World philosophy: On philosophers making peace

Abstract

Jaspers demands from philosophy to become world philosophy. The author follows the question, what is the difference between world philosophy and past forms of philosophizing, if it contains more than the not so new demand that future philosophy must care about world peace and unity of the world? The author comes to the conclusion that the Jaspersian project of world philosophy–to which Jaspers dedicated the last years of his life—can only be made understandable by taking into account the specific prerequisites of Jaspers’ thinking. The crucial premise is that there cannot be world peace, unless it is preceded by making peace between the different philosophies and also between philosophy and religion— under the auspices of the truth, which connects all. This thought sheds a new light on the far reaching, partially gigantic projects and concepts of Jaspers philosophy: Periechontology, philosophical logic, the idea of a world history of philosophy, and foremost the concept of philosophical faith and the doctrine of ciphers.