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Fritz Mauthner’s agnostic mysticism: the problem of rationality

Yulia Grigoryevna Matushanskaya

Manuscript March 25, 2026 DOI: 10.30853/mns20260056 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed
Topics Mysticism
Key points Argues that Mauthner's agnostic mysticism constitutes a distinct direction in the philosophy of religion, and proposes a concept showing the interconnectedness between the rationally described world, mysticism, and God in Mauthner's thought.

Abstract

The research aims to identify the attitude toward rationality in Fritz Mauthner’s agnostic mysticism. The article examines the problem of the boundaries of rationality in Mauthner’s works within the context of 19th-20th-century philosophical thought. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that it is the first to analyze Fritz Mauthner’s agnostic mysticism as a distinct direction in the philosophy of religion, rather than merely an aspect of the philosophy of language, as has been the case in previous scholarly works. As a result of the study, a concept based on Mauthner’s mystical agnosticism is formulated, demonstrating the interconnectedness between the rationally described world, mysticism, and God (as understood by Mauthner).