Person and Atheism. The Contributions of Edith Stein’s Phenomenological Anthropology

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to show the relationship between anthropology and atheism in Edith Stein’s work. Thus, following the model of the structure of the human person according to which the person is constituted from a material body (Körper), a living body (Leib), a psyche (Psyche) and a spirit (Geist) (which is also the basis of Max Scheler’s philosophical anthropology), Stein introduces the soul (Seele) as the center and core of the person. According to the structure of the soul and the place of the personal self in it, the core of the person is the seat of the affec­tive life, the place where the person feels values and from where his or her personal individuality is understood. The deepest part of the soul, what Stein calls the ‘soul of the soul’ (Seele der Seele) is the dwelling place of God and the foundation for individuality. God dwells in the innermost center of the personal soul. What are the implications for the human person of denying the soul and denying God? Where does atheism lead? In this paper we show the anthropological implications of atheism, which include the loneliness, abandonment, and inner tearing of the human person, and we show that by denying God, the person denies a fundamental part of his or her own existence.