Beyond the Sacred Threshold: A Philosophical Exploration of Secularization. Beyond the Sacred Threshold: A Philosophical Exploration of Secularization
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Abstract
This article examines the phenomenon of secularization through a comparative analysis of the philosophical perspectives of Charles Taylor and Hans Blumenberg. While Taylor criticizes “subtraction theories” that view secularization as simply a decline of religion, proposing instead a holistic approach that considers changes in the conditions of belief. Blumenberg defends the legitimacy of the Modern Age through his theory of “reoccupation,” which opposes the idea of a simple transposition of theological concepts into secular terms. Through a phenomenological and hermeneutical approach, the study analyzes the major works of both authors, Taylor's “The Secular Age” and Blumenberg's “The Legitimacy of the Modern Age,” exploring how they address historical continuity, the legitimacy of modernity, and the persistence of the search for meaning in a secular context. The study suggests a dialectical relationship between Taylor's expressivism and Blumenberg's infinite progress, arguing that modern progress does not deny expressivist plurality, but rather makes it possible in new forms. It concludes that secularization is not merely the elimination of the religious, but the creation of a space where multiple frames of meaning can coexist and dialogue. This more nuanced understanding of secularization has significant implications for our navigation of the ethical and existential complexities generated by modern developments and forces us to reconsider the relationship between religion and modernity.
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