On Constructivism in Philosophy of Mysticism

Summary

Constructivism has become the dominant framework in the philosophy of mysticism, arguing that all mystical experiences are shaped by the subject's cultural and linguistic context, making unmediated experiences impossible. This view has largely replaced the earlier perennial philosophy, which held that mystical experiences across traditions share a common core. Scholars note that constructivism aligns with postmodern sensibilities, but it also undercuts claims that mystical experiences provide direct access to transcendent reality. The text presents this shift as a settled consensus in the field, while acknowledging that constructivism's implications for the truth of mystical claims have been recognized for decades.

Study at a glance

Abstract

A generation ago the big fight in the philosophy of mysticism was over constructivism versus perennial philosophy. And as Jess BryonHollenback notes, “the contextualist paradigm appears to have scored a resounding triumph over its essentialist predecessor.” Certainly, constructivism today is, as Francis X. Clooney says, the “mainstream consensus.” And as Torben Hammersholt points out, “if one were to point to a text that has attracted the most scholarly attention within the last thirty years of research on mysticism, [Steven Katz’s 1978 article on constructivism] would be a strong candidate. It is now a classic.” That constructivism undercuts the veridicality of mystical experiential claims has been recognized for decades, but its rejection of unmediated experiences as being impossible certainly fits better with the postmodern temperament of the day. Constructivism dovetails with the postmodern concern for diversity and the common postmodern claim that the

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