[article] Étienne Gilson’s Christian Philosophy of Creation

ABSTRACT: When the name “Étienne Gilson” is mentioned, a multitude of appropriate phrases and notions easily come to mind due to Gilson’s significant contributions in multiple areas of philosophical scholarship.  Two of those areas concern 1) the notion of Christian philosophy, as well as 2) the metaphysics of Aquinas.  In fact, Gilson would consider the exercise of the latter—that is, the explication and application of Thomistic metaphysics to reality—to be a significant portion of the exercise of the former.  In the following paper, I aim to show Gilson’s doctrine of creation, while significantly inspired by his reading of the metaphysics of Aquinas, is first and foremost, an exercise in Christian philosophical inquiry.  To this end, in Part One, I will first give a brief explanation of what Christian philosophy is for Gilson and, secondly, will show how Gilson regards the philosophical treatment of creation to be an act of Christian philosophy.  Part Three will consist in a brief textual treatment of Gilson’s Christian philosophy of creation from the emphasis on the doctrine qua philosophical understanding to the doctrine as influenced by Christianity.… Read More [article] Étienne Gilson’s Christian Philosophy of Creation

Brian Kemple

[article] On the Elegance of Posterior Analytics II.19 as Platonic Division

While commentators on APo II.19 generally take note of Aristotle’s break from Platonism in his approach to knowledge genesis, the fact that Aristotle’s approach is yet Platonic goes unnoticed.  At the same time, APo II.19 is treated as an incomplete, even embarrassing attempt by Aristotle to answer the question as to the ultimate source of the principles of science.  This study exhibits the elegance and completeness of Aristotle’s genetic account of the principles of science at APo II.19 precisely as an exercise of the Platonic method of division, providing an invaluable hermeneutic key for unlocking this extremely difficult and dense text and showing the developmental philosophical continuity that exists between Plato and his student, Aristotle… Read More [article] On the Elegance of Posterior Analytics II.19 as Platonic Division

Daniel C. Wagner

[article] The Incarnating and the Female Imago Dei

Professor Catherine Brown Tkacz ABSTRACT: This article explores the concept of the imago Dei (image of God) as manifested uniquely in female human persons.  The study begins with the Biblical affirmation in Genesis that both male and female are created in God’s image, emphasizing spiritual equality yet acknowledging the significance of sexual differences.  This leads… Read More [article] The Incarnating and the Female Imago Dei

Editorial Team1 Comment

[article] A Theory of Natural Culture and Cultural Nature

ABSTRACT: This essay offers an extended, reasoned walk-through Nathan Lyons’ path-breaking text, Signs in the Dust.  Every so often, a book comes about that manages to show how a variety of philosophical paths, hitherto regarded as separate, are converging on a common terrain.  The value of such texts is to name this common terrain, and to go beyond mere juxtaposition of different philosophical trajectories, actually to disclose the deeper affinity that makes them belong together in a coherent whole.  This is what this book manages to accomplish: by showing the rich tapestry of inquiries converging around the nature/culture relationship, it successfully retrieves the medieval conversation on natural culture and cultural nature.… Read More [article] A Theory of Natural Culture and Cultural Nature

Editorial Team

[article] A Thomistic Argument against the Simulation Hypothesis

ABSTRACT: In this paper we will explore how the action of signs underlying all human experience precludes the possibility that we are being systematically deceived in our perception of reality. The simulation hypothesis, as well as similarly motivated skeptical scenarios, such as the brain-in-a-vat hypothesis and Descartes’ evil demon thought experiment, wrongly presuppose a modern, dualistic theory of knowledge, as well as a neuroreductionist model of sensation. However, we will see how the action of signs in human cognition presupposes the existence of a relational mode of being, namely, esse intentionale (“intentional being”), which is immaterial and incapable of subjection to technological manipulation… … Read More [article] A Thomistic Argument against the Simulation Hypothesis

Editorial Team

[article] Life in the Anti-Environment

ABSTRACT: This paper explores the perceptual implications of video games, and gamification in general, by drawing on a number of concepts from the media theory of Marshall McLuhan: primarily his discussion of games as anti-environments and of technologies as extensions of human senses and faculties.  Understanding video games in terms of the cultural and psychological significance of play, I argue that video games as a product of the gamification of culture substantially alter the traditional function of play through their diminished capacity to serve as anti-environments. Finally, I offer a brief reflection on the opportunities for awareness and understanding in relation to contemporary gamification.… Read More [article] Life in the Anti-Environment

Editorial Team1 Comment