Philosophy and religious commitment

Journal article

Trakakis, Nick. (2017). Philosophy and religious commitment. Sophia: international journal of philosophy and traditions. 56(4), pp. 605 - 630. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11841-017-0575-z
AuthorsTrakakis, Nick
Abstract

An aspect of the question of the relationship between reason and faith concerns the compatibility between philosophy and religious commitment. I begin by considering some attempts that have been made in both the analytic and Continental traditions to divorce philosophy from the life of religious faith as far as possible: in particular, I discuss Martin Heidegger’s critique of the very idea of a ‘Christian philosophy’ and Bertrand Russell’s criticism of Aquinas for not living up to the Socratic ideal of following the argument wherever it leads. I then seek further to develop these criticisms by reviewing the current debate around the problem of evil in philosophy of religion as a case study of the dangers and drawbacks of religious commitment in philosophy. I conclude with some comments on the connection between ideology and philosophy, and claim that much of what passes as Christian philosophy is ideological as opposed to rational or truth-seeking in character.

KeywordsChristian philosophy; Martin Heidegger; Bertrand Russell; Problem of evil; ideology.
Year2017
JournalSophia: international journal of philosophy and traditions
Journal citation56 (4), pp. 605 - 630
PublisherSpringer Netherlands
ISSN0038-1527
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1007/s11841-017-0575-z
Scopus EID2-s2.0-85016121487
Page range605 - 630
Research GroupSchool of Philosophy
Publisher's version
File Access Level
Controlled
Place of publicationNetherlands
EditorsP. Bilimoria, P. Hutchings and S. N. Tagore
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