My family celebrates the Halloween season. We decorate the house accordingly. We watch spooky shows and movies. We find thematic snacks and meals. And we dress in costumes and trick or treat. As a quick aside, I think the popular level religious custody battles over Halloween--which make it no further than a Hegelian level of … Continue reading Anonymity: A Halloween Special
Puzzles about Aquinas and Participation
In this post, I want to share three puzzles I have about Thomas Aquinas' remarks on participation. In the event that I come upon a resolution to these, which I would be eager to find, I will update this post! But before getting into that subject, I wanted to say a few words about 'The … Continue reading Puzzles about Aquinas and Participation
From Anselm to Entelecheia: Free Flowing Thoughts
For this week, I wanted to share some free-flowing thoughts on various points of interest that have been on my mind lately. Matthew Levering says that "Anselm raises the possibility that there might be more than one nature that is inferior to no other nature. This would entail that the supreme natures be equals. But, … Continue reading From Anselm to Entelecheia: Free Flowing Thoughts
Polytheism and Classical Natural Theology
I am currently taking a course in Natural Theology, which is understood to be the discipline or science that proves or demonstrates the existence and attributes of God (classically conceived). Two of the works we are reading are Edward Feser's Five Proofs of the Existence of God and Matthew Levering's Proofs of God: Classical Arguments … Continue reading Polytheism and Classical Natural Theology
Kant and the Logic of Addition
Immanuel Kant famously argued that the equation 7+5=12 is an example of a synthetic a priori judgement. Indeed, he maintained that “arithmetical propositions are always synthetic.” 1 But is this the case? By critically engaging Kant’s argumentation, I will uncover two prima facie problems with the idea that arithmetical propositions are synthetic. By reengaging these … Continue reading Kant and the Logic of Addition
Phenomenality as Imaging the Gods
Suppose that the term 'God' and all such cognates represent an intellectual labor, such as the articulation of a form, genericity, or some other correlate of intellect. If something like that is correct, then it seems that while 'God' designates a one as such, nevertheless, this one as such does not consist in, but precedes … Continue reading Phenomenality as Imaging the Gods
Thomas Aquinas and the Problem of Reproduction
My summer semester is officially complete! I have a 10-day summer break until the Fall semester starts, so I've lit my incense in thanksgiving and dove into my pile of books--which simply had to begin with Edward Butler's recent Polytheism in Greek Philosophy (a work I have been eager to finish, and am now quickly … Continue reading Thomas Aquinas and the Problem of Reproduction
Agent -> Structure = Soil -> Roots
Whilst in the throes of a grueling leg day this morning, lost in lectures on Heidegger and Gadamer, I had a flash of insight related to yesterday's post that I thought might pardon interrupting your regularly scheduled programming: the meta-level concept, posture, orientation, or approach underlying Polytheism that I was after is pre-metaphysical. In my … Continue reading Agent -> Structure = Soil -> Roots
One Before Each
Summer is almost over, dear reader, but what a summer it was. No exotic trips, or unforgettable moments in the sun. It was a lot of work, actually, with coordinating, juggling, managing, all through a jam packed semester--though with only two weeks left. But, for all of that, it was a time of self-confrontation, destruction, … Continue reading One Before Each
Dialoguing with Aquinas on Polytheism
We are at a point in two of my courses where we are deep-diving into Thomas Aquinas. While studying various of his texts, such as his Disputed Questions, his Summas, and various Commentaries, I decided to return to Aquinas' interaction with polytheism. There was one objection of his that particularly struck me as a fruitful … Continue reading Dialoguing with Aquinas on Polytheism
The Analytic Pagan 