Religion, Reality, and a Good Life

In this book, Eberhard Herrmann deals with the problem of realism, which is one of the central issues in the philosophy of religion. Do we as human beings have access to a reality in itself, assuming that such an idea makes sense, or only to reality as it is conceptualized by us? The author rejects the approaches of metaphysical realism and of postmodern relativism. In their place, he develops and presents an alternative approach called pragmatic realism, which embodies two main lines of thought, the first being that reality is always reality as we conceptualize it, the second being that this does not rule out objectivity. In the case of a good life, that is to say a fulfilling life, a notion of objectivity is presented on the basis of certain reflections about how conceptualized reality can be said to offer us resistance in certain respects.I. The aim of the book and the nature of the problem
The nature of the enquiry - The philosophical problem formulated - Religion and philosophy - Philosophy
II. The problem of realism in general
Reasons for and against metaphysical realism - Critique of semantic realism - Pragmatic realism: realism from an internal perspective
III. The problem of religious realism
Religious metaphysical realism - Religious metaphysical anti-realism - Religious statements as purported assertions
IV. Pragmatic realism with respect to religion
Christian theism - The character of religious utterances - Pragmatic realism - The function of religion - Two material definitions of truth
V. Views of life and a fulfilling life
Perspectives on views of life - The role of the emotions in our conception of reality - Emotions and the conceptualization of values