From ‘Sacred’ to ‘Secular’?: The Hermeneutical Future of Religion in the Thought of Gianni Vattimo and Charles Taylor
type: CreativeWork
description: This thesis entitled “From ‘Sacred’ to ‘Secular’? The Hermeneutical Future of Religion in the Thought of Gianni Vattimo and Charles Taylor” aims at a deconstructive analysis of religion and secularism in order to explore both its postmodern and post-secular implications. It suggests that Vattimo and Taylor’s philosophies of religion and secularism exemplify the key features of a defining feature of the post-modern world. Their discussion of ‘an emergent religious and cultural sensibility’ implies a post-modern, post secular and hermeneutical re-affirmation of religion. Vattimo’s philosophy is presented as emerging from its own axiom of “weak thought” which is itself a secularising principle. By way of contrast, Taylor’s reflection on the foundation of secularity is delivered in four segments: 1) an historical approach to his concept of secularism, 2) his attempt at overcoming epistemology and its implications for understanding secularism, 3) a re-appraisal of his philosophical sources of secularity, and 4) the development of the concept of secularity commensurable with embracing a non-religious notion of religion. The thesis entails a comparative and dialogical exchange between Vattimo and Taylor concerning their understanding of a post-secular engagement with religion. The thesis proposes that their dialogical engagement with secularism and religion articulates: 1) a process of hermeneutical reflexive re-evaluation, 2) a way of re-evaluating transcendentalism, and 3) a re-worked non-metaphysical notion of transcendence. In addition, this thesis suggests that their dialectical discourse on religion exploits the inexhaustible nature of religion, and its capacity to be more than itself. I shall argue that the philosophical outcome of their hermeneutical deconstruction of both religion and modern secularism (the two are intimately allied) will be presented as: 1) the development of a non-religious conception of religion, 2) a retrieved religion of beingfor-the-other, 3…
abstract: This thesis entitled “From ‘Sacred’ to ‘Secular’? The Hermeneutical Future of Religion in the Thought of Gianni Vattimo and Charles Taylor” aims at a deconstructive analysis of religion and secularism in order to explore both its postmodern and post-secular implications. It suggests that Vattimo and Taylor’s philosophies of religion and secularism exemplify the key features of a defining feature of the post-modern world. Their discussion of ‘an emergent religious and cultural sensibility’ implies a post-modern, post secular and hermeneutical re-affirmation of religion. Vattimo’s philosophy is presented as emerging from its own axiom of “weak thought” which is itself a secularising principle. By way of contrast, Taylor’s reflection on the foundation of secularity is delivered in four segments: 1) an historical approach to his concept of secularism, 2) his attempt at overcoming epistemology and its implications for understanding secularism, 3) a re-appraisal of his philosophical sources of secularity, and 4) the development of the concept of secularity commensurable with embracing a non-religious notion of religion. The thesis entails a comparative and dialogical exchange between Vattimo and Taylor concerning their understanding of a post-secular engagement with religion. The thesis proposes that their dialogical engagement with secularism and religion articulates: 1) a process of hermeneutical reflexive re-evaluation, 2) a way of re-evaluating transcendentalism, and 3) a re-worked non-metaphysical notion of transcendence. In addition, this thesis suggests that their dialectical discourse on religion exploits the inexhaustible nature of religion, and its capacity to be more than itself. I shall argue that the philosophical outcome of their hermeneutical deconstruction of both religion and modern secularism (the two are intimately allied) will be presented as: 1) the development of a non-religious conception of religion, 2) a retrieved religion of beingfor-the-other, 3…
author: Thomas, Rogi
language: eng
date published: 2018
date modified: 2026-07-24T02:08:39Z
provider: University of Dundee
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Dundee