Religion and Philosophy
Author: Julian ScottOctober 13, 2019
Today, there is a deep divide between these two fields and, for most people, they are seen as antagonistic. Religion is about faith, or blind belief (in the popular imagination), while philosophy is about reason. Faith seems to be in contradiction with reason. Can this opposition ever be resolved? At its root, however, religion is not about faith, but about union with “God”, by which [...]
Karl Jaspers: Philosopher of Otherness
Author:August 16, 2017
The biography of Karl Jaspers gives an indication of the immense scope of his work. He began by studying law, then moved on to medicine, becoming a doctor specialising in psychiatry, and finally ended up as a professor of philosophy at the University of Heidelberg. One of his first works was entitled Psychology of World Views (1919). In it he put forward the theory that all world views [...]
Tolerance and Fundamentalism
Author: Julian ScottFebruary 1, 2015
Minerva as a symbol of enlightened wisdom protects the believers of all religions (Daniel Chodowiecki, 1791 It seems strange that fundamentalism and fanaticism should be growing stronger in the 21st century when, according to past predictions, we should be entering an age of enlightened progress and rational understanding. But the rise of fundamentalism is due in part to the failure of [...]