How Does the Finite Being Become Holy:A Discussion from the Debate on the Translation of Kant's "Endliche,heilige Wesen"
How to translate the concept of "endliche,heilige Wesen," which appears in Kant's Metaphysics of Morals,has aroused much attention and discussion in recent years in Chinese academic circles.This article takes the translation of "finite holy being" and argues that a meaningful relative discussion should be centered on the question of "how does the finite being become holy." This is a question of practical philosophy that asks whether and how it is possible for human beings to achieve moral perfection,and it is an important question that Kant's Doctrine of Virtue,and indeed all virtue ethics,needs to confront.Based on the analysis of the concept of "finite holy being," the article shows that the holiness of finite being does not lie in the eradication of inclination,but in overcoming the propensity to evil and in the pursuit of happiness in a moral way.Kant regards the "finite holy being" as the moral ideal,which shows that his moral philosophy has a profound grasp of the dual attributes of human finitude and rationality.The article also points out that Kant's treatment of the question of how a finite being becomes holy needs to be investigated in the context of the idea of the highest good.From the Critique of Practical Reason to Religion within the Limits of Pure Reason,Kant's different treatments of the question of how the highest good is possible imply a change in his view on this question,i.e.,a shift from the view that finite beings cannot be holy to an attempt to account for its possibility.This change,rather than being inconsistent,shows the development and refinement of Kant's moral philosophy.
Kantfinite holy beingthe Doctrine of VirtueGesinnungthe highest good
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