Q&A: The Relevance of Kant Today
The Relevance of Kant Today
Question
Hello, Rabbi,
First, I want to thank the Rabbi for the books "God Plays Dice," "The Sciences of Freedom," and the four Quartet books—illuminating books that brought about a tremendous change in my outlook.
There is a book that summarizes the thought of Immanuel Kant (a book by Allen Wood). Is there any commandment involved in studying philosophy? And is Kant's thought still relevant today, or are these "outdated" ideas?
Answer
Hello Shai.
In two short articles in Tzohar I discussed Torah in the person and in the object. I now see that if you search the site for "Torah in the person and in the object," you'll find more of my articles dealing with this. Take a look there.
In my non-authoritative humble opinion, Kant's doctrine is definitely important for our time, and certainly not outdated. Usually, important works do not become outdated, except perhaps in language or terminology—unless others have already come afterward and formulated the ideas in a fuller and better way.