From Mythos to Logos or between the Religious and the rofane

Abstract

The author begins with the question regarding the rationality of philosophical thought as opposed to individual sciences and to religion. The transition from myth to logos is marked by mythologizing without the presence of a cult. However, the cult actualises sacral time by way of associating with the godly and die gods. Without its materialization in the cult myth looses its real content. The critique of myths by philosophers in Parmenid develops into the thesis of being while in Plato it takes the form of a dialogue between a philosopher and a poet. The setting up of logos in the place of mythos represents the exclusion of the symbolic, sacral and emotional understanding of existence and a transition from mythic to rational thoughts, from religion to science. Behind the philosophical critique of mythic polytheism stands the thought of the unity of the foundation of the world and the world as such (Heraclitus). The twofold rationality of philosophy leads to two philosophies: philosophy as science and philosophy as the experience of the whole of being, that is, the rational metamorphosis of mythos and the experience of die whole of the experience of the unity and community of the being of man and god, the Platonic kind of philosophy which takes over the heritage of the cult. According to die audior, philosophy ought to avoid die setting apart of the Ratio (rational positivism and critical rationalism) and return to mythos and thusly occupy the lopos between religion and science.