South African Journal of Philosophy
October 14, 2025
Damon Mackett
This article examines the parallels and distinctions between mystical experiences within religious and cultic contexts, using Mormonism and Happy Science as case studies. The study begins with a clarification of the theoretical framework, rejecting logical positivism and acknowledging the truthfulness of beliefs as held by followers. Definitions of religion and cults are explored, highlighting...
South African Journal of Philosophy
September 11, 2025
W. F. Smith
Chris Letheby offers a two-factor account of psychedelic therapy in which the first of these factors is the induction of plasticity on neural, cognitive, and phenomenological levels. The second factor, which Letheby believes is crucial for lasting change, is the discovery of new forms of self-modelling within the psychedelic experience and the appropriate reinforcement thereof in the period of...
South African Journal of Philosophy
January 2, 2019
Adá Agadá
Consolationism is an emergent intellectual current in 21st century African philosophy that presents itself as an alternative constructive framework for metaphysics, with an epistemic foundation in the African thought-world and being universally applicable. In this paper, I trace the influences of consolationism within African philosophy, and argue that this original philosophical system is the...
South African Journal of Philosophy
October 2, 2018
D. Pittaway
4 citations
“Philosophical learning” may be summarised in Sobiecki’s fitting catchphrase “to learn healing knowledge”. This catchphrase is taken from an article on the use of psychoactive plants among southern African diviners. In the spirit of this link, I aim to challenge contemporary negative attitudes to the topic of psychedelics, and argue that there are good reasons for philosophers to pay attention...
South African Journal of Philosophy
2010
Abraham Olivier
In his latest book, entitled “Sweet dreams”, Daniel Dennett confirms and expands on his argument for a natural science of human consciousness. He dubs his view heterophenomenology: a third-person, scientific form of phenomenological description that can account for the most private and ineffable subjective experiences. A central part of his book consists of a reinvention of Jackson’s thought...