Cornelio Fabro suggested that Kant’s conception of freedom leads to existential
atheism and existential amoralism, and these, in their turn, entail theoretical atheism. This
essay analyses and supports Fabro’s argument. In particular it focuses on Fabro’s claim that
no one can be the ruler of oneself, and on his view that, on an existential level, i.e. from the
first personal perspective of an agent, only a reference to God can ground a substantial moral
obligation. On the ground of the suggested theses, Fabro’s interpretation of Kant seems
plausible, and Kant’s unintended role in the development of modern atheism seems clear
