Reflections on philosophical faith and faith in the twenty-first century

Abstract

One of the fundamental concepts in Jaspers’ existence philosophy is the notion of philosophical faith. In this chapter, I shall focus on the notion of faith and its manifestation in today’s society. Faith and belief in God are quite different today from what it was like say500-600 years ago. Clearly, Jaspers’ concept of philosophical faith has a very special existential meaning, and it is not easy to compare it with faith as understood in our time. The questions that will be discussed are: How is faith perceived in the twenty-first century and to what extentdoes Jaspers’ view of philosophical faith relate to today’s understanding of faith? The connection between faith and globalization will also be explored.