Facing the finite nature of life: Royce on “negativity” and religion, and his reflections on the immanentism of Feuerbach and Nietzsche

Abstract

Josiah Royce’s “pragmaticist” philosophy of religion explores extensively human experiences of finitude, “negativity”, sorrow and evil. His religious hope postulates are inspired by Kant’s rejection of conventional modes of theodicy, and are—like Kant’s explorations of sorrow and evil—deeply indebted to a philosophical re-reading of the “Book of Job”. Royce’s defense of the validity of religion with pragmaticist (Peirce- and Hegel-inspired) means is nowhere naïve, but takes place in full view of the criticisms of religion brought forward by Feuerbach and Nietzsche.