Title

Belief or 'Belief': Rush Rhees on Religious Belief Language

Author Info

Todd R. Long, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis ObispoFollow

Recommended Citation

Published in Philosophical Writings, Volume 12, Fall October 1, 1999, pages 21-45.

NOTE: At the time of publication, the author Todd R. Long was not yet affiliated with Cal Poly.

Abstract

The recent book Rush Rhees on Religion and Philosophy contains a stimulating collection of writin~s by Rush Rhees on a variety of topics in the philosophy of religion. Comprising accounts of personal, religious and moral struggles, these essays provide a refreshing change from the often dry, overly technical approach to philosophy writing. Despite spanning more than thirty years, Rhees' s essays disclose a fairly consistent philosophy .of religion with a clear emphasis. Since he was Wittgenstein's student and long-time friend as well as a literary executor ofWittgenstein's writings, it is not surprising that Rhees's comments on the philosophy of religion reveal a distinctly Wittgensteinian approach, both in content and style. Moreover, Rhees's particular way of doing philosophy of religion seems, in retrospect, to have set the course that subsequent philosophy of religion of the Wittgensteinian type would take.

Disciplines

Philosophy

Copyright

1999 Durham University.