F. H. Jacobi on faith, or what it takes to be an irrationalist

Update Item Information
Publication Type Journal Article
School or College College of Humanities
Department Philosophy
Creator Crowe, Benjamin D.
Title F. H. Jacobi on faith, or what it takes to be an irrationalist
Date 2009-09
Description F. H. Jacobi (1743-1819), a key figure in the philosophical debates at the close of the eighteenth century in Germany, has long been regarded as an irrationalist for allegedly advocating a blind ‘leap of faith'. The central claim of this essay is that this venerable charge is misplaced. Following a reconstruction of what a charge of irrationalism might amount to, two of Jacobi's most important works, the Spinoza Letters (1785) and David Hume (1787), are scrutinized for traces of irrationalism. Far from being an irrationalist, Jacobi is best read as questioning the analytical-geometrical model of rationality popular among his contemporaries, and of proposing a more naturalistic theory of rationality that situates it more firmly in human psychology, the ultimate import of which lies in a reconceptualization of the relation between faith and reason.
Type Text
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Journal Title Religious Studies
Volume 45
Issue 3
First Page 309
Last Page 324
DOI 10.1017/S0034412509009950
citatation_issn 0034-4125
Language eng
Bibliographic Citation Crowe, B. D. (2009). F. H. Jacobi on faith, or what it takes to be an irrationalist. Religious Studies, 45(3), 309-24.
Rights Management (c) Cambridge University Press http://www.cambridge.org/ Permission granted by Cambridge University Press for non-commercial, personal use only. 10.1017/S0034412509009950
Format Medium application/pdf
Format Extent 137,907 bytes
Identifier ir-main,10363
ARK ark:/87278/s65b0kvr
Setname ir_uspace
ID 704798
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s65b0kvr
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