Meaning Agnosticism and Pragmatism
This paper proposes to reconsider agnosticism by taking a step onto a meta-level, investigating agnosticism not as an epistemic stance regarding the choice between theism and atheism, but as a stance toward the question concerning the cognitive meaningfulness and/or truth-aptness of religious discou...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-06-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/6/302 |
| _version_ | 1797564552970240000 |
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| author | Sami Pihlström |
| author_facet | Sami Pihlström |
| author_sort | Sami Pihlström |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper proposes to reconsider agnosticism by taking a step onto a meta-level, investigating agnosticism not as an epistemic stance regarding the choice between theism and atheism, but as a stance toward the question concerning the cognitive meaningfulness and/or truth-aptness of religious discourse. It is argued that this “meta-level” meaning agnosticism may actually be an attractive articulation of a certain kind of religious attitude. While pragmatists like William James have claimed that (epistemic) agnosticism practically collapses into atheism, meaning agnosticism at the meta-level can in fact be a pragmatist position focusing on our human condition and its limits. Additional issues, such as the relations between agnosticism and the theodicism vs. antitheodicism debate regarding the problem of evil and suffering, are also briefly examined. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:59:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-eabb88a94b7b43a4be3d4c18fb52b7c1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:59:45Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-eabb88a94b7b43a4be3d4c18fb52b7c12023-11-20T04:33:19ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442020-06-0111630210.3390/rel11060302Meaning Agnosticism and PragmatismSami Pihlström0Faculty of Theology, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, FinlandThis paper proposes to reconsider agnosticism by taking a step onto a meta-level, investigating agnosticism not as an epistemic stance regarding the choice between theism and atheism, but as a stance toward the question concerning the cognitive meaningfulness and/or truth-aptness of religious discourse. It is argued that this “meta-level” meaning agnosticism may actually be an attractive articulation of a certain kind of religious attitude. While pragmatists like William James have claimed that (epistemic) agnosticism practically collapses into atheism, meaning agnosticism at the meta-level can in fact be a pragmatist position focusing on our human condition and its limits. Additional issues, such as the relations between agnosticism and the theodicism vs. antitheodicism debate regarding the problem of evil and suffering, are also briefly examined.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/6/302agnosticismtheismatheismreligious languagetruthmeaning |
| spellingShingle | Sami Pihlström Meaning Agnosticism and Pragmatism Religions agnosticism theism atheism religious language truth meaning |
| title | Meaning Agnosticism and Pragmatism |
| title_full | Meaning Agnosticism and Pragmatism |
| title_fullStr | Meaning Agnosticism and Pragmatism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Meaning Agnosticism and Pragmatism |
| title_short | Meaning Agnosticism and Pragmatism |
| title_sort | meaning agnosticism and pragmatism |
| topic | agnosticism theism atheism religious language truth meaning |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/6/302 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT samipihlstrom meaningagnosticismandpragmatism |