Athen und Jerusalem

The synthesis of classical philosophy and Christianity, Athens and Jerusalem, has always been seen as a special characteristic which defines the identity of Western culture. However the confrontations between philosophy and Christianity in late antiquity (Celsus, Porphyry and Julian the Apostate) and in the modern era, in particular during the Enlightenment, conflicted with this idea. A comparative analysis of these shows the turning points brought about by Christianity in the history of philosophy and concepts of man. It is especially in fundamental questions of ethics, anthropology and metaphysics that the concept of an »occidental synthesis» is shown to be incorrect.