The why and what of Philosophy of Religion
Towards a New Hermeneutic Phenomenology for Pedagogical Practice
Keywords:
Leibniz, Heraclitus, Scheffler, Heidegger, Philosophy of Religion, Principle of Sufficient Reason, Subjective RepresentationAbstract
This essay seeks to question the typical approach taken by philosophy of religion, and offers a new one in its place. This new approach differs by letting the religious be heard on its own terms, rather than simply judging it on philosophical ones. Employing the thought of Martin Heidegger, it begins with an exploration of the word ‘why’ in philosophy according to Leibniz’s Principle of Sufficient Reason. This is contrasted with the mystical thought of Angelus Silesius, also known as Johannes Scheffler. Again, through Heidegger, the second part explores the meaning of the word ‘what’ in philosophy, and shows how the nature of philosophy was circumscribed as speculative knowledge. The third part examines what it means to do philosophy of religion, and explains why as it stands this is inadequate. Finally, drawing on classroom practices an arguably more fruitful phenomenological hermeneutic approach to philosophy of religion is offered.
References
Die Ros ist ohn’ warum, sie blühet weil sie blühet, Sie acht’t nicht ihrer selbst, fragt nicht, ob man sie siehet. Angelus Silesius, The Cherubinic Wanderer, cited in John D. Caputo, The Mystical Element in Heidegger’s Thought, New York: Fordham University Press, 1986, 61.
Der Satz vom Grund, 3, Auflage, Pfullingen: Verlag Günther Neske, 1965.
Caputo, The Mystical Element in Heidegger’s Thought, 54-55. William L. Reese explains the Principle, saying: “For any occurrence, a being with sufficient knowledge would be able to explain why it is as it is and not otherwise.” William L. Reese, Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion: Eastern and Western Thought, New Jersey: Humanities Press, 1980, 299.
Heidegger, “The Principle of Ground,” cited in Caputo, The Mystical Element in Heidegger’s Thought, 64.
Richard Geldard, Remembering Heraclitus: The Philosopher of Riddles, Edinburgh: Floris Books, 2000, 37.
George Steiner, Heidegger, London: Fontana Press, 1992, 25.
Martin Heidegger, “Letter on Humanism,” Basic Writings, David Farrell Krell, ed., London: Routledge, 1993, 230-231.
C. S. Lewis, Studies in Words, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1960, 24-42.
Keith E. Yandell, Philosophy of Religion: A Contemporary Introduction, London and New York: Routledge, 1999, 13.
Heidegger, ‘The Nature of Language’, On the Way to Language, New York: Harper Collins, 1971, 76.
