Herman Philipse crafts rigorous philosophical arguments that champion Enlightenment values of reason and liberalism. He critically examines both transcendental idealism and scientistic reductionism, revealing their inherent logical inconsistencies. Philipse's work champions a naturalistic worldview, emphasizing the essential role of ordinary human concepts that scientism seeks to discard. His public advocacy for atheism and intellectual rigor makes his contributions distinct and thought-provoking.
Combines philosophical investigations concerning the truth of religious convictions with empirical research on the origins and functions of religious beliefs. This book focuses on two core questions: (1) How probable is it that any particular god exists? (2) How should we account for the occurrence of religious beliefs in human societies?
Herman Philipse puts forward a powerful new critique of belief in God. He examines the strategies that have been used for the philosophical defence of religious belief, and by careful reasoning casts doubt on the legitimacy of relying on faith instead of evidence, and on probabilistic arguments for the existence of God.
This text interprets and evaluates the topic of Martin Heidegger's philosphy in the context of the full range of Heidegger's thought. With this comprehensive approach, Herman Philipse distinguishes the center from the periphery, the essential from the incidental in Heidegger's philosophy. Among other achievements this allows him to shed light on the controversial relationship between Heidegger's life and thought - in particular the connections between his philosophy and his involvement with Nazism.