Religion and criticism of religion. A theory of the dynamics of religious development on the basis of the philosophy of Ernst Cassirer
Final Report Abstract
Criticism of religion is usually perceived as the opposite of religion. It seems to question religion in parts or fundamentally as a whole from a secular perspective. In my research project, I have attempted, based on the philosophy of Ernst Cassirer, to demonstrate that this view of religious criticism is not the only possible one. For Ernst Cassirer, the "specifically religious consciousness" is characterized by a critical attitude towards mythical thinking. Mythical thinking, in turn, is characterized, among other things, by the fact that it does not distinguish between image and thing or between representation and what is represented. For mythical thought, the world, which is temporally and spatially structured according to the distinction between sacred and profane, expresses certain emotions and feelings. Additionally, certain activities, places, or objects are tabooed, which strengthens the social order but also restricts human freedom. According to Cassirer, the religious consciousness introduces a distinction between image and thing or between representation and what is represented, which is foreign to mythical thinking and associated with a liberation from the rigid social order that results from mythical thinking. Cassirer's reflections on mythical thinking and religion can only be fully understood against the background of his fundamental philosophical assumptions. Drawing on Kant's transcendental-philosophical approach, Cassirer argues that the objective world is not simply given to us but is rather constituted through the symbolic activity of our mind. In the research project I worked out how the relationship between language, objectivity, and truth is to be understood in Cassirer's philosophy and what this implies for his understanding of religion. Some weaknesses in Cassirer's approach were also considered. It is extremely difficult to derive a precise concept of religion from Cassirer's reflections, as he mixes descriptive with normative elements and leaves many questions about the exact relationship between mythical thinking and religion unanswered. Instead of primarily reflecting on the empirical adequacy of his concept of religion, the investigation focused on how, based on Cassirer's philosophy, the relationship between religion and dogmatism can be determined. In this context, it was argued that religions are not necessarily associated with narrow-mindedness and dogmatism regarding their own positions. Instead, with Cassirer, it was argued that 'true' religion is characterized by a self-critical attitude towards its contents and also has the potential to fundamentally criticize mythical thinking and dogmatism in our society.
Publications
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Cassirer on language, objectivity, and truth. Continental Philosophy Review, 57(3), 341-359.
Hesse, Jacob
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Religion und Dogmatismus ausgehend von Ernst Cassirer, Freiburger Zeitschrift für Philosophie und Theologie 71 (1), 96–114
Jacob Hesse
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Conspiracy Theories and Religious Worldviews: Unraveling a Complex Relationship. Episteme, 22(4), 1035-1054.
Hesse, Jacob & Weidemann, Christian
