Abstract
This chapter analyzes Ernst Cassirer's concept of religion both generally as it fits within his theory and specifically in relation to the historical problematization of European secularization, the idea of enlightenment, and the political problem of tolerance. It explains Cassirer's notion of the “religious” as an unsystematic cultural symbolic system and analyzes his interpretation of the philosophy of the Enlightenment. The chapter also shows how Cassirer's interpretation of religion and the Enlightenment influenced his reading of Nicholas of Cusa.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Symbolic Construction of Reality |
| Subtitle of host publication | The Legacy of Ernst Cassirer |
| Editors | Jeffrey Andrew Barash |
| Place of Publication | Chicago |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press |
| Chapter | 2 |
| Pages | 17-39 |
| Number of pages | 23 |
| ISBN (Print) | 0226036863, 9780226036861 |
| State | Published - 2008 |
Keywords
- European secularization
- History of Western philosophy
- Enlightenment
- Nicholas of Cusa
- Ernst Cassirer
- Tolerance
- Religion
- Cultural symbolic system