Which Axial Age, whose rituals? Habermas and Jaspers on the ‘spiritual’ situation of the present age

Martin Beck Matuštík

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Can we keep relying on sources of values dating back to the Axial Age, or do cognitive changes in the present age require a completely new foundation? An uncertainty arises with the crisis of values that can support the human in the age of artificial intelligence. Should we seek contemporary access points to the archaic origins of the species? Or must we also imagine new Anthropocenic-Axial values to reground the human event? In his most recent work, Habermas affirms the continuing importance of the contemporary access to the First Axial values, but before him Jaspers anticipates that a second cognitive revolution opens areas that may be receptive to new value foundations. Habermas’ justification of the postsecular turn may not be thinkable without Jaspers’ discovery of the postaxial imaginary.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)753-766
Number of pages14
JournalPhilosophy and Social Criticism
Volume47
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2021

Keywords

  • Anthropocene
  • Axial Age
  • artificial intelligence
  • cognitive revolution

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Philosophy
  • Sociology and Political Science

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