Definition
Ontotheology is a philosophical term that denotes the conceptual merging of ontology (the study of being) with theology (the study of the divine). It characterizes a mode of thought in which God is identified as the supreme or ultimate being, thereby treating the inquiry into the nature of existence and the inquiry into the nature of God as a single, unified project. The term is most prominently associated with the critique of this synthesis offered by the German philosopher Martin Heide Heidegger.
Overview
In the context of twentieth‑century continental philosophy, ontotheology refers to a tradition within Western metaphysics that, since the ancient Greeks, has sought to ground the question of being in a highest, self‑existent entity—typically identified as God or a prime mover. Heidegger argued that this tradition culminates in a “onto‑theological” stance that reduces the question of Being to a calculable, conceptual hierarchy with a supreme being at its apex. According to Heidegger, such a stance obscures the more fundamental, pre‑conceptual experience of Being and leads to what he described as the “forgetting of Being.”
The concept has been employed in subsequent philosophical and theological discussions to analyze the implications of treating the divine as the ultimate ontological grounding, to critique systematic theologies that subsume all categories of existence under a singular theological framework, and to explore alternatives that separate the inquiry into Being from theological affirmation.
Etymology / Origin
The term combines the Greek prefix onto‑ (ὄντος), meaning “being,” with the Latin‑derived ‑theology (from Greek theología, meaning “the study of God”). The compound was popularized in the mid‑20th century by Martin Heidegger, who employed the German Ontotheologie in several of his later lectures and writings, notably in “Letter on Humanism” (1947) and “The Question Concerning Technology” (1954). Heidegger used the term to label a specific metaphysical orientation rather than to introduce a new discipline.
Characteristics
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Supreme Being as Ground | Posits God or an ultimate being as the fundamental ground of all beings, thereby linking the ontological hierarchy to a theological apex. |
| Metaphysical Reductionism | Tends to reduce diverse ontological inquiries to a single theological explanation, often equating existence with participation in the divine. |
| Heideggerian Critique | Identified as the “forgetting of Being,” wherein the question of Being itself is obscured by the focus on a highest being. |
| Historical Continuity | Traced from Platonic and Aristotelian thought through Scholasticism to modern rationalist and idealist traditions that maintain a supreme ontic principle. |
| Impact on Modern Thought | Influences debates in phenomenology, existentialism, post‑modern theology, and critiques of secular metaphysics that retain a latent theological structure. |
Related Topics
- Ontology – the philosophical study of being and existence.
- Theology – systematic study of concepts of the divine.
- Metaphysics – the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of reality beyond the physical.
- Martin Heidegger – German philosopher who critically examined ontotheology.
- Phenomenology – a philosophical movement that influenced Heidegger’s approach to the question of Being.
- Western Metaphysical Tradition – historical development of philosophical thought that often integrates ontological and theological ideas.
- Secularization – processes that separate religious concepts from public and philosophical discourse, often discussed in relation to ontotheological structures.
- "Being and Time" – Heidegger’s seminal work that laid the groundwork for his later critique of ontotheology.
The entry presents a concise, neutral overview of ontotheology based on established philosophical literature, particularly the works of Martin Heidegger.