Internal Realism and the Problem of Religious Diversity

Harrison, Victoria S.

doi:10.1007/s11406-006-9029-5

Cited by 15 publications

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“…7 See esp. Harrison (2000Harrison ( , 2006Harrison ( , 2008Harrison ( , 2012. 8 For talk of Putnam's 'middle period', see for example Norris (2002, esp.…”

Section: Harrison's Internalist Pluralismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Religious Diversity and Conceptual Schemes: Critically Appraising Internalist Pluralism

Burley

2018

SOPHIA

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Is a philosophical theory needed to 'underwrite' attitudes of toleration and respect in a multicultural and religiously diverse world? Many philosophers of religion have thought so, including Victoria Harrison. This article interrogates Harrison's theory of internalist pluralism, which, though offering a welcome alternative to other theories, such as John Hick's 'pluralistic hypothesis', nevertheless faces problems. Questioning the coherence of the theory's account of how the existence of objects of worship can avoid being fully conceptual-scheme dependent, and raising doubts about its pretensions to promote interreligious harmony, I also critically discuss the common philosophical tendency to work with under-described and insufficiently analysed examples. What philosophy ought to be able to offer in relation to religious diversity, I propose, is attentiveness to nuances and particularities, thereby aiding religious understanding without the need for a general theory.Keywords Religious diversity . Internalist pluralism . Conceptual schemes . Victoria Harrison . Interreligious disagreement Many philosophers believe that philosophy's business is to devise theories in order to explain aspects of the world in which we live. So, when confronted with the phenomenon of religious diversity, philosophers of religion often treat it as a problem to be solved, and hence go looking for a theory to solve it. In the rush to find a theory, the task of articulating what the problem is supposed to be is frequently underexplored. For example, Victoria Harrison writes as follows:As societies become increasingly multicultural, there progressively arises a need for an appropriate theory that is capable of making sense of the various difficulties presented by religious diversity. To be precise, what seems to be required at SOPHIA https://doi

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“…7 See esp. Harrison (2000Harrison ( , 2006Harrison ( , 2008Harrison ( , 2012. 8 For talk of Putnam's 'middle period', see for example Norris (2002, esp.…”

Section: Harrison's Internalist Pluralismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Religious Diversity and Conceptual Schemes: Critically Appraising Internalist Pluralism

Burley

2018

SOPHIA

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“…8 With regard to the issue of religious diversity, Hick's name is strongly associated with the position known as religious pluralism, 5 A notable exception is Victoria Harrison, who, in several publications has sought to develop a theory that she calls internalist pluralism, which owes more to her reading of Hilary Putnam than to either Hick or Cobb (see esp. Harrison 2006Harrison , 2008Harrison , 2012). Harrison's theory has not, however, received much attention, whether favourable or critical, thus far.…”

Section: Hick's Pluralistic Hypothesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Religious Pluralisms: From Homogenization to Radicality

Burley

2018

SOPHIA

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Among the philosophical and theological responses to the phenomenon of religious diversity, religious pluralism has been both prominent and influential. Of its various proponents, John Hick and John Cobb represent two important figures whose respective positions, especially that of Hick, have done much to shape the debate over religious pluralism. This article critically analyses their positions, arguing that, by unhelpfully homogenizing religious perspectives, each of them fails to do justice to the radical diversity that exists. As an alternative to these homogenizing tendencies, the article builds upon D. Z. Phillips' contemplative conception of philosophy to develop a radical pluralist approach, which prioritizes a deepening of understanding of religious diversity rather than the promotion of one's own theological preferences.Keywords Religious diversity . Religious pluralism . John Hick . John Cobb . D. Z. Phillips . Radical pluralism . Contemplative philosophy of religion Few would deny that religious diversity is an obvious fact. There are, and have been throughout history, numerous religions, and so too are there many people who do not follow any religion. This situation generates a multiplicity of worldviews and forms of life, at least many of which appear to be in tension with one another. How should philosophers of religion respond to this situation?Various responses are evident in the literature. Some of these derive from thinkers who are more commonly identified as theologians than as philosophers, but the disciplinary boundaries are fluid in this discursive area. A well-known threefold typology of theoretical positions is that which comprises exclusivism, inclusivism and pluralism. Initially devised by Alan Race in the early 1980s, 1 the typology has SOPHIA https://doi

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“…Victoria Harrison (‘Problem of Religious Diversity’, ‘Ontology’) develops a model of what she calls “internalist pluralism” by applying Hilary Putnam’s internal realism ( Reason, Truth and History ) to religious diversity 7 . Putnam rejects the idea of a “God’s eye view,” i.e.…”

Section: Perspectivalismmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We can’t simply read off what is true from claims embedded in conceptual schemes. Rather, the world plays a crucial role (Harrison, ‘Problem of Religious Diversity’ 293–294). It might be that ideal inquiry beginning from a Christian conceptual scheme ends up rejecting the idea that the Christian God exists (say, because the problem of evil turns out to be insoluble).…”

Section: Perspectivalismmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Incompatibility Problem and Religious Pluralism Beyond Hick

Ruhmkorff

2013

Philosophy Compass

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Religious pluralism is the view that more than one religion is correct, and that no religion enjoys a special status in relation to the ultimate. Yet the world religions appear to be incompatible. How, then, can more than one be correct? Discussions and critiques of religious pluralism usually focus on the work of John Hick, yet there are a number of other pluralists whose responses to this incompatibility problem are importantly different from Hick's. This article surveys the solutions of Hick, Harrison, Heim, Byrne, and Knitter to the incompatibility problem. I conclude that, while none of these views is without weakness, there are several promising pluralist solutions to this problem. Moreover, confessionalists (i.e. exclusivists and inclusivists) must also address issues related to incompatibility.Religious pluralism 1 is the view that more than one religion is correct, and that no religion enjoys a special status in relation to the ultimate. Religious pluralists (henceforth 'pluralists' unless context demands greater precision) appear to have two central motivations. First, pluralists find value and connectedness with the transcendent in the religious experiences and moral teachings of many established religions. Second, pluralists want to preserve the integrity and dignity of established religions, especially in the context of a history of religious violence, oppression, and colonialism. The various attempts to develop pluralism have been intensely contested both by those who think that they are misguided in intent and by those who think that they fail to be sufficiently pluralistic. In this article, I outline various pluralist responses 2 to one of the main objections to pluralism: the incompatibility problem.The incompatibility problem lies in the fact that the world religions appear to be incompatible, yet religious pluralists assert that more than one of them is correct. Discussions and critiques of religious pluralism usually focus on the work of John Hick, but there are a number of other pluralists whose responses to the incompatibility problem are importantly different from Hick's. Accordingly, this article surveys the solutions of Hick, Harrison, Heim, Byrne, and Knitter. I conclude that, while none of these views is without weakness, there are several promising pluralist solutions to the incompatibility problem. Moreover, those opposing pluralism have an incompatibility problem of their own.

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Internal Realism and the Problem of Religious Diversity

Cited by 15 publications

References 0 publications

Religious Diversity and Conceptual Schemes: Critically Appraising Internalist Pluralism

Religious Diversity and Conceptual Schemes: Critically Appraising Internalist Pluralism

Religious Pluralisms: From Homogenization to Radicality

The Incompatibility Problem and Religious Pluralism Beyond Hick

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