Philosophy, politics and religion in Roberto Mangabeira Unger few thoughts on Roberto Mangabeira Unger free, Brazilian philosopher and political scientist professor at Harvard University in Italy have been published in the book Knowledge and Politics (Princeton, 1983) and Democracy at high energy a manifesto for the left of the twenty-first century (Fazio, 2007). Over the years, Unger has developed its own original philosophical and political theory that is very complex.
One might ask what factors could be ascribed to the complexity of the doctrine ungeriana. These factors are different and I think of a different nature.
I would like to say a few words about what I think are the most important.
- In Unger's books from time to time are also found arguments that seem inspired by the work of scholars who belong in the philosophical and political currents or schools of thought very different from one another (Dewey, Gramsci, Castoriadis, the communitarians, the civic politicians, and so on);
- Unger is the author of a metaphysical theory that not only simplify rules of human behavior and the path that must be accomplished by political action for the improvement of justice in our world . The doctrine of the Brazilian scholar seeks to find and suggest, where there is need of this and having regard to particular problematic situations of injustice and that from time need to be fair, the right solution to the problems of contemporary man. In doing so, however, adopt Unger, unlike other scholars, a pragmatic approach aimed, inter alia, to save what is good there is in political systems that currently exist;
- in formulating his theoretical propositions Unger takes a multidisciplinary approach because it serves not only of historical but also the principles dictated by branches of human knowledge rather different from each other (in addition to philosophy, sociology, law, economic policy and political science) although all falling within the scope of the humanities or political ones social.
scholar Brazilian exhibition to be fully aware of the limitations of philosophy and the human capacity to achieve good. Here's how he motivates his personal line of thought:
policy can move these limits, but can be overridden. The consciousness of man's natural harmony denies the full experience. The gap between his individuality and his sociability prevent him from reaching the perfect sympathy. The contrast between the infinite and the finite nature of his aspirations in his life off the concrete universality. His private research of good results in a bitter awareness of the conflict by the fact that sometimes reach an extraordinary vision and quality of everyday life. Her public struggle to achieve the community comes up against the need of organic group to remain a particular association and its need to become a universal association. All of his greatest efforts in this world are condemned to the incompleteness (Knowledge and Politics, p.389).
According to this view as a philosophical man appears to be perpetually in conflict with himself unable to restrain his infinite aspirations always placed in contrast to the concreteness of its very poor, over the existential condition.
's so that, in finding their own shortcomings and those of political action, the man turns to religion as its last resort.
Philosophy can not show us that 'God does exist or that its existence could be a remedy our weaknesses' (Knowledge and Politics, p.393).
always between philosophy and religion and between religion and politics exist reports of such conflict. On the one hand, philosophy is continuous research and reveals the urgent need to explain and demonstrate phenomena that surround the individual and are part of his life to religion and the man asks the resolution of problems that he himself does not is able to solve. On the other hand there is the troubled relationship between politics and religion plus the attempt to dominate and enslavement by both the damage of Philosophy (Knowledge and Policy, p.394).
And philosophy - the philosopher Roberto Unger argues - the most vulnerable and least loved of the three contenders, sometimes responded tit for tat with the woman claiming to be successor of politics and religion. Whenever one of these kinds of speeches has encroached on the territory of others, has corrupted both himself and his victims. For this reason, we must conclude a peace between adversaries with which each other to ensure a certain degree of autonomy and recognize their importance with respect to its objects of interest (ibid.).
The proposal is directed Unger in the sense of cooperation agreed between philosophy, religion and politics and full mutual recognition of equal dignity and validity of the precepts that can be attributed to each of the three contenders. This is to give opportunity to each of them to contribute to the resolution of critical issues that people have the need to resolve satisfactorily. This synergistic relationship between philosophy, politics and religion, among other things, would allow humans to achieve a greater awareness of the problems, in turn, has to face (ibid.).
When you plumb deeply philosophical problems - Unger argues - Finally we come to external borders, namely politics and religion, where the pride of the philosopher is humiliated and come to the fore other kinds of research. When philosophy has reached the truth of which is capable passes in politics and prayer, in politics through which transforms the world by bringing in his presence and giving them what, left to themselves, they could never get (Knowledge and Policy , pp.394-395).
Unger describes the philosophy as one of the ways in which man tries to answer their many questions. Moreover, walked the path, often ineffective with respect to solving everyday problems of philosophical reflection, the men make appeal to political action. This often leads to solutions that improve the condition of the human species on earth. Experience, however, also the shortcomings of political man seeks God ', this behavior inherent to the human being whose research, however, continues
where you must stop thinking and action is powerless. [...] Thus the meditation of God is for man last union of thought and love, love which is thought disembodied from language and returned to its source (Knowledge and Policy, pp.394).
Unger thus closes the book Knowledge and Politics:
But our days pass, and still do not fully know. Why then do you remain silent? Speak, O God (Knowledge and Policy, pp.395).
words, those that underlie the continuing need for man to question and seek refuge in the Divine in the hope of taking action and seeing one day improve their fate and their destiny on earth.
John Graziano missing
Roberto Mangabeira Unger 
