Providence and Prudence in Kant’s Theology and Ethics

Abstract This article seeks to reevaluate Kant’s treatment of prudence in his ethics, challenging prevalent interpretations that relegate prudence in Kant to mere technique (skill). Scattered across Kant’s texts, there are indications that prudence (practical judgment) fulfills an essential function in Kant’s ethics: by negotiating the contingencies of an uncertain world, prudence adapts the moral imperative to mutable circumstances. However, Kant is convinced that despair is inevitable for humans, when confronted with the inherent uncertainty and indifference of the natural world. The only remedy against this despair for Kant is faith in a providential God: Kant introduces reliance on God’s providence to reconcile human practical reason with chance and nature’s capriciousness. The article thus underscores the inseparable link between human prudence and God’s providence for living a moral life in the Kantian sense.