Walter Stace's philosophy of mysticism : a critical analysis
Mohammad Fanaei Nematsara
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Key points | Argues that Stace's account of mysticism, while influential, requires revision, and proposes an alternative philosophical analysis that addresses the epistemological status of mystical knowledge, its object, and its method. |
Abstract
Mysticism can be examined from various viewpoints: historical, theological, sociological, and psychological. This study primarily examines the philosophical status and implications of mysticism, an issue investigated many times, particularly over the last four decades. Walter T. Stace's work in the early sixties is regarded as a hallmark in the field. The topics covered in this thesis are epistemological, metaphysical and religio-ethical and deal with mystical knowledge, its object, and its method. The characteristics of mystical knowledge, its objectivity or subjectivity, its object/s, its logical status, the way/s it is presented in the language, and its method/s of acquisition are investigated. This study is primarily epistemological, since the central issue is the status of mystical awareness in human knowledge. Since this is a philosophical reflection on mystical experience, the primary sources are mystical writings, mainly from Christian classical mystics, and philosophical writings about mysticism, mainly from twentieth-century Western philosophers. Again since it is a 'philosophical reflection' on 'mystical experience,' this study employs two methods: a historical survey of mystics' ideas, and philosophical reflection on mystics' reports or analysis of contents of mystical text. Since the focus of the study is Stace's account of mysticism, his ideas will be examined in detail. Reference to other mystics and philosophers will be primarily for elaboration, comparison and criticism of Stace's analysis. Instead of merely criticizing Stace's arguments and convictions, this study also offers an alternative account and presents a consistent philosophical analysis of mysticism.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on mysticism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The mystical mind: probing the biology of religious experience | 2000 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Religious and Mystical Experiences as Artifacts of Temporal Lobe Function: A General Hypothesis | 1983 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Problem of Pure Consciousness: Mysticism and Philosophy | 1993 | Edited collection of essays | |
| Irreducible Mind: Toward a Psychology for the 21st Century | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mysticism and schizophrenia: A phenomenological exploration of the structure of consciousness in the schizophrenia spectrum disorders. | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |