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Belief, Change and Forms of Life
Wittgenstein and Religion, Fashionable Criticisms; Know Where to Stop; Reminders of What We Know?; The Challenge of What We Know, The Problem of Evil; Belief, Change and Forms of Life; Can There Be a Christian Philosophy?; Notes and References; Bibiography; Indeces. PARTIAL list of language games; Marxism; Freudianism; philosophy; prayer; rationalism; religious accomodation; rituals; theology as grammar; conservatism; etc.
156 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1986
10 people want to read
About the author
D.Z. Phillips
54 books8 followersDewi Zephaniah Phillips, usually cited as D.Z. Phillips, is recognized for his work in the philosophy of religion and other philosophical disciplines. He was also a proponent of preserving the Welsh language.
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December 14, 2012
The essays in this book that most affected me were "Fashionable Criticisms," "Beliefs, Change and Forms of Life," "Can There Be A Christian Philosophy?"
In the first (which is the first chapter of the book), Phillips answers many common criticisms that philosophers raise against Wittgensteinians. It's greatest import is in clarifying the distinction between 'language games' and 'forms of life.'
The fifth chapter, "Beliefs, Change and Forms of Life" Phillips rejects that externalism and internalism are the only two options for thinking about meaning. He goes on to discuss whether religion has anything to say about the future, clarifying misconceptions such as the relationship between religion and culture being the same as the relationship between a person and his or her clothing: cultural change is like a person changing his or her clothes. Following, Phillips tears down three 'comforting pictures' about religion: (1) religious individualism (2) religious rationalism and (3) religious accommodation. If Phillips ever had a pastoral essay, I'd say it was this one.
The sixth and final chapter Phillips clarifies the difference between philosophy and theology. Essentially the distinction amounts to philosophy is about conceptual clarification whereas theology is about conceptual clarification and extension.
I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to learn about Wittgenstein's influence in philosophy of religion.
In the first (which is the first chapter of the book), Phillips answers many common criticisms that philosophers raise against Wittgensteinians. It's greatest import is in clarifying the distinction between 'language games' and 'forms of life.'
The fifth chapter, "Beliefs, Change and Forms of Life" Phillips rejects that externalism and internalism are the only two options for thinking about meaning. He goes on to discuss whether religion has anything to say about the future, clarifying misconceptions such as the relationship between religion and culture being the same as the relationship between a person and his or her clothing: cultural change is like a person changing his or her clothes. Following, Phillips tears down three 'comforting pictures' about religion: (1) religious individualism (2) religious rationalism and (3) religious accommodation. If Phillips ever had a pastoral essay, I'd say it was this one.
The sixth and final chapter Phillips clarifies the difference between philosophy and theology. Essentially the distinction amounts to philosophy is about conceptual clarification whereas theology is about conceptual clarification and extension.
I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to learn about Wittgenstein's influence in philosophy of religion.
Displaying 1 of 1 review