THE SACRED AS A PRIORI ELEMENT IN THE “STRUCTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS”
THE SACRED AS A PRIORI ELEMENT IN THE “STRUCTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS”

Summary/Abstract: In this paper, I attempt to interpret one of the fundamental theses of phenomenology of religion, whichstates that “the sacred is part of the structure of consciousness” (Eliade). For archaic man, something canbe acknowledged as real only if it possesses the determination of sacred. The category of sacred is, infact, the determination that gives the possibility of something to be acknowledged as real. Eliade’sconcept of sacred can be understood through the categories of reality (Kant) and being (Heidegger). Withthis starting point, we can consider that the cognitive science undertaking of religion cannot ignore whatphenomenology of religion ultimately claims in reference to the sacred: it is a unifying principle and anobjective reality.

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