Critical theory and the ontology of "religion": A response to Thomas Lynch. (December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Schilbrack, Kevin
• Is Part Of: Critical research on religion. Volume 5:Number 3(2017:Dec.)
• Page Start: 302
• Page End: 307
• Publication Date: 2017-12
• Subjects: Sally Haslanger -- Kevin Schilbrack -- ontology -- concept of "religion" -- promiscuous realism -- social construction; Religion -- Periodicals; Religion -- Research -- Periodicals; Religion and sociology -- Periodicals; Religion and politics -- Periodicals; 200.5
• DOI: 10.1177/2050303217732137
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2050-3032

Abstract

Thomas Lynch has proposed that scholars of religion can profitably follow Sally Haslanger's lead and treat "religion, " as she treats race, as a social construction. He argues that this proposal resembles my treatment of "religion" in Philosophy and the Study of Religions, but it goes further by treating "religion" as what Haslanger calls a strongly pragmatic social construction, that is, a category that is solely the product of the use of the concept and which does not capture any feature in the world. In this response, I clarify that this argument can be made in a way that is stronger and closer to that of Haslanger if one adopts the position she calls "promiscuous realism."