Schleiermachers and Nietzsches Opposition to Immanuel Kant Essay

Schleiermachers and Nietzsches Opposition to Immanuel Kant - Essay Example This essay discusses that Kant assumes that man must possess a certain â€Å"goodwill† and that whatever happens, one must know that he â€Å"ought to do the inexpedient good† (278). However, based on the views of Schleiermacher and Nietzsche, the ideas of Kant somehow imply that all human beings are the same no matter what and that they share the same moral values and systems of morality. Kant’s contemporary, Friedrich Schleiermacher, expressed his opposition to Kant’s categorical imperative by declaring that the imperative cannot presume at all that it should apply uniformly to all human beings because of the â€Å"value of diversity or individuality even in the human sphere† (Forster). Therefore, for Schleiermacher, all humans cannot be subjected under one moral law because individuals are distinct from their societies as societies are distinct from each other. Moreover, although the categorical imperative implies a commitment to all humanity, Schleiermacher believes that it is not the individual but religion that must possess this duty towards humanity. Schleiermacher also rejects Kant’s otherworldly basis of religion and at the same time, the former emphasizes that â€Å"religion can no more be based on morality than on metaphysics or science† (Forster). Therefore, for Schleiermacher, the basis of religion, since it cannot seem to be ascertained, is not as important as its purpose in taking care of humanity. Unlike Kant, Schleiermacher further stressed out the importance of Jesus Christ and his life as a basis for his salvation.