Recognition and Religion A Historical and Systematic Study

recognizing a rule and a ruler, that is, a kind of law. The persuasion
regarding the relevance of religion thus relies on the evidential power
of morality as appearing in rights and virtues.
Spalding continues his persuasion as follows:

Further, when we recognize (anerkennen) an intentional origin of all

things, including our moral nature, we also need to concede that he who

has promulgated these laws and wanted us to have a character in

accordance with them...contains the entire virtue in himself, being

therefore the most holy and, with ineffable distance, the morally best of

all beings.^88

In this manner, Spalding returns to his original definition of religion.
A person who recognizes (i) the ultimate value of virtue can under-
stand justice and morality. This leads to (ii) the recognition of the
highest being, who organizes the moral rule of the world. Thus we can
(iii) recognize the most perfect world ruler in his relationship to us.
Spalding employs the quest for morality as a primary evidence for
the adoption of religious faith. The quest for well-being, however,
plays a particular role in his evidential proof. He considers that, from
the point of view of moral philosophy, the foundational powers may
easily result in conflict with one another. Philosophically, one must often
sacrifice well-being for the sake of duty. How can one combine moral
goodness with happiness? Religion provides an answer to this conflict:

The working out of harmony [between goodness and happiness] is only

possible through the recognition (Anerkennung) of a being that has

intentionally equipped the soul with both basic feelings, so that neither

of them is there in vain, without expected fulfilment....With this

conviction, the virtuous person has much more courage and his prevail-

ing is confirmed. He can then sayfirmly and confidently: I will be true to

my conscience, since through it alone I will in the end obtain everything

that is good for me. He who made me will take care of that. But also

for this reason I will honour the religion that justifies my saying this.^89

This quote illustrates both Spalding’s style of argument and his view
of religious recognition. The conflict between duty and happiness can
only be explained when the existence of them both is made mean-
ingful through an appeal to religion. When a person recognizes that

(^88) Religion, 27. (^89) Religion,32–3.
132 Recognition and Religion