The Perception of Religious Exclusivism in Reformed Epistemology: A Critical Assessment

Öz

The phenomenon of religious diversity is much more intense than in the past. The existence of these religious traditions, each with its own set of metaphysical and theological claims, raises the question of which of them contains the real truth. For it is undeniable that the truth conceptions of these different religions have an epistemic equality in terms of verifiability. On the other hand, the questions raised by the phenomenon of religious diversity have naturally led to the emergence of different epistemic approaches to the issue. This article focuses on how one of these different epistemic approaches, the exclusivist perspective, has been defended by reformed epistemologists such as William P. Alston and Alvin Plantinga. They recognize that the claim that any religious tradition can be the only rational choice over other religious or non-religious counterparts lacks objective evidence that is noncircular. Nevertheless, they claim that it is not unreasonable for a believer to feel that his faith is uniquely true when compared to other religions. However, it is evident that reaching such a conclusion is not as simple as one might expect. The article assesses the two thinkers' perceptions of religious exclusivism, which are shaped in parallel with their overall grasp of religious epistemology, and the main criticisms directed against them in this context.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Religious Diversity
• Reformed Epistemology
• Religious Exclusivism
• Alston
• Plantinga

Reformcu Epistemolojide Dinî Dışlayıcılık Algısı: Eleştirel Bir Değerlendirme

Öz

Dinî çeşitlilik olgusu, geçmişle kıyaslandığında çok daha yoğun şekilde tecrübe edilmektedir. Birbirinden oldukça farklı metafizik ve teolojik iddialara sahip dinî geleneklerin varlığı onların hangisinin gerçek hakikati içerdiği sorusunu gündeme getirmektedir. Çünkü birbirinden farklı dinlerin hakikat anlayışlarının doğrulanabilirlik açısından epistemik bir eşitliğe sahip oldukları yadsınamaz. Fakat diğer taraftan dinî çeşitlilik olgusunun ürettiği sorular, doğal olarak meseleye dair birbirinden farklı epistemik yaklaşımların ortaya çıkışına vesile olmuştur. Bu makale bu farklı epistemik yaklaşımlardan biri olan dışlayıcı perspektifin William P. Alston ve Alvin Plantinga gibi reformcu epistemologlar tarafından ne şekilde savunulduğuna odaklanmıştır. Onlar herhangi bir dinî geleneğin diğer dinî veya dinî olmayan muarızları karşısında tek rasyonel tercih olabileceği iddiasının kısır döngü içermeyen objektif delillerinin olmadığının farkındadır. Fakat buna rağmen Alston ve Plantinga bir mü’minin, mensubu olduğu dinîn başka dinlerle kıyaslandığında eşsiz bir biçimde hakikat içerdiğine inanmasının irrasyonel olmadığını iddia eder. Ancak böyle bir sonuca ulaşmanın zannedildiği kadar kolay olmadığı açıktır. Makale bu iki düşünürün genel dinî epistemoloji anlayışlarına paralel bir biçimde şekillenen dinî dışlayıcılık algıları ve bu bağlamda onlara yöneltilen temel eleştirileri değerlendirmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Din Felsefesi
• Dinî Çeşitlilik
• Reformcu Epistemoloji
• Dinî Dışlayıcılık
• Alston
• Plantinga

The Perception of Religious Exclusionism in Reformed Epistemology: A Critical Assessment

Abstract

The phenomenon of religious diversity is much more intense than in the past. The existence of these religious traditions, each with its own set of metaphysical and theological claims, raises the question of which contains the absolute truth. Undeniably, the truth conceptions of these different religions have epistemic equality in verifiability. On the other hand, the questions raised by the phenomenon of religious diversity have naturally led to the emergence of different epistemic approaches to the issue. This article focuses on how one of these different epistemic approaches, the exclusivist perspective, has been defended by reformed epistemologists such as William P. Alston and Alvin Plantinga. They recognize that the claim that any religious tradition can be the only rational choice over other religious or non-religious counterparts lacks objective evidence that is noncircular. Nevertheless, they claim that it is not unreasonable for a believer to feel that his faith is uniquely true compared to other religions. However, it is evident that reaching such a conclusion is more complex than one might expect. The article assesses the two thinkers' perceptions of religious exclusivism, which are shaped in parallel with their overall grasp of religious epistemology, and the main criticisms directed against them in this context.

Keywords

• Philosophy of Religion
• Religious Diversity
• Reformed Epistemology
• Religious Exclusivism
• Alston
• Plantinga

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