ChatGPT said:
Walter Kaufmann—a sharp, skeptical, and deeply humanist philosopher—was critical of mysticism as a way of knowing. While he didn’t deny that mystical experiences happen, he questioned whether they genuinely provide knowledge in any meaningful or reliable sense.
Let’s explore his view in a focused way:
Walter Kaufmann on Mysticism: Summary
Kaufmann saw mysticism as:
- Psychologically powerful, but
- Epistemologically dubious—that is, not a reliable path to truth or knowledge.
He expressed this view most clearly in works like:
- Critique of Religion and Philosophy (1958)
- Faith of a Heretic (1961)
- The Portable Nietzsche (introduction and commentary)
Key Elements of Kaufmann’s Critique of Mysticism
1. Mysticism Is Not Epistemically Transparent
Kaufmann argued that mystical experiences are vague, private, and uncheckable. He believed:
“The mystical does not lend itself to rational discussion or debate.”
That makes it hard to distinguish between:
- An actual insight into reality, vs.
- A hallucination, delusion, or emotional high.
He valued clarity, critical thinking, and dialogical engagement—all of which mysticism often resists.
2. Mysticism Often Avoids Accountability
Kaufmann disliked that mystical claims are often:
- Immune to criticism (because they’re “beyond words” or “ineffable”)
- Dogmatically upheld without offering evidence or reason
He saw this as anti-philosophical: a move away from inquiry and toward authority or obscurantism.
3. He Advocated for Honest Uncertainty, Not Mystical Certainty
Kaufmann respected existential doubt. He preferred:
- An open, existential engagement with meaning, even if it meant uncertainty
- Over any closed, mystical claim to absolute truth
He admired thinkers like Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, and Socrates, who emphasized questioning, not claiming mystical certainty.
4. He Acknowledged the Psychological and Artistic Appeal of Mysticism
Kaufmann wasn’t blind to mysticism’s emotional or aesthetic force. He acknowledged that:
- Mysticism can produce powerful emotional states
- It inspires poetry, music, and spiritual longing
But he thought those should not be mistaken for knowledge.
Kaufmann vs. William James on Mysticism
Compare Kaufmann to William James, who said:
“Mystical states, when well developed, usually are, and have the right to be, absolutely authoritative over the individuals to whom they come.”
Kaufmann would respond:
That’s precisely the problem. What gives one person the right to claim objective truth based on private, unverifiable experiences?
Conclusion: Kaufmann’s View
Walter Kaufmann was skeptical of mysticism as a way of knowing because:
- It lacks clarity, coherence, and accountability
- It resists rational evaluation
- It substitutes subjective intensity for justified belief
- And it often leads to dogma, not discovery
He respected depth of experience, but not when it claimed epistemic authority without rational justification.
Would you like a direct quote from Kaufmann on this, or a structured comparison between his view and another thinker’s (like James or Kierkegaard)?