Rezensionen 269 publizierten Artikel mit dem Titel “The Coming Anar- William James he developed lately a program for natu- chy” einen tendenziell negativen Ausblick auf die weite- ralistic ethics and neo-Deweyan “reconstruction” of re- re Menschheitsentwicklung geliefert hat. Der Autor Rob- ligious faith. He is regarded as an eminent exponent of ert D. Kaplan ist, verallgemeinernd gesprochen, auch in American pragmatism which is proved by his earlier col- der Tradition eines – um ein deutsches Beispiel zu nen- lection of essays, “Preludes to Pragmatism. Toward a Re- nen – Peter Scholl-Latour zu sehen; eines investigativen construction of Philosophy” (Oxford 2012). Journalisten und politischen Kommentators also, dessen Suspicious of the philosophical idea of a special “ethi- jahre- und jahrzehntelange Kenntnis bestimmter Welt- cal point of view” and the idea that all ethical issues can regio nen ihn inspiriert, Schlussfolgerungen zu ziehen, die have a final solution, Kitcher, nevertheless, thinks that sich von denjenigen, die Politiker anlassorientiert ziehen, secularists can rehabilitate the egalitarian notion of ethi- deutlich unterscheiden können. Während jedoch Scholl- cal truth by defending a set of core ethical truths, avail- Latours Expertise von der deutschen politischen Admi- able in principle to all human beings with each human nistration kaum zu Rate gezogen wurde (siehe den Russ- perspective as an essential part of the negotiation. Pro- land/ Ukraine-Konflikt), war Kaplan u. a. von 2009 bis gressive ethical change happens in solving problems 2011 im Defense Policy Board des Pentagon im direkten through a collective construction of an improved ethical Auftrag des damaligen US-Secretary of Defense Robert code which, however, remains a never ending human en- Gates tätig. Das vorliegende Buch gibt einen veritablen deavor. As many Western intellectuals Kitcher subscribes Einblick aus US-amerikanischer Sicht in die gegenwärti- to a secular humanism (opposed to theistic humanism), gen und möglichen zukünftigen politischen Entwicklun- origins of which are in the Enlightenment, as a distinc- gen in einer Region, die sich im Umbruch befindet. tive feature of the secularized mentality of the modern Hermann Mückler West. With other secular humanists he believes that hu- man beings can spare traditional religions. He envisages a progressive future, not one in which religion necessar- Kitcher, Philip: Life after Faith. The Case for Secu- ily disappears, but one in which it changes into secular lar Humanism. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2014. humanism. Ancient religious texts could still be read, but 175 pp. ISBN 978-0-300-20343-1. Price: $ 25.00 their significance should be limited to presentation of im- Plurality is seen today as the quintessence of modern portant ethical truths, appreciated independently of any secular societies (Ch. Taylor). They are characterized by religious claim. Thus, he resists a religion that consists the coexistence of a variety of worldviews (religious and of bodies of doctrine about the existence and attributes of not religious) and normative perspectives helping indi- special kinds of beings (deities) who deserve worship and viduals to find orientation in their lives. But even if the service. First, doctrines to be believed by a devotee are not religious perspective is no longer the default option in central to all forms of religion. Secondly, not all of the most Western European societies, it is still religion that many religious practices of human cultures are centered arouses the deepest divisions within and among individu- on deities: some focus on spirits, or ancestors, or even on als and nations. The main question of Philip Kitcher’s re- impersonal “forces,” important for religious people. But cent book, “Life after Faith. The Case for Secular Human- Kitcher’s humanism is not simply opposed to religion be- ism,” is precisely the problem how and where – outside cause he modifies somehow the concept of religion itself. of organized religious life and without the aid of tradi- Since the mass of the faithful, he argues, is not much fo- tional religious institutions – could people in our contem- cused on the search for (religious) knowledge, we should porary global and pluralistic society attain a satisfying give up the idea that religious faith is primarily a matter moral orientation. Kitcher realizes that the loss of a tradi- of belief. Kitcher reduces accordingly religion to its ethi- tional religious worldview can be disorienting not only to cal dimension treating it only as a source of inspiration someone’s beliefs, but also to his way of orienting himself for solving intellectual and practical (moral) problems. At in the world and making sense of how to live. He advo- the heart of the religious attitude he places faith, which he cates – in harmony with Dewey’s account of religion – an defines as a belief that outruns the evidence available to ethical conception of secularism and of religious faith. He relevant believer. He conceives religious faith primarily in places his doctrine of religion between the views of tra- terms of an orientation, by which he means “a complex of ditional religious believers (theistic humanism) and con- psychological states: of valuing, desires, intentions, emo- temporary atheists (secular humanism). tions, and commitments”. Philip Kitcher (*1947; < http://philosophy.columbia. The reviewed book is organized into a “Preface” and edu/directories/faculty/philip-kitcher >), today professor five chapters. In “Preface” Kitcher outlines autobiograph- of philosophy at the Columbia University, started with in- ically his way of departure from religion: as a boy and terest in philosophy of mathematics and general philoso- teenager singing in the church choir to the adult who los- phy of science. He became concerned with the philoso- es his faith and abandons the Anglican Church. The intro- phy of biology, which led him to investigate conceptual ductory chapter 1, “Doubt Delineated,” explains his re- and methodological issues in biology and then questions jection of all kinds of traditional religion even if he still about the relations of biological research to society and appreciates the central role religions play in the lives of politics. During the 1990s his interests broadened further many people. His main purpose here is to show that a to embrace the role of scientific inquiry in democratic so- secular outlook (secular humanism) can fulfill many func- cieties. With reference to pragmatism of John Dewey and tions and goals of a traditional religion and that ethical Anthropos 111.2016 https://doi.org/10.5771/0257-9774-2016-1-269 Generiert durch IP '170.106.40.219', am 30.09.2021, 18:07:48. Das Erstellen und Weitergeben von Kopien dieses PDFs ist nicht zulässig. 270 Rezensionen values are not necessarily subordinated to any religious picture of the depravity of human nature: “King Lear” by doctrine. He portrays his departure from religious belief Shakespeare and Dostoyevsky’s “Brothers Karamazov.” to atheism. He feels a strong need to justify his atheis- Both discussed works adopt a similarly bleak vision of the tic attitude and develops skeptical arguments against the human condition and of the fragility of life without God. existence of the deity (or deities). At the same time, he Kitcher admits that a purely negative atheism ignores im- discusses the situation and the analogy between the ar- portant aspects of people’s lives and seems, alas, some- gumentation in religion and science, in faith and in the times inadequate for grounding claims that some things mundane knowledge. He tries to repudiate the objection are moral, and that others should be prohibited. that his critique of religion does not touch the real faith. Although Kitcher begins in doubt by reviewing the Asking what exactly religion is, or what counts as “a re- most powerful reasons for secularist skepticism, his inten- ligion,” he conceives traditional religions primarily as tion is positive: to construct a purely secular perspective, bodies of doctrine with the central question of the “tran- concerned with the value of human lives in a thoroughly scendent”. In chapter 2, “Values Vindicated,” Kitcher con- natural world. The erstwhile Enlightenment’s secularism, siders the traditional connections between religion and if it is really going to have a chance of replacing religion, ethics (morality). He recognizes that a secular outlook has needs to be transmuted into secular humanism, taking some problems in offering an adequate account of moral over the traditional functions of religion, which it played values that will not reduce them to the expression of sub- in providing an ethical orientation in life. Like traditional jective attitudes to avoid the objection of ethical relativ- religions secular humanism has to cope with chief human ism. Considering himself a Darwinist, Kitcher, typically existential challenges, but here Kitcher loyally admits that for secular humanists, argues for a naturalistic approach mortality and meaning still raise a serious problem for to values. Ethical rules (and moral obligation) do not orig- secular humanism as it does not satisfy every psychologi- inate in anything like a divine command but have evolved cal need for instance to promise comparable to traditional over the centuries as a way to avoid functional conflicts religions a personal, continuation post mortem to which and to promote of harmony in a society. At the same time, mundane life would be only a prelude (to offer comfort in he tries to show that secularists can obtain a clearer and the face of death and give hope of life after death). more convincing account of ethical values than any reli- Contrary to contemporary militant atheists (D. C. gion in its traditional forms can provide. Chapter 3, “Re- Dennett) for whom religion is the root of all evil, Kitch- ligion Refined,” considers a refined secularized version of er resists the dominant atheist idea that “religion is nox- religion which primary function is to orient life by recog- ious rubbish to be buried as deeply, as thoroughly, and as nizing important values.