A metaphysics of spiritual experience
Religious Studies: An International Journal for the Philosophy of Religion February 10, 2023 DOI: 10.1017/s0034412522000816 (opens in new tab) via Semantic Scholar
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA discussion of the metaphysics of spiritual experience requires clarity about the nature of metaphysics, taking as a starting point the 'transcendent metaphysics' described and supposedly eliminated by A. J. Ayer. Most analytic philosophers agree with Ayer and Kant that transcendent metaphysics is deeply problematic and associate it with platonism, theism, and religious thinking. Assuming spiritual experience takes us into forbidden religious territory, a metaphysics of spiritual experience involves similarly problematic transcendent metaphysics. Ayer's conception of transcendent reality is itself deeply problematic and helps motivate atheistic spirituality by ruling out an empirically grounded religious alternative. The author challenges this framework, sets out an alternative with Arthur Schopenhauer, and spells out implications for a metaphysics of spiritual experience.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Philosophy |
| Key finding | Argues that Ayer's metaphysical framework, by ruling out empirically grounded religious alternatives, motivates atheistic spirituality, and proposes an alternative based on Schopenhauer's philosophy. |
Abstract
Abstract A discussion of the metaphysics of spiritual experience requires that we are clear about the nature of metaphysics, and I take as my starting point the ‘transcendent metaphysics’ described and supposedly eliminated by A. J. Ayer. Most analytic philosophers agree with Ayer (and Kant) that transcendent metaphysics in the relevant sense is deeply problematic, and they associate it with platonism, theism, and religious thinking more generally. Assuming then that spiritual experience takes us into religious territory, and this territory is forbidden, a metaphysics of spiritual experience is going to involve transcendent metaphysics, and it will be similarly problematic. Ayer's conception of transcendent reality is itself deeply problematic, and I shall argue that his metaphysical framework helps to motivate atheistic spirituality by ruling out the possibility of an empirically grounded and hence defensible religious alternative. I shall challenge this framework, set out an alternative with the help of Arthur Schopenhauer, and spell out the implications for a metaphysics of spiritual experience.