Immanuel Kant and Judgment

In his famous treatise, Critique of Pure Reason, Kant peels back a layer on judgment based on experience. Kant writes,

     "All our judgments are at first mere judgments based on perception; they are valid simply for ourselves, as subject. Only subsequently do we give them a new reference, namely to an object, and insist that they shall always be valid for ourselves as well as everyone else. For when a judgment agrees with an object , all judgments concerning the same object must agree with one another; hence the objective validity of judgment based on experience means nothing more than its necessary general validity."

This is how Kant separates judgments based on perception from those based on experience, which he refers to as empirical judgments. These empirical judgments have objective validity - generally referring to objects of sense and experience. Interestingly, Kant stops us from jumping to associate direct knowledge with empirical judgments when he cautions that objective validity, necessary for empirical judgments, is not deduced from direct knowledge, but instead, deduced from objective validity which is deduced from general conditions of validity. According to Kant, before a judgment of perception can become a judgment of experience, the perception must be "subsumed under intellectual concepts."

Why am I referencing Kant's views on judgment? Well, it just seems to me that judgments today do not mature, but instead, they are often quick, perception-rooted and wrong. Yet, even wrong, there is often no apology, correction or acknowledgment. Leaders, reporters, and public figures ( I reference these because their judgments are public and viewed by all, but we are all guilty.) today make poor judgments, jump to conclusion and express opinion as fact, and no one seems to be concerned. Reading Kant tonight, it suddenly struck me that what we are seeing are judgments based on perception. They are made so quickly that they never mature and move to empirical and gain objective validity.

Remember, objective validity is not direct knowledge but a sense of universal rightness (my term). Kant references that a judgment of experience (empirical), once it becomes experience-oriented, reverses back to the original perception and determines (or converts) the original perception to an empirical one that is universally right if it is right. If the perception is wrong then it never becomes universal or right because there is no experience to reinforce it as right.

In my opinion, the second part of this process has become extinct; therefore, if it is extinct then there is no way to instill in the universal (collective masses) the sense of rightness (my term). This condition reduces perception-oriented judgments to equal status with empirical judgments and makes it difficult for anyone to determine the difference between the two, which is where we find ourselves today. And, in this condition, the loudest and most repeated judgments are perceived and received as empirical (and true) even if they are only perception-oriented. 

Why do so many people believe so many different things? Please see above. Blessings! 

Doing the Right Thing

This note provides a bit of humor for us, but it also provides much more. For instance, what would you do if you walked up to the front door of a home you were about to visit and actually found this note?

Would you ignore it?

Would you obey it?

Would you think it was a joke?

Would you take it seriously?

Would you knock, despite what it says?

Would you leave without doing anything?

Well, what would be the right thing to do? Is that not the question we all face each and every day; what is the right thing to do? There are many who think that each situation has an absolute "right thing" to do, and I used to be one of those people. But, I now think differently. Let me explain.

What would be the right thing to do here? Well, that would depend on many factors. Would it be to yell "ding" "ding" until someone comes to the door? Would it be to ignore it and just knock? Again, the answers to these questions depend on other factors that are "circumstantial" in nature (I recently learned this lesson from a close friend.).

For instance, one factor that should not be ignored is the relationship between you and the author of this note. If you know the author well and know that the author is a practical joker then, you would probably knock and walk right into the house, especially if you are an expected guest. If you did not know the author at all and were visiting this home for the very first time, then, you might be a bit confused on how to actually respond to the note in the right way, especially if this person is important. If you are in a different state or country and have never been to the home before, then, you would most likely not be caught yelling, "ding" "ding" loudly on the front porch of someone you don't know well in an area you do not know at all. Do you see how the right thing to do changes according to the circumstances (My friend is so very wise.)?

The question of what is right and wrong, and what is the right thing to do is not as easy as one might think, as evidenced by this post. There are many factors at play regarding right and wrong. I think sometimes we tend rush to judge others from our own perspective because we assume our own perspective and transfer it to every situation.  When we do this we fail to consider other perspectives, circumstances and possible factors involved, and end up judging more than doing the right thing.

Where Judgement Lives, Love Does Not

I think Mother Theresa pretty much nails it here. This is my issue, and its your issue too. When we are busy judging people we spend all of our time looking at their sin and ignoring our own. And, we Christians are the worst, at least I am.

When Paul writes twice in Corinthians that the Holy Spirit dwells in us, and that we are temples of God, do we think that the purpose of the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence is to give us an innate divine ability to know everything, including how everyone else should act? This mindset, when you think about it, is really a works-oriented mindset centering on an ability that is rooted in creation (man and woman) and not in the Almighty. Would God even do that? What, then, is the answer to our inclination towards judgment?

I have been struck lately on how many times love is referenced in the New Testament. It is as if Jesus wants His followers to be known by this love that He models to us.Why would He want His followers to be known by love? Why not works or faith or even mercy? Yea, that would work well with the sinful selfish heart of man. Here is the issue to me. If we are known by love we will be known as Jesus. If we are known by anything else other than love we will be known as ourselves. If we are to be known by our works or our theology or our doctrine it seems to me contrary to the most fundamental teachings of Christ. I mean listen to the words of Christ: "feed my sheep," "love one another," "the first shall be last," "humble yourself," "turn the other cheek" and "love your neighbor as yourself."  None of those scream me; they all scream Him.

Our hearts are wicked, and it is as Proverbs states, without God we will always choose destruction. Don't be confused; you will not choose your own destruction. All your actions will be about you, which, according to scripture, always leads to the destruction of others. This slant towards self, that leads to destruction is hidden and deceptive, but it will reveal itself in one open act, judgment. This tendency is built into each one of us, and if we do not fight it with the word of God, prayer, accountability and repentance it will eat us up and consume us, manifesting itself in ugly selfish ways that hurt others. Which, if that wasn't bad enough, also taints the name of Christ and His message.

Whether it is this Chick-fil-a controversy or something personal, when your response is in Christian love it will make a statement, not about you, but about Him. Jesus stated very clearly that we will know each other by our love for each other and not by our wisdom, theology or doctrine. While all of those are important they can not replace the divine presence of Christian love in the Believer. This is our difference, and how we should be known because Christian love is always Him and never us. So, what are we to do with our selfish hearts and our tendencies toward judgment and destruction? Well, see the quotes above. I know I am sick of my sin and longing for more of Jesus and His love. Come Jesus quickly...