Kant's Postulates of Practical Reason
Kant argues that moral agency rationally requires three postulates: (1) freedom/autonomy; (2) immortality of the soul; (3) God's existence. These postulates are unprovable theoretically but practically necessary for morality's intelligibility.
Real World
Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, argued that meaning-driven moral choices in Auschwitz only make sense if humans are genuinely free — an experiential illustration of Kant's postulate that moral agency presupposes freedom.
Exam Focus
Clarify that postulates are 'practically necessary' not theoretically proven — missing this nuance is a common A-level error that loses AO1 marks.
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