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Reason And Hope: Sections From The Jewish Writings Of Hermann Cohen

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According to Hermann Cohen's philosophy, religion is not mythology. What differentiates religion from mythology is religion's concern with ethics. Ethics have their grounding in the rational side of human existence and therefore religion is better grounded in reason than mythology is. Polytheism constitutes the viewing of each natural phenomenon as a different god. Monotheism consists of viewing God as being comprised of almost everything in the universe and is therefore closely related to pantheism. However monotheism is not identical with pantheism. Monotheism only posits a unity of God, not a complete unity of the cosmos. God is not sluggish. Unity of the cosmos is an as-yet unfulfilled goal of God's. One of God's means for fulfilling this goal is the love of human beings for one another. Both God and Man possess spirit, goodness, and holiness but Man does not possess them to the same extent that God does. God is in a state of being and Man is in a state of becoming. Elements that polytheistic religions assign to the realm of chance or fate are assigned to the realm of law and salvation by monotheistic religions. Reconciliation between God and Man is an important element of monotheism. Salvation is liberation from sin and at the same time emancipation from suffering. This constitutes Jewish Messianism. Such Messianism is oriented toward a future golden age where religious socialism shall triumph.

--Peter R. Erspamer, Rochester Community and Technical College, MN