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The Resource Secularization : an Essay in Normative Metaphysics, by Ulrich Steinvorth

Secularization : an Essay in Normative Metaphysics, by Ulrich Steinvorth

Creator
Author
Summary
This book answers questions about secularization: Does it dissolve religion, or transform it into faith in a universally valid value? Is it restricted to the west or can it occur everywhere? Using ideas of Max Weber, the book conceives secularization as a process comparable to the rational development of science and production. What is the value secularization propagates? Sifting historical texts, Steinvorth argues the value is authenticity, to be understood as being true to one's talents developed in activities that are done for their own sake and provide life with meaning, and as unconditionally commanded. How can a value be unconditionally demanded? This question leads to an investigation of the self that combines Kant's ideas on the conditions of the possibility of experience with modern brain science, and to the metaphysical deliberation whether to prefer a world with creatures able to do both good and evil to one without them. It is not enough, however, to point to facts. We rather need to understand what secularization, religion and their possible rationality consist in. Max Weber's sociology of religion has provided us with the conceptual means to do so, which this book develops. Secularization is rediscovered as the same progress of rationality in the sphere of religion that we find in the development of the spheres of science, art, the economy and politics or public affairs. It proves to be the perfection rather than the dissolution of religion - a perfection that consists in recognizing authenticity as the successor of the absolute of religion
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Extent
1 online resource (VI, 223 pages)
Contents
  • Introduction.
  • Chapter 1: Three theses.
  • Chapter 2: Similar views
  • PART 1: A NEW SECULARIZATION THESIS
  • Chapter 3: Intrinsic goals and sphere-immanent rationalities
  • Chapter 4: Religion and the absolute
  • Chapter 5: Authenticity, morality, and the post-Enlightenment absolute
  • Chapter 6: Authenticity in ancient China and Rome
  • Chapter 7: Montaigne's authenticity
  • Chapter 8: Mortality and Montaignean authenticity
  • Chapter 9: A naturalistic proof of the validity of the authenticity command
  • Chapter 10: Three comments on the naturalistic proof
  • Chapter 11: The thesis. PART 2: OBJECTIONS
  • Chapter 12: Religion cannot be perfected, least of all by authenticity
  • Chapter 13: Claims on the absolute must be infallible
  • Chapter 14: Hegel's red herring
  • Chapter 15: Rational metaphysics cannot relate to the absolute
  • Chapter 16 Secular societies can do without anything absolute
  • Chapter 17: Secularization is a unique Western development
  • Epilogue
  • Bibliography
  • Index
Isbn
9783319638713
Instance
Label
Secularization : an Essay in Normative Metaphysics
Title
Secularization
Title remainder
an Essay in Normative Metaphysics
Statement of responsibility
by Ulrich Steinvorth
Creator
Author
Subject
Language
eng
Summary
This book answers questions about secularization: Does it dissolve religion, or transform it into faith in a universally valid value? Is it restricted to the west or can it occur everywhere? Using ideas of Max Weber, the book conceives secularization as a process comparable to the rational development of science and production. What is the value secularization propagates? Sifting historical texts, Steinvorth argues the value is authenticity, to be understood as being true to one's talents developed in activities that are done for their own sake and provide life with meaning, and as unconditionally commanded. How can a value be unconditionally demanded? This question leads to an investigation of the self that combines Kant's ideas on the conditions of the possibility of experience with modern brain science, and to the metaphysical deliberation whether to prefer a world with creatures able to do both good and evil to one without them. It is not enough, however, to point to facts. We rather need to understand what secularization, religion and their possible rationality consist in. Max Weber's sociology of religion has provided us with the conceptual means to do so, which this book develops. Secularization is rediscovered as the same progress of rationality in the sphere of religion that we find in the development of the spheres of science, art, the economy and politics or public affairs. It proves to be the perfection rather than the dissolution of religion - a perfection that consists in recognizing authenticity as the successor of the absolute of religion
Cataloging source
AU@
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Steinvorth, Ulrich
Dewey number
301.01
Index
no index present
LC call number
H61.15
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
dictionaries
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Philosophy
  • Metaphysics
  • Religion
  • Ethics
  • Social sciences
  • Ethics
  • Metaphysics
  • Philosophy
  • Religion
  • Social sciences
Label
Secularization : an Essay in Normative Metaphysics, by Ulrich Steinvorth
Instantiates
Publication
Antecedent source
mixed
Carrier category
online resource
Carrier category code
  • cr
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Color
not applicable
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
Introduction. -- Chapter 1: Three theses. -- Chapter 2: Similar views -- PART 1: A NEW SECULARIZATION THESIS -- Chapter 3: Intrinsic goals and sphere-immanent rationalities -- Chapter 4: Religion and the absolute -- Chapter 5: Authenticity, morality, and the post-Enlightenment absolute -- Chapter 6: Authenticity in ancient China and Rome -- Chapter 7: Montaigne's authenticity -- Chapter 8: Mortality and Montaignean authenticity -- Chapter 9: A naturalistic proof of the validity of the authenticity command -- Chapter 10: Three comments on the naturalistic proof -- Chapter 11: The thesis. PART 2: OBJECTIONS -- Chapter 12: Religion cannot be perfected, least of all by authenticity -- Chapter 13: Claims on the absolute must be infallible -- Chapter 14: Hegel's red herring -- Chapter 15: Rational metaphysics cannot relate to the absolute -- Chapter 16 Secular societies can do without anything absolute -- Chapter 17: Secularization is a unique Western development -- Epilogue -- Bibliography -- Index
Control code
on1058709945
Dimensions
unknown
Extent
1 online resource (VI, 223 pages)
File format
multiple file formats
Form of item
online
Isbn
9783319638713
Level of compression
uncompressed
Media category
computer
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • c
Other control number
10.1007/978-3-319-63871-3
http://library.link/vocab/ext/overdrive/overdriveId
com.springer.onix.9783319638713
Quality assurance targets
absent
Reformatting quality
access
Specific material designation
remote
System control number
(OCoLC)1058709945
Label
Secularization : an Essay in Normative Metaphysics, by Ulrich Steinvorth
Publication
Antecedent source
mixed
Carrier category
online resource
Carrier category code
  • cr
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Color
not applicable
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
Introduction. -- Chapter 1: Three theses. -- Chapter 2: Similar views -- PART 1: A NEW SECULARIZATION THESIS -- Chapter 3: Intrinsic goals and sphere-immanent rationalities -- Chapter 4: Religion and the absolute -- Chapter 5: Authenticity, morality, and the post-Enlightenment absolute -- Chapter 6: Authenticity in ancient China and Rome -- Chapter 7: Montaigne's authenticity -- Chapter 8: Mortality and Montaignean authenticity -- Chapter 9: A naturalistic proof of the validity of the authenticity command -- Chapter 10: Three comments on the naturalistic proof -- Chapter 11: The thesis. PART 2: OBJECTIONS -- Chapter 12: Religion cannot be perfected, least of all by authenticity -- Chapter 13: Claims on the absolute must be infallible -- Chapter 14: Hegel's red herring -- Chapter 15: Rational metaphysics cannot relate to the absolute -- Chapter 16 Secular societies can do without anything absolute -- Chapter 17: Secularization is a unique Western development -- Epilogue -- Bibliography -- Index
Control code
on1058709945
Dimensions
unknown
Extent
1 online resource (VI, 223 pages)
File format
multiple file formats
Form of item
online
Isbn
9783319638713
Level of compression
uncompressed
Media category
computer
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • c
Other control number
10.1007/978-3-319-63871-3
http://library.link/vocab/ext/overdrive/overdriveId
com.springer.onix.9783319638713
Quality assurance targets
absent
Reformatting quality
access
Specific material designation
remote
System control number
(OCoLC)1058709945

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