Schopenhauer on religious pessimism
Schopenhauer's bifurcation between optimistic and pessimistic religions is made, so I argue here, by means of five criteria: to perceive of existence as punishment, to believe that salvation is not attained through 'works', to preach compassion so as to lead towards ascetics, to manif...
Main Author: | |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
Springer Nature B. V
2015
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In: |
International journal for philosophy of religion
Year: 2015, Volume: 78, Issue: 1, Pages: 53-71 |
Further subjects: | B
philosophy of religion
B Salvation B Schopenhauer, Arthur, 1788-1860 B Pessimism B Schopenhauer B Compassion B Religions B Highest good B Optimism |
Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
Summary: | Schopenhauer's bifurcation between optimistic and pessimistic religions is made, so I argue here, by means of five criteria: to perceive of existence as punishment, to believe that salvation is not attained through 'works', to preach compassion so as to lead towards ascetics, to manifest an aura of mystery around religious doctrines and to, at some deep level, admit to the allegorical nature of religious creeds. By clearly showing what makes up the 'pessimism' of a 'pessimistic religion', Schopenhauer's own philosophical pessimism can be clarified since he posits a strict correlation between the truth of (proper) philosophy and (pessimistic) religion. Accordingly, Schopenhauer's pessimism is by means of this process clarified as non-radical and providing a genuine 'highest good' that is more than absolute denial. |
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ISSN: | 1572-8684 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: International journal for philosophy of religion
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1007/s11153-014-9479-9 |