Freedom in Kant and Nietzsche's Philosophy

Kant's Perspective on Freedom

For Kant, freedom is the desire for a state within society where culture and education help remove constraints and prejudice. This freedom may be influenced by other members of a society; it depends not only on the individual subject but also on society itself or other factors.

While freedom for Kant is not merely a desire, it requires reasons. Using these reasons is how one achieves self-determination through rationality and morality. That is, one acts when there is a reasonable motivation that leads to self-determination. For Kant, freedom depends solely on the subject's use of reason.

Kant vs. Nietzsche on Freedom

Nietzsche's concept of the 'superman' can be seen as a being with freedom because it acts according to its will and power, without requiring external arguments or reasons. This model of freedom, perhaps, stands in contrast to traditional culture.

However, for Kant, freedom is the opposite. It is not exercising one's will without arguments, but rather self-determination – the motivation to act based on arguments and reasons. Thus, for Kant, freedom exists when actions are completely rational and moral.

Freedom, Rationality, and Morality in Kant

Kant identifies rationality with morality and with freedom.

Humans have two capacities: we are rational and sensible. When our will is determined by sensitivity, we choose based on the appearance of things. Thus, the appearance of things determines our wills. For Kant, there is no freedom here, because there is no self-determination or rationality involved.

When we are determined by reason, we determine ourselves. That is self-determination, and therefore I am free when I determine myself by using reason. Kant argues that one is free only when one determines one's actions through reason.

Thus, for Kant, we are free only when we are rational and moral. Kant states that holiness is not of this world; we will inevitably never be fully rational, moral, or free because we are also sensitive. Yet, we must always strive for this. This striving is aided by education.