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Between cultural criticism and metaphysics: The intellectual wanderings of Max Scheier - Because of his strong resistance to the increasing rationalisation in all areas of thought and life in the 19th century, Max Scheler (1874-1928) can be placed in the German cultural-philosophical tradition, which begins with Herder and culminates in the work of Dilthey and Nietzsche. Nevertheless it would be doing a great injustice to Scheler’s work to consider him simply as an exponent of what Berlin once called the Counter-Enlightment. For, in spite of his fight against the imperialism of reason, Scheler’s intention was not to reject rationalism in its entirety and to replace it with irrationalism and relativism. On the contrary, Scheler’s work reveals an attempt to establish that also in the a-logical and a-rational dimensions of man and reality a structure underlying the irrational is discernable, and that the rational and irrational elements need not necessarily be contradictory, but may be integrated into a philosophical system in which both elements occupy a legitimate place as different aspects of reality. This system is based on a critical analysis of modern culture that displays remarkable sociological insights, substantial ethics, including an epistemology of the irrational and an analysis of love as cognitive factor. During this phase Scheler hoped to be able to reconcile rationalism and irrationalism within a theological framework. However in the years that followed, Scheler’s thinking became more de-mythologized and secular. The decisive turning point was reached when he abandoned Catholicism, which for many years had been a source of inspiration to him. His rejection of faith necessitated a partial reconstruction of his philosophy. From this point on sociology occupies a far more central place in his work : the concept of a sociology of knowledge which he expounded in a long essay becomes the basis for his revised philosophy. Scheler’s ambition to crown his life-work with a metaphysical theory drawing its inspiration from Einstein and Spinoza, among others, was never to be fulfilled, thus bringing to a premature end an interesting attempt to reconcile fundamental contradictions in western philosophy.
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How to Cite: Van Vucht Tijssen, B. (1984) “Tussen cultuurkritiek en metafysica: de intellectuele omzwervingen van Max Scheler”, Tijdschrift voor Sociale Wetenschappen. 29(3). doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/tvsw.94878