Intention To Convey

As an unfinished project, the essential phenomenology of religion (Die Wesensphanomenologie der Religion) plays a special role in Scheler's path of thought. It is not only a continuous exploration of the questions raised in the Formalismus, but also an intensive discussion of the religious issues before Scheler transformed his religious standpoint.As an "Eidology" of the religious act and its objects, it is in the Scheler's unique path of thought that the essential phenomenology of religion discloses itself. Above all, this dissertation introduces the origin, quality, and aim of this study (reconstruction of natural theology), and then exposes the standpoint and basic concepts (Akt, Person, and Geist) of Scheler's phenomenology that are highly related to the later chapters and the question of the intentionality. Based on Scheler's opus magnus, this dissertation will reconstruct two interwoven lines in the essential phenomenology of religion, namely, the intentionality of religious acts and God's self-communication.Intentionality is the key word of phenomenology, and self-communication or revelation is the fundamental content of theological investigation. Both of them encounter each other and melt into one thing in the theoretical field of the essential phenomenology of religion. On the one side, Scheler attempts to tum over the traditional natural theology, which lays more emphasis upon the rational "argument" through "intentionality;" on the other side, the combination of self-communication of divinity (the Givenness of divinity) and the intention of religious acts will be an attempt for the phenomenological theory of intentionality.The main points and the path of thought that appear in the first line can be summarized as follows: religious acts are intentional and cannot be reduced to any other kind of acts. In respect to this fundamental problem, Scheler criticizes the psychologism and subjectivism in the religious studies, and holds that world-transcendence, negativity and receptivity are characteristics of the autonomy of religious acts. Religious acts transcend the world and point to the "Being" in the "Absolute Sphere." But in the finite consciousness, this sphere that is given in the foremost may be occupied by "nothing" (Nichts) or finite things, and therefore the phenomenon of "deception" (Tauschung) comes into existence in the religious field. Only if the deception is discarded, the act of faith will be awakened and led to God. The reality of God, which is given in faith, cannot be "proved" (Beweis), but can only be "discovered" (Aufweis) and "confirmed" (Nachweis). By means of the analysis of the phenomena of faith, Scheler distinguishes the personalistic "faith" and "belief," which points to the finite things, and examines the "non-faith" (Nichtglaube) consciousness and superstition of modern men, so as to pave the way to revealing the essence of the object of religious acts.The characteristics of religious acts show that their intention can be fulfilled only by means of God's self-communication. In respect to this condition, the second line concentrates on: the basic character (Grundbestimmungen) of divinity or God ("absolute" and "holy")and positive attributes of God(mentality, Geistigkeit)and the correlative cognitive methods in the religious acts. The attributes of God's mentality are based on love. In an infinite act of love, God reveals or communicates himself to human person in many ways. Natural revelation and positive revelation are two basic forms of God's self-communication. In this dissertation, the different ways of givenness of these two forms and their relation will be discussed through the concept of "givenness" in Scheler's phenomenology, and to the reason why the universal meaning of natural revelation is paid more attention in the essential phenomenology of religion. What humans recognize through natural revelation is the mentality of God, and this paves a way to knowing God's personality. Scheler's investigation of positive revelation provides one more perspective into typology of religion and sociology of religion. The investigation of the essential types of Value-Person of homines religiosi is the main task of Scheler's studies in positive revelation.As for their emotional dimension, the love of God constitutes the basic feature of the intention of religious acts. In the end, starting from the doctrine of love, this dissertation explains the differences between the essential knowledge of philosophy and the religious knowledge, which aims at salvation, and explores Scheler's understanding of the relation of philosophy and religion.