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).
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 |