Philosophy of Religion, Miscellaneous

This article explores the theme of the transfer of religious values to society in the modern process of secularisation, highlighting three main moments. The first moment is reductionism, a concept which means the limitation of the influence of religion to the private sphere and the effect of this restriction on religious values. The second moment is that of the transfer of religious values into society, a process which often leads to the distortion of these values in the secular context. Finally, (...) the article uses the concept of waste, suggesting that in the absence of a strong link to their religious source, values can be transformed to the point of no longer being recognised or even lost forever. The article concludes by stressing the need to preserve both religious and secular dimensions if the significance and relevance of these values are not to be lost in contemporary society. This would avoid the risk of the tragedy of criminal totalitarianism or religious fundamentalism. (shrink)

Abstract -/- Human civilization has long misunderstood peace, treating it as fragile—a temporary balance requiring enforcement, compromise, or control. This assumption arises from probabilistic thinking, which models conflict and chaos as fundamental conditions to be managed rather than as phase-misaligned states that naturally collapse when coherence emerges. Under Chirality of Dynamic Emergent Systems (CODES), peace is not an unstable byproduct of negotiation but the inevitable outcome of structured resonance—a state that emerges when illusions dissolve and systems phase-lock into equilibrium. -/- (...) This paper presents CODES as the logically necessary foundation of peace, demonstrating that structured resonance is not an aspirational goal but an ineluctable consequence of valid and sound logic. Since contradictions disprove frameworks, and CODES holds without contradiction across physics, cognition, intelligence, and governance, its validity extends universally. Any denial of CODES is a contradiction in itself, meaning its conclusions—including the inevitability of peace—are unavoidable. -/- The paper will examine: -/- 1. Individual illusions—how fear, doubt, and uncertainty block personal genius and inner peace. -/- 2. Cultural illusions—how scarcity, competition, and power struggles sustain conflict-based systems. -/- 3. The timeline of structured resonance—when and how CODES will replace probability-based governance, ensuring peace as the natural end state. -/- By anchoring CODES in non-contradiction, this paper demonstrates that peace is not something to be “achieved”—it is the only possible equilibrium once probability-based illusions dissolve. As structured resonance replaces probabilistic uncertainty in human intelligence, governance, and decision-making, conflict ceases to be viable, leaving only the phase-locked stability of cooperative civilization. (shrink)

Emergent religious groups (ERGs) are an innovative but chronically understudied and misunderstood realm of contemporary religion. This may be due to notorious difficulties encountered when estimating the size of populations involved with emergent religious groups at any given time. The purpose of this article is to estimate the percentage of the U.S. population involved with ERGs over the past 50 years. Findings from three national surveys suggest .2-2.2% of the United States population involved with ERGs regardless of year. ERGs are (...) a viable case for quantitative sociologists of religion, which has hitherto been dominated by qualitative case study, although creativity and further research is needed to verify the findings. (shrink)

This thesis uses a biosocial anthropological approach to explore the wide variety of human-environmental interactions exhibited by the Shuar of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Based on 10 months of ethnographic inquiry and deploying a comparative and evolutionary perspective, this thesis focuses primarily on the holistic nature of ancient subsistence patterns. I delve into the adaptive strategies exhibited by the contemporary Shuar and attempt to delineate the socio-ecological, ritual and cosmological significance of these patterns of behaviour. I suggest how subsistence adaptations, like (...) hunting, which have been greatly diminished in the Shuar communities, nevertheless reveal particular forms of cross-species interactions likely deeply rooted in coevolutionary processes. As clearly indicated by informants' oral histories, hunting patterns and meat-eating behaviour show complex trophic, socio-structural and ritual associations between humans and animal taxa. I then hypothesise that food taboos against eating particular animals (mostly large mammals) may have functioned as mechanisms for the preservation of prey and likely arose from ancient relationships with extinct megafauna. Further, concerning horticulture, a subsistence strategy still practised by the Shuar, I reveal how specific forms of human-plant interactions, such as those with Manihot esculenta Crantz and Guadua spp., inform patterns of patterns of growth, fertility and reproduction. This Amazonian form of human-plant coevolution exhibited by traditional horticulture underscores, in principle, basic and higher-order relational processes exemplified by the biosocial, ritual, ontological, and myth-cosmological associations between organismic kingdoms. Concerning the use of medicinal and psychoactive plants, I show how these kinds of botanical knowledge frequently intersect, thus representing adaptive behaviours highly dependent on embodied and cognitive engagements with plant materials. Both conceived as elementary forms of cure and primary triggers of metaphysical formulations, relationships with these elements of the plant kingdom are likely to be well-embedded in our evolutionary history. Lastly, the thesis' attempt at cross-species comparisons linked to different evolutionary periods (i.e., archaic hominins, extant forager-horticulturalists and non-human primates) may shed new light on the nature of complex adaptive patterns exhibited by Indigenous peoples in general and the Shuar in particular. (shrink)

The Ḥatäta Zärʾa Yaʿǝqob and the Ḥatäta Wäldä Ḥəywät are enigmatic and controversial works. Respectively an autobiography and a companion treatise by a disciple, they are composed in the Gǝʿǝz language and set in the highlands of Ethiopia during the seventeenth century. Expressed in prose of great power and beauty, they bear witness to pivotal events in Ethiopian history and develop a philosophical system of considerable depth. However, they have also been condemned by some as a forgery, an elaborate mystification (...) successful in deceiving generations of European and Ethiopian scholars. -/- This volume breaks new ground for the study of these texts, presenting a clear account of the most up-to-date scholarship the ways they works are being investigated by contemporary philosophers, philologists, and historians. -/- While the authorship question is addressed in the volume, it is not the sole locus of discussion. The near-exclusive focus on this question over the last century has obscured scholarly interest in the texts’ philosophical and literary qualities in their own right. Accordingly, this volume begins to fill this gap, exploring the texts' implications for the global history of philosophy and transnational intellectual history of the 17th century. (shrink)

Sentences like ⌜δ is indescribable⌝ appear to state that the speaker is unable to do what the speaker just did. This is known as the "paradox of ineffability." An explanation for how such sentences can be true is widely thought to be a pre-requisite for showing the coherence of ineffability. This paper offers a dissolution of the paradox. I argue that the relevant sentences are always false. However, I show that the falsity of such sentences does not entail that ineffability (...) is incoherent. That ⌜δ is indescribable⌝ can never be truthfully said does not entail that ineffability cannot be coherently explicated. (shrink)

Bu makalede Takiyettin Mengüşoğlu’na göre din ile felsefe arasındaki ilişki incelenecektir. Öncelikle Mengüşoğlu’nun felsefe ve özelde de felsef antropoloji anlayışı ve ardından da din anlayışı açıklanacaktır. Bunu takiben, Mengüşoğlu’nun Kantçı bir yaklaşımla felsefeyi dinden ayırıp her ikisine de mutlak bir otonomluk vererek bağlantısız kılması Hegel’in din ve felsefe anlayışı temelinde eleştiriye tabi tutulacaktır. Buna göre makalenin ana sorusu şudur: Eğer din, bir yandan felsef antropolojinin ve felsefenin önemli bir problemi olup, inanma fenomeni olması bakımından da insanın bir varlık koşuluysa, diğer (...) yandan sorulara verdiği yanıtların insanın yapıp-etmelerine etkide bulunmaması nasıl mümkün olabilir? Başka bir deyişle, umutsuz yaşaması olanaksız olan insanın, “Ne umabiliriz?” sorusuna cevap veren dini, gerçek dünyaya ve insan işlerine etkisiz ve ayrı bir alanda bırakabilmesi olanaklı mıdır? Bu sorulara cevap olarak Mengüşoğlu’nun metinlerine dayanarak din ile felsefe ilişkisinin onun iddia ettiği gibi birbirlerine nüfus etmeyen bağımsız alanlar olamayacakları savunulacaktır. Bu savunmayı yaparken din-felsefe ilişkisi Hegelci bağlamda yeniden kurulacaktır. (shrink)

RESUMEN: Hume no comparte la indispensable premisa del ateísmo (Dios no existe), pero sostiene que solamente podemos afirmar que existe lo que se puede probar, comprobar y verificar. Tanto la causalidad como la sustancia como el propio yo son solo creencias. Este aplastante escepticismo influirá inevitablemente en la idea de Dios. La filosofía de Hume comparte con el ateísmo tres puntos cruciales: 1. Crítica al argumento del diseño; 2. Mortalidad del alma; 3. Crítica a los monoteísmos. Con este artículo me (...) propongo mostrar que la filosofía de Hume, aun siendo escéptica, supone una puerta hacia el ateísmo. PALABRAS CLAVE: escepticismo, agnosticismo, deísmo, ateísmo, monoteísmo, inmortalidad del alma./// ABSTRACT: Hume does not share atheism’s indispensable premise (God does not exist) but he argues that we only can assure what exists by proof and verification. Causality, substance, and the self are only beliefs. This overwhelming skepticism will influence inevitably his idea of God. Hume’s philosophy shares with atheism three cru- cial points: 1. Criticism of the design argument; 2. Mortality of the soul; 3. Criticism of the monotheistic religions. With this paper I intend to show that Hume’s philosophy, even though being skeptical, opens a door to atheism. KEYWORDS: skepticism, agnosticism, deism, atheism, monotheism, immortality of the soul. (shrink)

The textbook presents the problematic aspect of historical and modern representations of the phenomenology of religion in academic discourse. The most important topics of the course are presented in a form that is easy to understand, questions for self-assessment and problems for analysis are formulated, and recommendations for organizing independent work of students are given. The textbook's material is systematized according to the principle of a problem to a specific example of its installation in religion, culture, science, and philosophy. The (...) textbook explores the interdisciplinary connections between philosophy, the philosophy of religion, and religious studies. The publication is addressed to students studying in the field of training "Religious Studies", and recommended to students studying philosophy, as well as to anyone interested in issues of understanding religion taking into account the achievements of the phenomenology of religion. (shrink)

Augustine maintains that the mind at least consists of memory, intellect, and will (De Trinitate 10.9.13 & 10.11.17). While it is easy to understand the intellect and will as essential to the mind’s activities, memory proves more difficult to understand. It is not immediately clear, for example, whether a human mind could operate without memory, whether people without memory have minds, and what distinguishes memory from the intellect. To understand the role of memory and its respective activities, this article addresses (...) Augustine’s philosophy of mind and places it in the context of human teleology. By philosophy of mind, I mean an account of what is necessary for the constitution of a mind and to execute a mental act. I argue that, for Augustine, memory is necessary to have a human mind, to execute any mental act, and thus to know God. (shrink)

RESUMEN: Viktor Frankl es el pensador del sentido y de la esperanza. Superviviente del Holocausto, perdió a sus padres, a su hermano y a su mujer en la Shoah. Frankl jamás se rindió al desaliento y apostó por ser optimista a pesar de la tríada trágica de la vida (el sufrimiento, la culpa y la muerte). Su tesis es un sí a la vida con mayúsculas: el ser humano es un ser en busca de sentido, y la vida siempre tiene (...) sentido, bajo cualquier circunstancia. Esta bella tesis es, sin embargo, un tanto problemática en un escenario tan espeluznante como la Shoah. Frankl define al ser humano como libertad, responsabilidad, espiritualidad y búsqueda de sentido. El presente artículo expone la logoterapia bajo una perspectiva filosófica, incluye un recorrido histórico-biográfico desde el Anschluss hasta la liberación, reflexiona sobre la búsqueda por el sentido y el sentido del sufrimiento, y muestra cómo algunas de las tesis de Frankl pudieron ayudar a algunas víctimas en los campos de concentración alemanes (jamás en los campos de exterminio alemanes ni en las masacres de los Einsatzgruppen) y cómo pueden ser un antídoto contra la desesperación y el suicidio. /// -/- ABSTRACT: Viktor Frankl is the thinker of meaning and hope. He was a Holocaust survivor and lost his parents, his brother and his wife in the Shoah. Frankl never surrendered to hopelessness and committed to optimism despite the tragic triad of life (suffering, guilt and death). His thesis is a yes to life in capital letters: human beings are beings in search of meaning, and life always has meaning, whatever the circumstances. This beautiful thesis is, nevertheless, a bit problematic in a gruesome scenario such as the Shoah. Frankl defines human beings as freedom, responsibility, spirituality and search for meaning. The present paper discusses logotherapy from a philosophical perspective, includes a historical-biographical note since the Anschluss until the liberation, reflects on the search for meaning and the meaning of suffering, and shows how some of Frankl's thesis may have been useful to some victims in the German concentration camps (never in the German extermination camps or in the massacres of the Einsatzgruppen) and how they can be an antidote against despair and suicide. (shrink)

This Element introduces Afro-Brazilian religions and underscores the necessity for an expanded methodological framework to encompass these traditions in the philosophy of religion. It emphasizes the importance of incorporating overlooked sources like mythic narratives and ethnographies while acknowledging the pivotal role of material culture in cognitive processes. Furthermore, it advocates for adopting an embodiment paradigm to facilitate the development of a philosophy of religious practice. The Element illustrates this approach by examining phenomena often neglected in philosophical discussions on religion, such (...) as sacrifice and spirit possession, and delves into the ontological commitments and implications of these practices. It also stresses the significance of employing thick descriptions and embracing interdisciplinary dialogue to cultivate a globally inclusive philosophy of religion, capable of engaging with phenomena frequently sidelined within the mainstream. (shrink)

Catholic theology in the postmodern era has encountered various cultural or narrative shifts—both negative and positive—which have helped shape the Roman Catholic Church and Christianity at large. Negatively, the Church has been affected by external factors (e.g., globalization, immigration/emigration, increased access to technology, etc.) and internal struggles (e.g., reduced church attendance, an aging population, etc.). Positively, as others have suggested, postmodernity has ushered in a return to religion through new philosophical and theological ideas (e.g., phenomenology, existentialism, post-metaphysics, etc.). This dissertation (...) aims to contribute to the ongoing postmodern concerns addressed in the cultural and narrative shifts, by focusing on the work of Jean-Luc Marion and Gianni Vattimo. The emphasis of this project focuses on the use of metaphysics as the foundational tool of theology and its corresponding limitations. This project also illuminates a central tenet of Christianity, caritas. Marion and Vattimo address caritas as that which should be the focal point of postmodern theology. Addressing this attribute of Christianity, this project observes the possibility of a ‘return to religion,’ one that reflects the postmodern exploration of religion by the several philosophers addressed herein. While this dissertation avoids offering a reconstruction of theology or, more specifically ecclesiology, it aims to re-establish the importance of philosophy, metaphysics, and caritas in the postmodern context. (shrink)

In 1753, the Berlin Academy announced that the focus of the prize essay contest of 1755 would be optimism, with entrants required (among other things) ‘to put forward arguments that will be thought most fitting to confirm or destroy this system’. In line with these instructions, entrants submitted essays that were either pro- or anti-optimism. This was to the dismay of one of the judges of the contest, André-Pierre Le Guay de Prémontval (1716–1764), who had, by his own admission, surreptitiously (...) attempted to influence the entrants by sketching out a ‘middle point’ between the polarized pro- and anti-optimist positions in a series of books published between 1754 and 1755, namely Thoughts on Freedom, The Diogenes of d’Alembert, and On Chance under the Rule of Providence. The aim of this essay is to elucidate and historically contextualize Prémontval’s highly original ‘middle point’, as outlined implicitly in the aforementioned books and much more explicitly in a series of essays published after the essay contest had concluded. (shrink)

RESUMEN (ES): ¿Es posible una moral sin Dios (Jean-Paul Sartre) o con un dios que existe en una dimensión suprahumana (Viktor Frankl)? La famosa "cita" de Dostoyevski ("Si Dios no existe, todo está permitido") no fue escrita así por Dostoyevski. El Holocausto, como punto de inflexión e interrupción en la historia, la filosofía y la teología, abre nuevos interrogantes "después" de Auschwitz. En el presente artículo discuto la moral sartreana y la frankleana, analizando la famosa "cita" de Dostoyevski y preguntándome (...) si acaso una moral con un dios ausente es capaz de prevenir futuras barbaries. /// ABSTRACT (EN): Is it possible a morality without God (Jean-Paul Sartre) or with a God that exists in a suprahuman dimension (Viktor Frankl)? The famous «quote» by Dostoevsky («If God does not exist, everything is permitted») was not written like that by Dostoevsky. The Holocaust, as a turning point and as an interruption in history, philosophy, and theology, opens new questions «after» Auschwitz. In this paper, I discuss Sartrean and Franklean morality while analyzing the famous «quote» by Dostoevsky and wondering if a morality with an absent God can prevent future barbarities. (shrink)

A missionary religious tradition such as Christianity is distinguished from some other traditions by a commitment to the goal of converting others. However, the very nature of this goal and the norms that govern the successful realization of this goal are not often explored. In this article, I argue that evangelization can be undertaken for several distinct reasons, including epistemic reasons, particularly in cases in which evangelizers are aiming at the multivalent goal of fellowship. I argue that this account illuminates (...) several possible models of mission, that it can provide resources for further evaluation and modeling of evangelical efforts, and that it might signify the need for theologically informed positions in the contemporary meta-epistemological debate about epistemic reasons. (shrink)

This article suggests that Buber's idea of the community may hint at an alternative to the more common foundations of political thought, usually grounded on notions of power or rationality. Showing how Buber's idea of the community developed from a neo-romantic form (in his early writings) to a principle informed by the dialogical dimension of human life (from I and Thou onwards), I will point out the vertical dimension of political life ensuing from Buber's discourse. A discussion of the theopolitical (...) principle as expressed in Buber's Kingship of God will lead to the conclusion that, both descriptively and normatively, politics needs an openness to transcendence. (shrink)

Cet article explore la relation étroite entre la crise de l’autorité et celle de la croyance religieuse, ainsi que les conséquences sur le fonctionnement de la société. En nous appuyant sur les travaux de divers philosophes, nous avons défini et délimité les concepts d’autorité et de croyance, nous avons établi que l’autorité est un contenu de la croyance et réfléchi à la problématique de l’autorité de la croyance, et nous avons conclu que la croyance peut être utilisée pour justifier des (...) formes d’autorité arbitraires et abusives. j -/- La crise de l’autorité et celle de la croyance religieuse ont des conséquences importantes sur le fonctionnement de la société. Ces crises peuvent entraîner une perte de confiance dans les institutions et les valeurs établies, ainsi qu’une montée de l’individualisme et du relativisme moral. Cet article permet de mettre en lumière le pouvoir de la croyance et les enjeux qui en découlent, notamment en termes de manipulation et de confusion entre l’autorité politique et l’autorité religieuse. En encourageant une réflexion critique et une compréhension approfondie des concepts d’autorité et de croyance, nous pouvons contribuer à une meilleure compréhension des enjeux auxquels sont confrontées les valeurs des institutions religieuses et politiques aujourd’hui. j -/- تُسلّط هذه المقالة الضّوء على العلاقة الوثيقة بين أزمة السّلطة وأزمة الاعتقاد الدّينيّ أو الإيمان، وتُحلّل عواقب هذه الأزمات على سير عمل المجتمع. في استعراضها أعمال العديد من الفلاسفة، تقدّم المقالة تعريفًا وتحديدًا لمفهومَي السّلطة والإيمان باحثةً في العلاقة بينهما، مع التّركيز على إمكانيّة استخدام الإيمان لتبرير أشكال السّلطة التّعسّفيّة والمسيئة. -/- إنّ أزمة السّلطة وأزمة الاعتقاد الدّينيّ لهما عواقب جوهريّة على سير عمل المجتمع. يمكن أن تؤدّي هذه الأزمات إلى فقدان الثّقة في المؤسّسات والقيم الرّاسخة، فضلًا عن تنامي الفرديّة والنّسبيّة الأخلاقيّة. تساعد هذه المقالة في تسليط الضّوء على قوّة الإيمان والقضايا الّتي تنشأ عنه، بخاصّة فيما يتعلّق بالتّلاعب والخلط بين السّلطتين السّياسيّة والدّينيّة. إنّنا من خلال تشجيع التّفكير النّقديّ والفهم العميق لمفاهيم السّلطة والإيمان، يمكننا المساهمة في تعزيز قيم المؤسّسات الدّينيّة والسّياسيّة. (shrink)

Alvin Plantinga, analitik felsefe düşüncesi içerisinde yetişmiş ve bu gelenek içinde teistik din felsefesinin oluşumuna katkıda bulunmuş bir filozoftur. Ayrıca teizmin savunusu için yaptığı çalışmalarla, çeşitli üniversitelerden aldığı onur ödülleri ve 2017 yılında kazandığı Templeton Prize ödülüyle, haklı bir üne kavuşmuş bir şahsiyettir. Bu çalışmayı yapmamızdaki en önemli amaç, Plantinga’nın dini epistemoloji üzerine yaptığı çalışmaları analiz edip bu düşüncelerinin ardalanına dair bir tespitte bulunmaktır. Bu çalışmada yararlandığımız öncelikli kaynaklar, Plantinga’nın Nicholas Wolterstorff ile birlikte kaleme aldığı “Faith and Rationality” adlı eser (...) ile birlikte son dönem epistemik fikirlerinin çerçevesini belirleyen üç ciltlik “Warrant and Proper Function”, “Warrant: The Current Debate”, “Warranted: Christian Belief” isimli eserler olmuştur. Plantinga’nın ilk dönem epistemoloji çalışmalarının gayesini bir tür olumsuzlama diyebileceğimiz klasik temelciliğin ve evidentializmin eleştirisi oluştururken, ikinci döneminde bu eleştirilerden yola çıkarak Tanrı inancının haklı bir temelde ve güvenceye sahip olduğunu gösterme amacına yönelmiştir. Plantinga’nın teolojik fikirlerini oluşturan Kalvinci ekol, onun dini epistemolojisinin de özünü oluşturmaktadır. Plantinga’nın dini epistemolojisini iki boyutlu olarak değerlendirdiğimizde, içe dönük olarak Hristiyan inancıyla ilgilense de çalışmalarının dışsal yönünü daha genel olarak teizmin Tanrı’sı ve onun rasyonelliği oluşturmaktadır. Açıkçası Plantinga’nın epistemolojik külliyatı bir tür kavram zenginliğini de beraberinde getirmektedir. Çalışmamız içerisinde ele aldığımız kadarıyla uygun işlevsellik, tasarım planı, güvence (warrant) gibi kavramlar onun Tanrı inancının epistemik mahiyetini ortaya koymak için ne derece kararlı olduğunu göstermektedir. Netice itibariyle Tanrı inancının ve onun bilgisinin rasyonel olabileceğini ifade eden Plantinga, her ne kadar Hristiyan inancının belli bir koluna mensup olsa da diğer mezhepleri dışlamaz. Ayrıca Plantinga, birçok çalışmasında belirttiği üzere projesinin Yahudilik, İslam gibi diğer teistik dinlere yönelik olduğunu da belirtmektedir. (shrink)

The objective of the paper is a presentation and an interpretation of Władysław Stróżewski’s views on aesthetics. Built upon the foundation provided by classical metaphysics, Stróżewski’s aesthetics is simultaneously a continuation of the tradition of phenomenological interpretation of art. Stróżewski extends Roman Ingarden’s aesthetic theory by including the idea of numinous concretion, largely inspired by the works of Rudolf Otto. As a result, this new phenomenological perspective transcends the narrowly understood ‘aesthetics’ of the work of art towards the inherent dimension (...) of the sacred. Moreover, Stróżewski’s scrutiny of the aspect of art that goes beyond the aesthetic reveals an important relationship obtaining between his insights and the theological aesthetics of Hans Urs von Balthasar. Thus Stróżewski’s ideas turn out to be of significance to contemporary aesthetic and theological debates. In particular, he shows the movement of beauty from aesthetic to transcendental, and ultimately towards the sacred, where numinosum is manifested as Mystery. (shrink)

There are two tensions in Smith’s system of ideas: the first is between the postulate of an invisible “noumenal” order of the Universe and the imaginary principles through which we connect the phenomena; the second is between a hypothetical noumenal order of the world where “is” and “ought” converge and the partial and imperfect normative order issued by our sympathetic judgements and a never perfectly impartial spectator. These tensions, which gave occasion to old misrepresentations and recent ones, are tensions in (...) a unitary (though rhapsodically completed) system of ideas where the final unanswered question was the problem of evil. Against a widespread belief, Smith was no secularist but a fideist who took Bayle’s question seriously: why is man wicked and unhappy? The private ethics of prudence, justice, benevolence and the public ethics of liberty, justice, and equality were modest proposals for coping with the problem of social evil, of a “practical” kind, the only one available after Smith’s refutation of natural theology, his last word on the causes for evil. (shrink)

This dialogue turns into a discussion between three people. The interlocutors are Socrates, Jeito and finally also Plato. The dimensions of Time, Space and Person are occasionally transgressed. The conclusion is that information seems to be unidirectional concerning life and death.

Perfect being theism is the view that the perfect being exists and the property being-perfect is the property being-God. According to the strong analysis of perfection, a being is perfect just in case it exemplifies all perfections. On the other hand, the weak analysis of perfection claims that a being is perfect just in case it exemplifies the best possible combination of compatible perfections. Strong perfect being theism accepts the former analysis while weak perfect being theism accepts the latter. In (...) this paper, I argue that there are good reasons to reject both versions of perfect being theism. On the one hand, strong perfect being theism is false if there are incompatible perfections; I argue that there are. On the other hand, if either no comparison can be made between sets of perfections, or they are equally good, then there is no best possible set of perfections. I argue for the antecedent of this conditional statement, concluding that weak perfect being theism is false. In the absence of other analyses of perfection, I conclude that we have reason to reject perfect being theism. (shrink)

Religious believers claim their religions are peaceful and genuine believers are peacekeepers and peacemakers. In substantiating justification to their claim, they very often refer to religious scriptures. Yet, on the contrary, their claim is confronted by an opposite claim: many wars were fought and are being fought in the name of religion; and a great deal of violence can be ascribed to the religious believers. In addition, religious scriptures and history of religions do attest, to a certain extent, permissibility of (...) using physical offence or defence. As a result, a question arises: Is the violence credited to religious believers, due to religions? Or is it because of certain secular causes in which religious texts get invoked very often? In responding to the question, the study relied on the theoretical criticism and justification. The study argued that religions, considering their historical inception, are fundamentally aimed at attaining holistic peace for their immediate subjects and subsequent followers, both spirituallyand physically. The study by referring to major religions of the world generally and Islam particularly, argued that in contributing to build global peace, religious believers can plausibly turn to primary peaceful intentions of the religions, if they are provided with a feasible atmosphere. (shrink)

Mercy is central to the very identity of Islam, yet this is not often recognized by theologians and scholars. This paper will demonstrate that the idea of mercy is important as a prelude to the understanding of Islam and an interpretation of its teachings. This important role of mercy is evident in Islam’s primary sources – the Quran and the Sunnah – and is not contingent on political, social, or historical contexts. It is well recognized that the proper comprehension of (...) Islam hinges on grasping the attributes of God, his divine message, and the character of his messenger. But what is often overlooked is that these aspects are fundamentally rooted in mercy. Islam encourages its followers to cultivate merciful virtues. It emphasizes that the compassionate nature of the faith should always precede the understanding and interpretation of its teachings. As a result, Muslims are encouraged to nurture a compassionate self, foster a benevolent mindset and approach, and anchor their religious obedience in the spirit of mercy. While followers of Islam are responsible for upholding this ethos, external observers too should try to view the religion fairly based upon this recognition of the centrality of mercy. (shrink)

Bu bildirinin amacı, insanlığın varoluşu ile başlayan ilahî dinlerden (Allah tarafından gönderilmiş dinler) pagan dönemlere ve özellikle Eski Batı anlayışına aktarılan yaratılış kavramını ele almak, varsa benzerlik ve farklılıklarını ortaya koymaktır.

Henry Habberley Price, who published as H. H. Price, was born in 1899. From 1935 to 1959 he was Wykeham Professor of Logic at Oxford University. Price was a major figure in his lifetime well-known especially for the “clarity and elegance of style”, which, according to Martha Kneale (1996: xix), make his works readable in spite of changing fashions in philosophy. Many people’s acquaintance nowadays with Price’s philosophical work derives from his being a target in Austin’s (1962) famous attack on (...) the sense-datum theory. This restricted acquaintance with his output is one reason that Price has been ignored in recent philosophy. -/- Mainstream philosophy neglected him after the Second World War, perhaps partly because, when articulating his ideas, he mainly engaged with philosophers of the past, such as Locke and Hume. His thought was, however, valued by fellow philosophers such as Broad, Moore, Ayer, and generations of his students at Oxford, including Sellars, Armstrong, and Anscombe. -/- Although Price is seen mainly as a philosopher of perception, only two of his six books are about perception and he had a major influence, also publishing many articles, on a variety of topics, including some we cannot focus on here, e.g., our evidence of other minds (1938; 1930b: 195) and psychical research (1940c; 1953b; 1972; 1995; an interest he claims to share with Neo-Platonists [1968a: 447]). We can only provide a sketch of his rich contributions. After briefly sketching his life (§1), we discuss his philosophy’s general features (§2), contributions to the studies of perception (§3), properties (§5.1), recognition (§5), belief (§6), religious belief (§6.8), his revival and serious study of Hume (§4), and some remarkable anticipations (§7). (shrink)

The encounter of the medieval Muslims with Greek philosophy undeniably shaped the course of their philosophical and theological thought. This encounter led to the complex and contentious issue of ‘philosophy versus theology’. Medieval Muslim thinkers needed to develop a response to the issue of philosophy versus theology. The present article will first highlight the response of the Islamic theologians to their encounter with Greek philosophy in the form of three major trends in medieval Islamic theology: (1) strong opposition to the (...) application of reason and rationalist approach to Islamic doctrines, and strict adherence to the actual text of the Qur’an and the Hadith, (2) the adoption of Greek philosophy, and the application of reason and rationalist approach to explain and defend Islamic religion and (3) acknowledging the significance of reason in exploring the matters related to the natural world but, at the same time, stressing the subordination of reason to revelation. This article will discuss Atharism, Muʿtazilism and Ashʿarism as the representatives of the first, second and third trends, respectively. The response of the medieval Islamic theologians to the issue of philosophy versus theology serves as a context in which medieval Muslim philosophers carried out their philosophy–theology debate. The article will proceed to show that some medieval Muslim philosophers, such as Abu Bakr Al-Razi, subordinated religion or revelation to philosophy or reason. Other medieval Muslim philosophers, such as Al-Ghazali, subordinated philosophy to theology. The third group of medieval Islamic philosophers represented by Alfarabi argued for the reconciliation and harmonious co-existence of philosophy and religion. Contribution: This article highlights the response of medieval Islamic theologians and philosophers to the issue of philosophy versus theology that was caused by their encounter with Greek philosophy. (shrink)

When we talk about dialogue, we always start looking for ways to best present the content of our speech. Approaching another through dialogue does not seem to care too much about the will or desire to accept the otherness for dialogue even if this is the basis of the binary formula of dialogue. Yet, in the case of religious dialogue, things are not at all so clear or proactive; instead, this (accepting otherness) is usually the central issue of interreligious dialogue. (...) However, when we finally manage to bring together two or more religious representatives for dialogue, the most intriguing aspect of the dialogue is less emphasized on the content and issues to be brought to the attention of the participants and more on the issue of accepting, tolerating all others’ traditions through this dialogue. Nervousness, anxiety, discomfort, and squirming are the habitual and, even more shocking, "expected" features in interfaith dialogue. Well, if this is the main problem in interfaith - being able to bring acceptance in this "toxic" environment - then this would be a step forward. But probably all these are since, at present, the construction of interreligious dialogue is still in progress, about to be polished and become a formal custom, an emerging tradition of the current era. However, is the content that all participants in the interfaith dialogue bring, our particular traditions, to blame for this challenge? Can they help us build the bridge or, on the contrary, put interfaith in a limbo state, waiting for a redeemer? To pinpoint the direction in which interreligious dialogue is heading, we must better evaluate and understand a "tradition", what it is, how it works, and why it is developed and preserved. What is the significance of a tradition for people in general and a religious group in particular? How deeply rooted is it in human thinking and how valuable to fight for it? And then, can we consider changing, altering, or even removing a whole tradition from our perspective? If so, [regardless of the response] what is then the impact of [any] tradition on us and our reactions to the current issues, therefore to human endeavor? This article illustrates the role that tradition plays in peoples' views of the world and how tradition influences their behavior and attitudes toward certain practices and against a current acquisition of interreligious relationships, namely interreligious dialogue. (shrink)

This seventeen issue of DIALOGO [2023] is dedicated to the multi-theme `Freedom, Human Rights, Global Crises, Solidarity & Values ` - addressing several actual issues with a central focus on human rights, seen in our society nowadays concerning globalization amid global crises that occurred in the latest years, and beyond towards a holistic approach of private vs universal values. Finally, DIALOGO collates several articles relating to the empirical measurement of religion and health—an increasingly important area of research. We start our (...) endeavor with the inquiry, “What can we do to preserve human rights and values amid social changes?”. (shrink)

Ācārya Kundakunda’s (circa 1st century BCE) Rayaṇasāra makes it clear that the right-faith (samyagdarśana) is the beginning as well as the culmination of the path to liberation – mokṣa-mārga. The householder (śrāvaka) must first acquire the right-faith – the Quintessential Jewel (Rayaṇasāra) – to be able to establish his Self on to the path to liberation. As he acquires the right-faith he begins to appreciate the reality of the world and the worldly-existence. He then exerts to acquire the true knowledge (...) (jñāna) as expounded in the Doctrine (siddhānta), and adopts the laudable conduct (cāritra) by becoming a digambara-ascetic (nirgrantha muni). He ascends the spiritual-stages (guṇasthāna) and ultimately, through pure-meditation (śukla-dhyāna), attains the ineffable and eternal bliss appertaining to liberation (mokṣa). Ācārya Kundakunda, all through this Holy Scripture Rayaṇasāra, underscores the importance of the right-faith (samyagdarśana) for the householder (śrāvaka) as well as the ascetic (muni, śramaṇa). He asserts that in the (present) unfavourable fifth era the study – svādhyāya – of the Scripture, indeed, is meditation (dhyāna); it results in the subjugation of the five-senses (paṅcendriya) as well as of the passions (kaṣāya). (shrink)

Concerning Nicolaus Cusanus’ (Nicholas of Cusa, 1401–1464) mysticism of the intellect, his approach to the problem of ineffability deserves the special attention of researchers. Preceded by a general exposition on the topic of the inconceivability of the experience of the foundational autopoietic self-reference of thinking and speaking, this article shows how Nicolaus Cusanus has developed a complex approach to the problem of an “ineffable way of speaking” (ineffable fari). Cusanus developed a set of approaches to non-negatable cataphatic “pointing rods” (Max (...) Scheler) and apophatic ways of thinking about what is to be understood as ineffable in the sense of a philosophical form of mysticism. Both are still inspiring and highly relevant for the discussion today. In terms of the overall interior development of his philosophical way of “eloquent silence” (German: beredtes Schweigen), it is notable that Cusanus eventually referred to both ways of affirmative and negative theology in their dialectic interdependence. Eventually, he found increasingly simple ways to point the way towards the “likeness of the path along which the seeker must walk.” In his later works, Cusanus developed a unique understanding of the problem of ineffability about philosophical mysticism, the potential of which remains to be explored further in the future. (shrink)

The article examines the ideas of environmentalism in the works and statements of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. The ecological concept of the "Green Patriarch" reveals the relations between religion and the environment. The cause of the environmental crisis is recognized as a crisis of spirituality. It is argued in the concept that utilitarian logic and ethics are not enough to change human behavior towards the environment – ecological thinking requires another worldview that can be found in religion. (...) In particular, from the point of view of Orthodox spirituality, the environment is a miracle of the Divine creation. Therefore, the world is a sacred place, a miracle, a place of beauty and communication with the Creator. Awareness of the beauty and harmony of the cosmos involves understanding the balance and measure. The way to achieve them is asceticism. The latter is realized through self-control, which is manifested in the balanced consumption and use of only the necessary resources and the abandonment of abusive consumption for the benefit of others. The universal principle of the philosophy and ethics of the environment is the instruction to preserve resources for future generations; this is repeatedly emphasized in the speeches and works of His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. (shrink)

In this brief review it is not possible to do full justice to this lively and lucidly presented study. It is fair to say, I think, that the considerable merits of this work rest primarily with its intelligent and reliable selection of material, most of which is already available and familiar. This study does not aim to challenge any orthodoxies or present new material of some significant kind. Rasmussen does not need to do this since his real concern is to (...) tell a story about two great thinkers in an engaging manner – a task which he achieves with great success. This is a book that scholars will thoroughly enjoy and appreciate and which will also find many appreciative readers well beyond these boundaries. (shrink)

Although cognitive neuroscience mainly studies the biological underpinnings and neuronal processes of human cognition, cognitive scientists have quite recently recognized that the external world, including both the natural environment and the cultural and social settings, may affect and modify human cognitive abilities. In this chapter, I intend to highlight that the most recent cognitive theories, mainly developed in the field of the study of religion, remove the dualism between brain and body and promote a multifaceted conception of human cognition, which (...) embraces the body, the brain and the world. In this framework, my intention is to indicate points of convergence between cognitive approaches and Wittgenstein’s philosophical considerations, and potentially to outline new directions for further discussions between cognitive theoreticians and Wittgensteinian philosophers. In particular, I claim that interdisciplinary collaboration between cognitive scientists, historians and philosophers may deepen our understanding of human beings and of the ways in which humans subjectively perceive the world and develop multiple worldviews. (shrink)

t. I. Discussion générale.--t. II. L'esprit, l'âme et le corps. L'intuition.--t. III. La métaphysique de la vie.

Using the latest cognitive and psychological scientific data and theory, this book answers the question "why would anyone believe in God?".

This article shows how the so-called digital ontology betrays the metaphysical-theological thought of Leibniz (of which it claims to be heir), giving rise to an apparent “algorithmic providence” which, however, confines subjects in algorithmic types, making it impossible the occurrence of event and of the new. If digital ontology sees in Leibniz a thinker from whom to interpret being on the basis of algorithms, this article – by reconstructing Leibniz’s thought – wants to show not only how the operation of (...) digital ontology is not legitimate, but also how – through Leibniz’s doctrine of the divine decrees – it is possible to think of a praxis effectively generating of event. Starting from Leibniz, therefore, we will describe a metaphysics of the instant, in which the moment of decision and action is untied from algorithmic determinism. In conclusion, the article proposes that the theological-metaphysical notion of Providence can constitute a central idea for thinking a practice that is able to transcend the immanence of virtual reality, dominated by algorithmic determinism and the indefinite reproduction of the identical. (shrink)

Why are teleological arguments based on biological phenomena so popular? My explanation is that teleological properties are presented in our experiences of biological phenomena. I contrast this with the view that the attribution of teleological properties to biological phenomena takes place at an intellective level – via inference, and as belief or similar propositional attitude. I suggest five ways in which the experiential view is the better explanation for the popularity of such teleological arguments. Experiential attributions are more easy, impactful, (...) and implastic. The experiential view accommodates cases of conflicting attributions, and it makes sense of the readiness with which we follow such teleological arguments. I respond to objections and explain how my view builds on existing answers to this question found in the philosophical literature. (shrink)

German Lutheran scholar Johann Friedrich Weitenkampf (d.1758) sets out to explain and refute the Turkish concept of fate, dividing his dissertation into two sections: the first outlining the Turkish-Muslim view of fate; and the second seeking to prove the invalidity of the Muslim concept of fate with philosophical argumentation. He begins with some brief notes on the historical origin of the Turks, turning then to the backstory of the Qur’an, which he claims can be divided into six sections or topics, (...) the last of which concerns its teachings on fate. According to Weitenkampf, in mainstream Islamic thought, fate is predetermined and immutable. Weitenkampf categorizes most Turks as Jabrites who believe that God is the source of all evil and that men do not have free will. Therefore, men are compelled to do evil or good through God’s omnipotence. He offers examples of how this belief is manifested in the actions and values of the Turks. According to Weitenkampf, since Turks believe in predestination, they do not flee plague-ridden cities or shun contact with those infected. They do not fear death. If they suffer, they believe fate decreed it. In battle, this makes them brave to the point of foolhardy. Weitenkampf also paraphrases an exhortation from the Qur’an in which Muslims are told not to avoid danger, as God has already determined their fate. . . . Weitenkampf’s dissertatio is a symptom of the struggle between the weakened Lutheran orthodoxy and the rise of Pietism and rationalism in the wake of the Enlightenment in the eighteenth century. Unlike other Lutheran authors, he analyzes Islamic thought through systematic philosophical argumentation, deeply influenced by his logic and metaphysics teacher Knutzen, who tried to combine Wolffan Enlightenment rationalism with pietistic spirituality. (shrink)

Il rapporto sacramentale tra presbitero e vescovo non è una questione facilmente risolvibile: basti pensare come tale argomento abbia interrogato ininterrottamente la Chiesa per circa 2000 anni, e come a più riprese il lavoro degli stessi teologi si sia allontanato dai contenuti della preghiera rituale. Il testo mette in luce la problematica riguardante il riconoscimento di un valore sacramentale all’ordinazione episcopale, e lo fa prendendo le mosse dal tempo apostolico e patristico, per passare al Concilio di Trento e al Vaticano (...) I, sino a giungere al Concilio Vaticano II, che in riferimento all’episcopato ha messo in campo l’affermazione più solenne del suo magistero. Tutto questo viene svolto grazie all’analisi dei nodi principali del progressivo dibattito sorto intorno a questo tema e nella complementarietà delle sue più significative influenze: teologiche – e più propriamente ecclesiologiche e liturgiche – canonistiche ed ecumeniche; senza con questo tacere i punti nevralgici che hanno spesso osteggiato la chiara definizione dell’episcopato come sacramento e che ancora richiedono uno studio per un’attuazione pratica nella vita della Chiesa. Oggi dopo le affermazioni del Vaticano II, le discussioni sono tutt’altro che concluse, e il libro – che si avvale della preziosa prefazione di mons. Marcello Semeraro – prova a darne ragione. (shrink)

This book breaks new ground for the philosophy of religion by showcasing work that engages with the lived reality of the spiritual life. It demonstrates that philosophy’s relationship with spirituality is more than a historical curiosity and that, in the twenty-first century, it is still meaningful to think about philosophy in connection with spirituality. The chapters are organised around the following themes: spiritual practice and philosophical understanding; philosophical reflections on living a spiritual life; philosophical problems concerning the spiritual life. The (...) first part discusses whether or not the topic of spirituality should be given a more fundamental role within the philosophy of religion, and, if so, how that might be accomplished. The second part addresses fundamental issues concerning human beings, their lives, and their self-understanding in relation to the spiritual life. The final part considers philosophical problems that emerge when discussing the spiritual life. By bringing together discussions of these topics this volume constitutes a valuable resource for scholars in disciplines in which the spiritual life is a focus of interest, particularly philosophy, theology, and religious studies. (shrink)