The God of MetaphysicsCan philosophy offer reasonable grounds for the existence of a God (or Absolute) possessing genuine (even if not orthodox) religious significance and not proposed simply as the solution to a purely intellectual philosophical problem? Certainly many contemporary thinkers have insisted that no genuine religion could be based upon metaphysics. In this book, however, T. L. S. Sprigge examines sympathetically the most notable metaphysical systems of the last four centuries which purport to put religion on a rational footing and, after a thorough examination of their claims, considers what kind of religious outlook they might support and (more briefly) how they actually affected the lives of their proponents. The thinkers studied include Spinoza, Hegel, T. H. Green, Bernard Bosanquet (together with a brief discussion of Bradley), Josiah Royce, A. N. Whitehead, and Charles Hartshorne, concluding with an exposition of the author's own viewpoint (pantheistic absolute idealism) and a general discussion on the relation between metaphysics and religion. There is also a chapter on Kierkegaard as the most important critic of metaphysical religion. |
Contents
Chapter 1 Introductory | 1 |
Chapter 2 The God of Spinoza | 17 |
Chapter 3 Hegelian Christianity | 96 |
Chapter 4 Kierkegaard and Hegelian Christianity | 167 |
Chapter 5 T H Green and the Eternal Consciousness | 223 |
Chapter 6 Bernard Bosanquet | 270 |
Chapter 7 Josiah Royce | 357 |
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Common terms and phrases
absolute idealism absolute idealist actual occasions attributes behaviour believe Bernard Bosanquet Bosanquet Bradley called certainly character Christianity claim conceived conception concrete concrete universal consists contrast dialectic distinct divine doctrine emotions essence essential Eternal Consciousness eternal objects ethical everything evil existence experience expression F. H. Bradley fact feeling finite future genuine God’s grasp Green Hartshorne Hegel Hegelian human imagine individual infinite interpretation Jesus Josiah Royce Kierkegaard kind less lives loyalty matter means metaphysical mind mode moral nature notion noumenal one’s oneself pain panpsychism panpsychist particular past perfection perhaps person philosophers physical world pleasure position possible POSTSCRIPT problem problem of evil process philosophy rational reality reason religion religious Royce Royce’s seems sense simply somehow space specious present Spinoza Spirit subjective substance suggest T. H. Green teleology temporal things thinkers thought true truth ultimate unity universe Whitehead whole