POSSIBILITIES AND OBSTACLES OF EPISTEMOLOGY IN THE UNDERSTANDING OF MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE

Abstract

It might be thought that the epistemological discourse could not address the problem of mystical experience. However, from the early 20th century different writers have assumed the task of proposing epistemological methods which allow the understanding of such an experience. Given the growth of some linguistic and sociological perspectives which are based on Wittgenstein’s Philosophy and the relevance which he ascribes to language, the experience that is expressed through it, and the community which understands itself within this language; the constructivist model dominated the epistemological discussions regarding mystical experience. However, this model was also strongly criticized by different perspectives which argued that constructivism reduced the experience to doctrine. Based on an analysis of such a debate, the following paper aims to argue in favor of a naturalized model and proposes some criteria for its settingup. It also shows the bearing of such a model for an epistemological understanding of mystical experience.