Dialogical Approach to Truth in the Plurality of Cultures and Religions

Thesis abstract This thesis, "Dialogical Approach to Truth in the Plurality of Cultures and Religions" has two main goals, theoretical and applied one. It defends the importance of contextual relativism and perspectivism for the dialogue of two different discourses using a theory of language games. An individual lives in his or hers own special historical and geographical situation, in particular psycho-physical condition with a limited perspective through which he perceives the surrounding world. Only if the individual could be aware of these limits, to be able to renounce a tendency to generalize his own point of view without confronting the others within a dialogue. It is possible to judge the truthfulness, functionality and the level of development of any discourse only in the context and within the categories of the discourse itself. This approach is reflected in the field of interreligious dialogue by the idea of post- pluralism. It stresses the uniqueness of each independent religious discourse, while refusing both superiority of any particular religion on one hand and merging all religions into one common group on the other. One cannot discover the ultimate truth due to the lack of "general perspective" over all religious traditions and, therefore, he cannot judge ("This religion is the only true",..