Schopenhauer, Religion and Morality: The Humble Path to Ethics

by Mannion,Gerard

• ISBN13: 9780754608233
• ISBN10: 0754608239
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-11-28
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

This work challenges the textbook assessment of Schopenhauer as militant atheist and absolute pessimist. In examining Schopenhauer's grappling with religion, theology and Kant's moral philosophy, Mannion suggests we can actually discern a 'religious' humility in method in Schopenhauer's work, seen most clearly in his ethics of compassion and his doctrine of salvation.Given current debates between theologians and philosophers in relation to 'postmodernity' and 'postmodern thought', this book illustrates that Schopenhauer should be a key figure in such debates.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	ix
Abbreviations	xi
Introduction 1
Part I Schopenhauer and Religion
l Schopenhauer's Worldview: Hope or Despair?	11	(28)
Introductory Remarks	11	(1)
§1 The Misery of Existence	12	(3)
§2 A Tragic World?	15	(6)
§3 The Worst of All Possible Worlds?	21	(5)
§4 A Priori Pessimism and Possible 'Solutions': a Non-absolutist Interpretation	26	(8)
Conclusion: The Pessimism of a Philosopher	34	(5)
2 'Militant Atheist' ? Introducing Schopenhauer on Religion	39	(26)
Introductory Remarks	39	(26)
Part I: Religion and Schopenhauer	41	(11)
§1 'The Militant Atheist'	41	(2)
§2 The Initial Formation of Schopenhauer's Religious Thought	43	(4)
§3 The 'Better Consciousness'	47	(5)
Part II: Schopenhauer's Critique of Natural Theology	52	(13)
§1 God and The World	52	(1)
§2 The Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason: Schopenhauer on Explanatory Hypotheses	53	(9)
§3 Theistic Explanations of the World 56 Concluding Remarks	62	(3)
3 Metaphysics of the People: Schopenhauer; Religion and Truth	65	(28)
Introductory Remarks	65	(23)
Part I: 'Lover of the Truth' or 'Friend of the People' ?	65	(6)
§1 The Relationship between Religion and Philosophy	66	(1)
§2 Metaphysics of the People	67	(4)
Part II: 'Overcoming the World': Soteriological Grand Narratives	71	(22)
§1 Schopenhauer's Own System in Relation to Religious Belief Systems	71	(6)
§2 Schopenhauer's Mystical Leanings	77	(3)
§3 Truth, Morality and Salvation	80	(1)
§4 Transcendence and the Limits of Enquiry	81	(5)
§5 The Way of Transcendence in Schopenhauer: towards a Moral Interpretation of Religion	86	(2)
Conclusion: Truth and Transcendence	88	(5)
Part II Schopenhauer and Morality
4 Reason and the Foundation of Ethics: Schopenhauer's Rejection of the Kantion Moral System	93	(42)
Introductory Remarks	93	(39)
Part I: §1 Laying the Foundation of Ethics	94	(7)
§2 Kant's Argument in the Grundlegung	95	(3)
§3 Schopenhauer's Basis of Morality	98	(2)
§4 Schopenhauer's Rejection of the Kantion Foundation of Morality	100	(1)
Part II: Objections to Kant's Ethical Formalism	101	(9)
§1 Method in Ethics	101	(4)
§2 An 'Empty Shell' in Kantion Ethics?	105	(1)
§3 The Categorical Status of Kant's Moral Principle: a Question of Efficacy?	106	(4)
Part III: Egoism and the Kantion Moral System	110	(25)
§1 Egoism, Formalism and Theology	110	(2)
§2 Self-Interest, Psychological Egoism and the Categorical Imperative	112	(4)
§3 Selfish Maxims and the Force of Duty	116	(16)
Concluding Remarks	132	(3)
5 Kant, Religion and Morality: First Steps on the 'Humble Path'	135	(54)
Introductory Remarks	135	(51)
Part I: Respect for the Moral Law and the Defeat of Egoism	136	(5)
§1 Defining 'Respect for the Moral Law'	136	(4)
§2 Bridging the 'Moral Gap' in Kant's Explanatory Hypothesis	140	(1)
Part II: The Theological Basis of Kantion Ethics	141	(9)
§1 The 'Theological Circle' in the Kantion Moral System	142	(5)
§2 The Function of the Theological Ideas: Context and Coherence	147	(3)
Part III: The Use of Theology and Metaphysics in Ethics	150	(36)
§1 Crossing the Frontiers of Moral Enquiry	150	(1)
§2 The Autonomy of Moral Philosophy	151	(8)
§3 Kant and The 'Humble Path' to Ethics	159	(27)
Concluding Remarks	186	(3)
6 Mitleid and Morality: Interpreting Schopenhauer's Ethics	189	(34)
Introductory Remarks	189	(1)
§1 The Character of Schopenhauerian Ethics	189	(3)
§2 Egoism: the Prime 'Antimoral Incentive'	192	(6)
§3 Establishing the Moral Incentive	198	(2)
§4 The Significance of Mitleid	200	(7)
§5 Metaphysics and Mitleid	207	(6)
§6 The Religious Implications of Schopenhauer's Ethics	213	(3)
§7 Virtue in Religion and Morality	216	(1)
§8 Schopenhauer and the Highest Good	217	(2)
Concluding Remarks	219	(4)
Part III Schopenhauer's Humble Path
7 Schopenhauer and the Moral Gap: the Thing-in-itself, the Will and Beyond	223	(28)
Introductory Remarks	223	(1)
§1 The Thing-in-itself, the Will and Beyond	223	(1)
§2 'Beyond' the Doctrine of the Will: 'Knowing' the Thing-in-itself	224	(8)
§3 The 'Humble Path': a Different Form of 'Knowing'	232	(5)
§4 Contradiction or Via Negativa?	237	(6)
§5 The Thing-in-itself and the Road to Salvation	243	(4)
Conclusion: Mystery and Paradox	247	(4)
8 The Religion of Schopenhauer: Searching for Meaning and Salvation	251	(32)
Introductory Remarks	251	(1)
§1 Parallel Quests for Meaning and Salvation	252	(2)
§2 From Agnosis to Humility to Hope: an Explanatory Hypothesis of its Time	254	(6)
§3 In Search of a Theology? Schopenhauer's Doctrine of the Denial of the Will	260	(9)
§4 The 'Peace that is Higher than All Reason'	269	(14)
Conclusion	283	(8)
Bibliography	291	(12)
Index	303