Max Scheler's Theory of Delusions. Max Scheler. Idols of Self-Knowledge. Transl., commentary, note, accompanying article by A.N. Malinkin. Moscow and Sankt-Peterburg, Center for Humanitarian Initiatives, 2024. P. 191-286.

Abstract

The treatise by the outstanding German philosopher Max Scheler (1874–1928) analyzes the theoretical and methodological aspects of a human’s perception of his inner world. It examines a range of topics that lie at the intersection of phenomenology, psychology, psychopathology, psychiatry, social psychology, and sociology. The focus is on the delusions, illusions, and self-deceptions that arise in a human’s cognition of himself and other people. It also addresses traditional problems in the history of philosophy, such as, in what sense is the world real, and is our knowledge of it reliable? “What Bacon did in the sphere of external perception, we will try to do in the sphere of internal perception and in the sphere of selfperception, (…) …The teaching of Descartes about the superiority of internal perception in obviousness over external perception must be deprived of its seeming foundation. This teaching is one of the foundations of egocentrism and philosophical subjective idealism, and at the same time the foundation of that kind of false self-confidence which, in the process of building our culture, especially in Protestantism, tried to pass itself off as a completely justified human position and served many as a point of support for boundless negativism and criticism in relation to all being outside the Self – to God, nature and objective culture,” wrote Scheler. Today, as one hundred and ten years ago, during the First World War, millions of people live in illusions. Why? Because people are prone not only to make mistakes, but also to be sincerely deluded. Not only are they “happy to be deceived,” they are also deceived by ideologists-“well-wishers.” People’s behavior is manipulated: they are given an illusory idea of themselves and the world around them. Especially now, when the technical capabilities of humanity are rapidly expanding, it has become much easier to do this. Scheler’s book will help the Russian reader to critically examine himself, and the comments and accompanying article will help him better understand the meaning of the text and the historical and philosophical context of the early twentieth century. The treatise by the outstanding German philosopher Max Scheler(1874–1928) analyzes the theoretical and methodological aspects ofa human’s perception of his inner world. It examines a range oftopics that lie at the intersection of phenomenology, psychology,psychopathology, psychiatry, social psychology, and sociology. Thefocus is on the delusions, illusions, and self-deceptions that arise ina human’s cognition of himself and other people. It also addressestraditional problems in the history of philosophy, such as, in whatsense is the world real, and is our knowledge of it reliable?“What Bacon did in the sphere of external perception, we will tryto do in the sphere of internal perception and in the sphere of selfperception,(…) …The teaching of Descartes about the superiorityof internal perception in obviousness over external perceptionmust be deprived of its seeming foundation. This teaching is oneof the foundations of egocentrism and philosophical subjectiveidealism, and at the same time the foundation of that kind offalse self-confidence which, in the process of building our culture,especially in Protestantism, tried to pass itself off as a completelyjustified human position and served many as a point of support forboundless negativism and criticism in relation to all being outsidethe Self – to God, nature and objective culture,” wrote Scheler.Today, as one hundred and ten years ago, during the First WorldWar, millions of people live in illusions. Why? Because people areprone not only to make mistakes, but also to be sincerely deluded.Not only are they “happy to be deceived,” they are also deceivedby ideologists-“well-wishers.” People’s behavior is manipulated:they are given an illusory idea of themselves and the world aroundthem. Especially now, when the technical capabilities of humanityare rapidly expanding, it has become much easier to do this.Scheler’s book will help the Russian reader to critically examinehimself, and the comments and accompanying article will helphim better understand the meaning of the text and the historicaland philosophical context of the early twentieth century.