“Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing wonder and awe, the more often and the more steadily one reflects upon them:
the starry sky above me and the moral law within me.”
(Kant, Critique of Practical Reason)
Kant states that these two realities fill his soul with a sense of wonder and respect that is continually renewed and deepened every time he pauses to reflect upon them.
He expresses the astonishment that arises from encountering two realms that, although seemingly very different, are both capable of evoking a profound sense of the sublime:
- The starry sky above me symbolises the vastness, order, and harmony of the physical universe. It represents nature, governed by precise and immutable laws. Faced with such immensity, the human being perceives their own smallness on a material level, yet is simultaneously inspired to reflect on the order and meaning of the cosmos.
- The moral law within me refers to the moral conscience and the human capacity to distinguish right from wrong through reason. This moral law does not derive from experience or religion, but from a rational structure intrinsic to the human being. It reveals the dignity and greatness of humanity, as a being capable of acting from duty, independently of personal inclinations or external rewards.
Through this renowned dualism, Kant highlights the extraordinary condition of the human being, positioned between the sensible world of nature and the intelligible world of morality—both of which awaken a sense of the sublime.
If the starry sky reminds humanity of its fragility as a physical being, the moral law affirms its freedom and autonomy as a rational being endowed with ethical awareness.