Abstract

Philosophy begins with and is sustained by events of wonder where the mysterious unity of all reality is suddenly revealed. Karl Jaspers explores the character of these events of manifestation to elucidate the dynamics within both the person and the world which enhance the possibilities for their occurrence. They are moments, which he calls 'ciphers,' when Transcendence Itself indirectly appears to a human person. ;In developing his unique philosophical perspective of 'encompassing,' he argues that a philosophical life, if it is truly existential, can be more helpful than a religious life in relating to these manifestations. The inner dynamics that are essential for the existential life of philosophy require personal acts of self-transcendence which open a person for such revelatory events. Jaspers' philosophy, therefore, develops as a critical dialogue with religion. ;The objective of this dissertation is to delineate the contributions that philosophy can make to a critical appreciation of the nature of religion by carefully analyzing Jaspers' position in this dialogue. He argues that three levels of reality can manifest Transcendence: empirical experience with its objects, communal interaction with its shared symbols, and intellectual activity embodied in its concepts. Each level receives its revelatory power, however, from the ultimate cipher of 'foundering.' This study carefully examines each area by: presenting Jaspers' notion of the philosophical cipher, analyzing his corresponding critique of religion, and evaluating his contribution. ;While these evaluations raise serious concerns about the character of Jaspers' philosophical enterprise, this work argues that his philosophy does establish a perspective that enhances an appreciation for the notion of Transcendence. Jaspers raises crucial questions regarding the nature of religious experience, the quality of communication and human action within religion, and the function of intellectual activity within faith. This dissertation finds that while Jaspers' philosophy lacks a sufficiently developed metaphysics to enable a dialogue into the full nature of religion, it is profoundly insightful in elucidating the character of the revelatory event.