From rationalism to Fideism: Kant and Kierkegaard

There are foregoing debates about "faith" and "what is believed" both individually and scientifically. For the individual beliefs (in terms of existence), justifications are made in this way: belief is subjective; and when it comes to the discussion on reasons of "believing" justifications are coming in an objective manner. This study investigates whether belief is universal or individual, following the opposition in the philosophies of Kant attributing objectivity to the concept of belief as a result of her critique of reason and Kierkegaard stating that "belief" is the dynamism of the subject's existence. In the first part of the thesis we investigate traditional metaphysics' doctrines till to Kant with a comparison with proofs on God. The Enlightenment's critique of traditional metaphysics and the critique of reason within the framework of Kant's attempt to establish a new metaphysical doctrine were examined, and Kant's idea that both knowledge, metaphysics and a "belief in reason could be universal" was discussed. In the second part of the study we investigate the place of the concept of "faith" in Kierkegaard's philosophy. Kierkegaard criticizes theology based on the claim that the post-Kant idealist philosophy melts subjectivity and the individuality under the label of objectivity. I described that Kierkegaard believe that truth is subjective and, it has been discussed why the connection of the concept of "faith" with reason and objectivity is rejected and why belief is reduced to the existence of the individual. Thus; As a result, by comparing two opposing thought approaches to the act of believing, it has been tried to show under what conditions and for what reasons this act occurred, how it relates to morality and science and ultimately to the existence of individual people. KEY WORDS: Reason, Faith, Kant, Kierkegaard