With the basic question of metaphysics “Why are there beings at all rather than nothing,” our question implies beings have a “why,” a ground that is not just a cause in the ordinary sense.  Moreover, we are not just asking after this or that being or the total collection of beings, but rather beings as … (Part 4) Blogging Through Martin Heidegger’s “Introduction to Metaphysics”

Angelus Silesius (wiki) Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (wiki) A famous two-line verse by Angelus Silesius from his work Cherubinischer Wandersmann is titled “Ohne Warum” (“Without Why”).  The literal English translation is: “The rose is without why; it blooms because it blooms, It pays no attention to itself, nor asks if it is seen” Leibniz (1646–1716)—a contemporary … (Part 3) Blogging Through Martin Heidegger’s “Introduction to Metaphysics”

Heidegger raises the basic question of metaphysics of “why are their beings at all rather than nothing (Introduction to Metaphysics, 1)?”  Negatively, we see “to be a being” apparently excludes nothingness: entities “are” in some way or other: the tree, car, dream, hallucination, etc all “are” in some way or other rather than being nothing.  … (Part 2) Blogging Through Martin Heidegger’s “Introduction to Metaphysics”

I will be blogging my way through Martin Heidegger’s Introduction to Metaphysics. This is one of the great works by an important 20th century philosopher. Philosophically, metaphysics is the study of ultimate reality—the fundamental nature of existence, being, and the world. While popular culture often treats it as “spooky physics” or quantum mysticism, the word … (Part 1) Blogging Through Martin Heidegger’s “Introduction to Metaphysics”

People forget Plato talks about parousia (παρουσία) in the relation of the eternal forms to the temporal. (1) Temporal Being is imitation (mimesis / μίμησις) of the extratemporal.(2) The extratemporal is the paradigm (paradeigma / παράδειγμα), and the temporal is the after-copy (eidolon / εἴδωλον).(3) The temporal participates (metexei / μετέχει) in the extratemporal (methexis … Reflections on My Presentation on History Valley Podcast with Jacob Berman on Parousia and Domitian

The word parousia in the New Testament means the second coming of Christ. What is the etymology of parousia? In Plato’s Phaedo, parousia means presence, Beauty itself is present (parousia) incarnate in the beautiful thing. How do we get from the platonic Greek understanding of parousia as presence to the New Testament Greek usage as … My Notes for Discussing the Parousia on History Valley Podcast Tomorrow with Jacob Berman

Josephus’s legacy is inherently complicated. To many of his contemporaries and later Jewish generations, he was branded a traitor and an opportunist who abandoned his people for Roman luxury. Paradoxically, his works were entirely ignored by ancient Jewish communities but painstakingly preserved by the Christian Church. This was because his writings offer crucial contextual background … The New Testament and Josephus

Previously The Life and Times of the Apostle Paul Now, The death of John the Baptist is recorded both in the New Testament Gospels (Matthew and Mark) and by the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus in his work Antiquities of the Jews (Book 18, Chapter 5). While both sources agree that Herod Antipas executed John, they … The Life and Death of John the Baptist

It’s the classic story: The Arch persecutor and enemy of the Christians Saul transforming to be their most powerful representative and advocate Paul (showing the power of the religion), indeed the prophesied one who would bring the message to the nations at the end of the age. If you were just making Paul up, this … The Life and Times of the Apostle Paul