Versuch einer Kritik aller Offenbarung

This work opens with a modest invitation to examine the very concept of divine revelation through the lens of reason. The author presents the effort as a “trial,” acknowledging the limits of his own certainty while urging readers to subject every claim to careful, impartial scrutiny. The tone is scholarly yet personal, offering a sincere promise to engage with criticism, correction, and honest debate.

The first section lays out a systematic plan: it begins with a theory of the will, proceeds to deduce the nature of religion, and then draws a line between natural and revealed faith. Subsequent chapters define the term “revelation,” establish criteria for its divine authenticity—both in form and possible content—and explore the empirical and physical possibilities of such disclosures. Each step builds a framework for assessing whether any given phenomenon might qualify as true revelation.

Written in the early 1790s, the treatise reflects the Enlightenment’s confidence in rational inquiry while still grappling with the mysteries of faith. Listeners will appreciate its careful logic, historical flavor, and the earnest invitation to think critically about the relationship between reason and the sacred.