Faith and reason in the philosophy of Edith Stein

Abstract

Edith Stein, also known as St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross - Jew, atheist, Christian, martyr, is acclaimed as a philosopher and as a mystic. As a philosopher, Stein seeks an understanding of being. It is, however, an understanding which remains incomplete if based solely on human reason. She purports to provide an understanding of the structure of the human person, a knowledge made possible by faith and reason. Faith is a source of knowledge which goes beyond human reason. It is therefore appropriate and necessary that philosophy seeks the assistance of faith. She argues that this is possible without philosophy becoming theology. Reason would be going against its own nature if it were to negate a discovery made possible by a higher light and which goes beyond reason. Stein goes on to state that God is truth and that all who seek truth seek God, whether this is clear to them or not. The pursuit of truth in philosophy is the most striking of her investigations. The evolution of Stein's thought moves beyond the limits of pure reason, a reason which becomes illuminated by faith and religious experience. She affirms the formal distinction between knowledge by reason and religious belief (das Wissen und das Glauben) stating that philosophical science remains in the sphere of human reason, whereas theology rests on divine revelation. Yet she does not erect barriers between philosophy and theology but rather brings about a synthesis of faith and reason. Philosophy calls on theology for completion but does not become theology. The dissertation traces a biographical sketch of Edith Stein which illustrates her personal and philosophical development. It provides a delineation of her philosophy and assesses her synthesis of faith and reason.