Religion in Wittgenstein's "On Certainty"

Seminararbeit , 2014 , 21 Seiten , Note: 2,0

Philosophie - Philosophie des 20. Jahrhunderts

The phenomenon of religious belief poses many interesting and challenging questions: Those who don’t have the privilege of believing in miracles, divine providence, or resurrection often find it difficult to understand the meaning of religious concepts in a society characterized by a primarily scientific paradigm in fields like economy, technics, justice, or politics.

A number of questions concerning religious belief seem to have puzzled also Ludwig Wittgenstein and he came up with interesting questions and answers to this effect.

His concept of hinge beliefs, if applicable to religious belief, is a surprising and convincing explanation of the phenomenon of religious belief.
But can it really be applied to religion and did Wittgenstein do that?
This paper will try to find answers to these questions.

Contents

Abbreviations

1.Introduction

2.Wittgenstein’s Relation to Religious Belief

3.Considerations Pertinent to Religion in On Certainty
Knowing and Believing
“He knows” vs. “I know”
Knowing and believing as a mental state
Religious Belief
Doubt and Certainty
Subjective and Objective Certainty
Hinges and “nonepistemic” Certainty
World picture
Language Game
Acting
Mysticism and Mythology
God

4. Questions about Religion and Possible Wittgensteinian Answers
Are religious beliefs hinge beliefs?
How can religious and secular world-pictures coexist?
How is a religious belief acquired?
What exactly do the faithful believe, know, and feel certain of?
How does religious belief affect the conduct of one’s life?

5. Epistemological Considerations

6. Conclusion

7. References

• Hochschule: Universität Wien (Institut für Philosophie)
• Veranstaltung: Wittgenstein and Epistemology
• Note: 2,0
• Autor: Karl-Heinz Mayer (Autor:in)
• Erscheinungsjahr: 2014
• Seiten: 21
• Katalognummer: V304271
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668051317
• ISBN (Buch): 9783668051324
• Sprache: Englisch
• Schlagworte: Wittgenstein, Religion, Certainty, Doubt, Epistemology, World Picture