religion and Morality:  A Static fait accompli or a Dynamic Possibility? 13 January 2015](https://criticalidealism.org/religion-and-morality-a-static-fait-accompli-or-a-dynamic-possibility-13-january-2015/) - Religion and Morality: A Static fait accompli or a Dynamic Possibility? by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Religion and Morality: A Static fait accompli or a Dynamic Possibility? Religion is a conundrum. We all recognize religion when we see it, but we can’t define it. Rather than
- [The Human Spirit:  Groundwork](https://criticalidealism.org/the-human-spirit-groundwork/) - Co-authored with James R. Cochrane (Available as of January 2018) Title Page, Endorsements, Table of Contents, Acknowledgments, Preface, and Introduction: Click Here Available as Kindle e-book at Amazon.com. The link to download the free Kindle App in order to read Kindle e-books on a PC (or other media) is https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=kindle+for+pc The e-book is in pdf
- [PhD Dissertation - The University of Chicago Divinity School](https://criticalidealism.org/phd-dissertation-the-university-of-chicago-divinity-school/) - The following is Doug's Dissertation submitted to and accepted by The Divinity School of The University of Chicago in 1983. The doctoral adviser was Prof. Paul Ricoeur, and the readers were Profs. David Tracy and Langdon Gilkey. If one's intellectual life is an odyssey, it would be a shock to look back over thirty-plus years
- [Critical Idealism for Beginners](https://criticalidealism.org/critical-idealism-for-beginners/) - Critical Idealism for Beginners by Douglas R. McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Critical Idealism for Beginners Just what is so special about Critical Idealism? Answering this question is no neutral academic exercise because the answer has to do with understanding how to live one’s life. Critical Idealism is not
- [Ethics and Morality:  External Law and Crooked Wood 29 October 2014](https://criticalidealism.org/ethics-and-morality-external-law-and-crooked-wood/) - Ethics and Morality: External Law and Crooked Wood by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Ethics and Morality: External Law and Crooked Wood There is an important difference between socially constructed rules/laws and internally, self-legislated moral principles.[1] The former, socially constructed rules, govern solely the external affairs of
- [Utilitarianism, Virtue Ethics, Moral Autonomy, and Grace 12 November 2014](https://criticalidealism.org/2996-2/) - "Utilitarianism, Virtue Ethics, Moral Autonomy, and Grace" by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Utilitarianism, Virtue Ethics, Moral Autonomy, and Grace It is to the advantage to the interests of those who have power to convince us all that moral principles are relative. It also serves the interests
- [Creativity - Not Just for Geniuses 30 October 2014](https://criticalidealism.org/creativity-not-just-for-geniuses-30-october-2014/) - Creativity -- Not Just for Geniuses by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Creativity – Not Just for Geniuses Paul Elie reports in his NY Times Magazine article of September 7, 2012, “30 Variations and a Microphone:” "Glenn Gould was booked into 30th Street Studio for the two
- [Mere Rules do not Morality Make 21 November 2014](https://criticalidealism.org/mere-rules-do-not-morality-make-21-november-2014/) - Mere Rules do not Morality Make by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Mere Rules Do Not Morality Make The flourishing field of the role of evolution in the development of humanity’s moral capacity maintains that morality is the consequence of adaptation to a social environment. Whether or
- [M-Word Introduction 26 October 2016](https://criticalidealism.org/m-word-introduction/) - M-Blog Introduction by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. M-Word Blog We need to discuss the M-Word! Don’t misunderstand me. A discussion of the M-Word is important not because we are going to Hell if we ignore it. A discussion is important not because we are not going
- ["What is Enlightenment? A Response to Balcomb's Call for th Retrieval of 'Participation'"](https://criticalidealism.org/what-is-enlightenment-a-response-to-balcombs-call-for-th-retrieval-of-participation/) - An off-print of an article by Douglas R McGaughey published in the Journal of Theology for Southern Africa, No. 147 (November 2013): 51-73 in pdf format: What is Enlightenment? A Response to Balcomb's Call for the Retrieval of 'Participation'
- [Enlightenment:  Reflections on Michel Foucault's "Was ist Aufklärung? ["What is Enlightenment"] 7 February 2016](https://criticalidealism.org/enlightenment-reflections-on-michel-foucaults-was-ist-aufklarung-what-is-enlightenment-7-february-2016/) - "Enlightenment: Reflections on Michel Foucault’s 'Was ist Aufklärung?'"[1] At least since the French „Encyclopedists,” the notion of enlightenment has been associated with knowledge of the correct facts. As a consequence, even Kant’s famous aphorism for labelling enlightenment, Sapere Aude! (Dare to know for oneself!), has been frequently taken to mean: assume responsibility for your own
- [Critical Thinking in Morality 4 January 2015](https://criticalidealism.org/critical-thinking-in-morality-4-january-2015/) - Critical Thinking in Morality by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Critical Thinking in Morality When it comes to evaluating the virtue or lack of virtue of others, we are readily critical. Yet, what “critical” means is by no means so obvious. Our judgment of others can only
- [A Poem - September 26, 2013](https://criticalidealism.org/a-poem-september-26-2013/) - Laws both Physical and Moral September 26, 2013 Empiricism: When the physical world slips through one’s fingers It is easiest to grasp at universals In which one cannot put one’s foot once Rationalism: Since universals are unseen It is easiest to define faith As belief in the eternality of this Logos Skepticism: When appearances shatter

## Pages

- [Welcome to Critical Idealism!](https://criticalidealism.org/) - WELCOME TO CRITICAL IDEALISM “The most important issue is to know how one properly fulfills one’s place in creation and correctly understands what one must be in order to be a human being.” (Immanuel Kant, Comments in ‘Observations on the Feeling of the Beautiful and the Sublime,’ ed. by Maria Rischmüller, Hamburg 1991, 36) (McGaughey
- [Curriculum Vitae](https://criticalidealism.org/host/curriculum-vitae-2/) - McGaughey CV 2026 July
- [PhD Dissertation](https://criticalidealism.org/phd-dissertation-2/) - The following is Doug's Dissertation submitted to and accepted by The Divinity School of The University of Chicago in 1983. The doctoral adviser was Prof. Paul Ricoeur, and the readers were Profs. David Tracy and Langdon Gilkey. If one's intellectual life is an odyssey, it would be a shock to look back over thirty-plus years
- [New To Critical Idealism?](https://criticalidealism.org/new-to-critical-idealism/) - Two Entries follow here -- scroll down to get to the second entry: Critical Idealism for Beginners by Douglas R McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Critical Idealism: A Brief Introduction Critical Idealism has been out of favor at least since the Vienna Circle imperially proclaimed in the first third
- [Host](https://criticalidealism.org/host/) - Douglas R McGaughey (Doug McGaughey) is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Religious Studies at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, where he taught undergraduates for 27 years. He completed his doctorate under Paul Ricoeur at the Divinity School of the University of Chicago. He co-authored with James R. Cochrane, Professor Emeritus in the Department of
- [Links](https://criticalidealism.org/links/) - Researchgate Page: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Douglas_Mcgaughey
- [Critical Idealism for Beginners](https://criticalidealism.org/critical-idealism-for-beginners/) - Critical Idealism for Beginners Just what is so special about Critical Idealism? Answering this question is no neutral academic exercise because the answer has to do with understanding how to live one’s life. Critical Idealism is not a system of knowledge that you acquire and apply to living (like accounting knowledge that one applies to
- [No Access](https://criticalidealism.org/no-access/) - [dlm_no_access]
- [Persons and Their Minds:  Höffe's Action Theory and Differentiation between Dogmatic and Methodological Determinism](https://criticalidealism.org/persons-and-their-minds-hoffes-action-theory-and-differentiation-between-dogmatic-and-methodological-determinism/) - (Presented at the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion at St. Anne's College in Oxford, July 14, 2012) Presentation Outline at the End of This Document Abstract In the early 1980s, Libet’s documentation of the neuro-activity prior to the application of the will (“mind time” based on Deecke and Kornhuber’s notion of Bereitschaftspotential) suggested
- [Critical Idealism and Religion](https://criticalidealism.org/critical-idealism-and-religion/) - Pdf entries: On the So-Called Conundrums of Kant's Philosophical Theology "On Peace and Religious Literacy: A Response to Ulrich Rosenhagen" What is Religious Studies? Historical and Pure Religion: A Response to Stephen Palmquist (Journal of Religion article) Critical Thinking in Science and Religion 22 November 2014 Divine Intervention: Undeniable, but What Difference Does It Make?
- [Waetjen on Romans:  A Hermeneutics of Disclosure and Justice 17 November 2013](https://criticalidealism.org/waetjen-on-romans-a-hermeneutics-of-disclosure-and-justice/) - Waetjen on Romans - A Hermeneutics of Disclosure and Justice Presented at the Pacific Coast Theological Society Meeting of the GTU in Berkeley, CA, on November 2, 2012, devoted to Herman Waetjen's The Letter to the Romans: Salvation as Justice and the Deconstruction of Law (Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2011)
- [Divine Intervention:  Undeniable, but What Difference Does It Make? 13 November 2014](https://criticalidealism.org/divine-intervention-undeniable-but-what-difference-does-it-make/) - Divine Intervention: Undeniable, but What Difference Does It Make?
- ["Peace and 'Religious Literacy:' A Response to Ulrich Rosenhagen" 14 Decembr 2015](https://criticalidealism.org/peace-and-religious-literacy-a-response-to-ulrich-rosenhagen/) - "On Peace and Religious Literacy: A Response to Ulrich Rosenhagen"
- [Historical and Pure Religion:  A Response to Stephen Palmquist 13 November 2014](https://criticalidealism.org/historical-and-pure-religion/) - Historical and Pure Religion
- [Critical Idealism:  History, Scripture, and Social Responsibility 20 April 2014](https://criticalidealism.org/critical-idealism-history-scripture-and-social-responsibility/) - The linguistic formulation “transcendental consciousness” appears to privilege the non- or a-historical and metaphysical over any and all historical particularity. When one adds to such terminology the recognition that sense perception is exclusively of appearances and not of things-in-themselves, one could easily arrive at the conclusion that historical particularity is secondary to transcendental consciousness since
- [Critical Idealism and Religion 19 April 2011](https://criticalidealism.org/critical-idealism-and-religion-2/) - A virtue of Critical Idealism is that its starting point is the assertion of reason’s limits. Karl Barth’s assertion that Kant elevated human reason above God is absurd. On the contrary, both theoretical and practical reason necessarily presuppose God, and it is no accident that Kant referred to his work as philosophical theology. Although reason
- [Studying Religion:  More and Less than Mapping Territories 14 December 2015](https://criticalidealism.org/studying-religion-more-and-less-than-mapping-territories/) - Studying Religion: More and Less than Mapping Territories Presented at the Pacific Coast Theological Society at Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA, April 17, 2015
- [One World, One Reason, One Religion, Many Faiths 7 March 2014](https://criticalidealism.org/one-world-one-reason-one-religion-many-faiths-2/) - One World, Reason, Religion, Many Faiths
- [On the So-Called Conundrums in Kant's Philosophical Theology 15 November 2016](https://criticalidealism.org/on-the-so-called-conundrums-in-kants-philosophical-theology/) - The following text is the first of two "General Remarks" in a book manuscript of dialogues on Kant's philosophy for which I have been unable to find a publisher. Without offering reader responses directly, the North American Kant Society rejected the proposal, which included the following dialogue, with the one sentence: "Your very rich and
- [Oxford Papers (Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion)](https://criticalidealism.org/oxford-papers-ian-ramsey-centre-for-science-and-religion/) - Pdf entries: Divine Intervention: Undeniable, but What Difference Does It Make? Presented on July 16, 2014, at the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion (Oxdford) Persons and Their Minds: Höffe's Action Theory and Differentiation between Dogmatic and Methodological Determinism Presented on July 14, 2012, at the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion (Oxford)
- [M-Word Blog](https://criticalidealism.org/m-word-blog/) - Pdf entries: October 26, 2014: Introduction October 29, 2014: Ethics and Morality: External Law and Crooked Wood October 30, 2014: Creativity -- Not Just for Geniuses November 12, 2014: Utilitarianism, Virtue Ethics, Moral Autonomy, and Grace November, 18, 2014: Critical Thinking in Science and Religion November 21, 2014: Mere Rules Do Not Morality Make January
- [On Enlightenment](https://criticalidealism.org/on-enlightenment/) - Posts on Readings of the Meaning of "Enlightenment" and "Enlightenment reason:" An off-print of an article published in the Journal of Theology for Southern Africa, No. 147 (November 2013): 51-73 in pdf format: What is Enlightenment? A Response to Balcomb's Call for the Retrieval of 'Participation' 2. A paper in response to Foucault: "Enlightenment: Reflections
- [Should Foreign Language Acquisition be Required?](https://criticalidealism.org/should-language-acquisition-be-required/) - Should Foreign Language Acquisition be Required?
- [Zero Sum or Principles?](https://criticalidealism.org/post-usa-election-reflections-zero-sum-or-principles/) - There are two versions to this statement. The first was posted on November 13, 2016: Zero Sum or Principles? The second post, "Zero Sum or Principles? - Expanded," were stimulated by the reading of a statement titled "Beyond a Zero Sum Game" published on November 15, 2016, by the "Enhancing Life Project" funded by the
- [MDiv Thesis - The Chicago Theological Seminary](https://criticalidealism.org/mdiv-thesis-the-chicago-theological-seminary/) - The following is Doug’s MDiv thesis submitted to and accepted by The Chicago Theological Seminary in 1973. It was written under the supervision of Profs. Theodore Jennings and Robin Scroggs. The thesis was written over 40 years ago. It was my first formal foray into what I would call "descriptive" theology. It's strength, if at
- [What is Categorical about the Categorical?](https://criticalidealism.org/what-is-categorical-about-the-categorical/) - What is Categorical about the Categorical
- [Critical Idealism and Postmodernism](https://criticalidealism.org/critical-idealism-and-postmodernism/) - Critical Idealism and Postmodernism
- [What is Enlightenment?  A Response to Balcomb's Call for the Retrieval of 'Participation'](https://criticalidealism.org/what-is-enlightenment-a-response-to-balcombs-call-for-the-retrieval-of-participation/) - This is a paper that appeared in the Journal of Theology for Southern Africa, No. 147 (November 2013): 51-73) What is Enlightenment? A Response to Balcomb
- [Journal of Religion Article 93/2 (April 2013)](https://criticalidealism.org/journal-of-religion-article-932-april-2013/) - Historical and Pure Religion: A Response to Stephen Palmquist
- [The Incomplete Copernican Revolution](https://criticalidealism.org/the-incomplete-copernican-revolution/) - The Incomplete Copernican Revolution in Popular Legend, the Natural Sciences, and in Practical Reason (Morality)
- [On Normative Religion:  An Ethos Not a Fact](https://criticalidealism.org/on-normative-religion-an-ethos-not-a-fact/) - On Normative Religion: An Ethos Not a Fact
- [On Martha Nussbaum's Reading of Kant](https://criticalidealism.org/on-martha-nussbaums-reading-of-kant/) - On Nussbaum's Reading of Kant: Aristotelean Teleology Meets Kantian Archaeology
- [Enlightenment:  Reflections on Foucault's 'What is Enlightenment?" (New M-Word Blog Entry)](https://criticalidealism.org/enlightenment-new-m-word-blog-entry/) - Enlightenment: Reflections on Foucault's "What is Enlightenment'"
- [Enlightenment:  Reflections on Foucault's "What is Enlightenment?"](https://criticalidealism.org/enlightenment/) - Enlightenment: Reflections on Foucault's "What is Enlightenment'"
- ["A Non-Secular Critique of Things Secular and Sacred"](https://criticalidealism.org/a-non-secular-critique-of-things-secular-and-sacred/) - A Non-Secular Critique of Things Secular and the Sacred
- [Critical Thinking in Science and Religion](https://criticalidealism.org/critical-thinking-in-science-and-religion-2/) - Critical Thinking in Science and Religion
- [On Democracy and the 2015 Greek Referendum](https://criticalidealism.org/on-democracy-and-the-2015-greek-referendum/) - On Democracy and the 2015 Greek Referendum
- [Design:  A Heuristic Strategy, Not Metaphysical Doctrine](https://criticalidealism.org/design-a-heuristic-strategy-not-metaphysical-doctrine-2/) - McGaughey, Design A Heuristic Strategy, Not Metaphysical Doctrine (2008)
- [Design:  A Heuristic Strategy, not Metaphysical Doctrine](https://criticalidealism.org/design-a-heuristic-strategy-not-metaphysical-doctrine/) - McGaughey, Design A Heuristic Strategy, Not Metaphysical Doctrine (2008)
- [Religion and Morality: A Static fait accompli or a Dynamic Possibility?](https://criticalidealism.org/religion-and-morality-a-static-fait-accompli-or-a-dynamic-possibility/) - Religion and Morality: A Static fait accompli or a Dynamic Possibility?
- [Critical Thinking in Morality](https://criticalidealism.org/critical-thinking-in-morality/) - Critical Thinking in Morality
- [Ricoeur on "Radical" Evil and Kant](https://criticalidealism.org/ricoeur-on-radical-evil-and-kant-2/) - Ricoeur on "Radical" Evil and Kant Presented at the Society of Ricoeur Studies annual meeting in Eugene, Oregon, on October 27, 2013
- [Mere Rules do not Morality Make](https://criticalidealism.org/mere-rules-do-not-morality-make/) - Mere Rules Do Not Morality Make
- [Persons and Their Minds:  Höffe's Action Theory and Differentiation between Dogmatic and Methodological Determinism](https://criticalidealism.org/persons-and-their-minds/) - Persons and Their Minds: Höffe's Action Theory and Differentiation between Dogmatic and Methodological Determinism
- [Creativity -- Not Just for Geniuses](https://criticalidealism.org/creativity-not-just-for-geniuses/) - Creativity -- Not Just for Geniuses
- [Utilitarianism, Virtue Ethics, Moral Autonomy, and Grace](https://criticalidealism.org/utilitarianism-virtue-ethics-moral-autonomy-and-grace/) - Utilitarianism, Virtue Ethics, Moral Autonomy, and Grace
- [Introduction to M-Word Blog](https://criticalidealism.org/introduction-to-m-word-blog/) - Introduction
- [Freedom on This and the Other Side of Kant](https://criticalidealism.org/freedom-on-this-and-the-other-side-of-kant/) - Freedom on This and the Other Side of Kant
- [A Poem - September 26, 2013](https://criticalidealism.org/a-poem-september-26-2013/) - Laws both Physical and Moral
- [Course Materials T&M Fall 2013](https://criticalidealism.org/course-materials-tm-fall-2013/) - Antecedent Rules Coordinating Conjunction Rules Coordinating Conjunctions Paper Prompt 1 Fall 2013

## Categories

- [Uncategorized](https://criticalidealism.org/category/uncategorized/)
- [M-Word Blog](https://criticalidealism.org/category/morality-blog/)
- [On Enlightenment](https://criticalidealism.org/category/on-enlightenment/)
- [Critical Idealism and Religion](https://criticalidealism.org/category/critical-idealism-and-religion/)
- [The Oxford Papers](https://criticalidealism.org/category/the-oxford-papers/)
- [New To Critical Idealism?](https://criticalidealism.org/category/new-to-critical-idealism/)
- [Reflection Posts](https://criticalidealism.org/category/reflection-posts/)
- [Freedom on This and the Other Side of Kant](https://criticalidealism.org/category/freedom-on-this-and-the-other-side-of-kant/)
- [New Book: The Human Spirit: Groundwork](https://criticalidealism.org/category/new-book-the-human-spirit-groundwork/)
- [Most Recent Post](https://criticalidealism.org/category/most-recent-post/)
- [Mea Culpa](https://criticalidealism.org/category/mea-culpa/)
- [Was Kant a Racist?](https://criticalidealism.org/category/was-kant-a-racist/)

## Tags

- [Uncategorized](https://criticalidealism.org/tag/uncategorized/)