Reason, Theology, Community

Perhaps the strongest challenge to Kant's concept of Reason comes from not successors such as Schopenhauer or Hegel, but from a predecessor, Spinoza, which he recognizes, but, arguably, fails to effectively refute.  The basis of that challenge is the clear difference in Theological commitment, beginning with the contrast of Spinoza's immanent corporeal deity vs. Kant's transcendent incorporeal deity.  As a consequence, Kant's concept of Reason is arbitrary--it must be incompatible with Instinct, whereas for Spinoza, they are not only incompatible, but united, in both his deity and its human modes. Accordingly, absent his Theological commitmemts, Kant might have recognized in his Rational category of Community/Reciprocity an Instinct that is not in potential conflict with Morality.  He might have, thus, not reserved Practical application of the category for an explanation of the possibility of divine reward, and, instead, examined the implications of it for Conduct, e. g. that there might be in humans an instinct for Community that is not irrational.