The Secular Frontier

In his book The Son Rises, the Christian apologist William Craig raises three objections against the Swoon Theory: Craig’s Objection #1: Jesus’ Physical InjuriesCraig’s Objection #2: The Deceptive Jesus ObjectionCraig’s Objection #3: The Sickly Jesus Objection Craig makes dozens of historical claims in support of Objection #1, but fails to provide historical evidence in support of those claims. This is sufficient reason to reject Objection #1 and to conclude that this objection fails. However, there are good reasons to doubt the historicity or historical reliability of most, if not all, of the dozens of historical claims asserted by Craig. For example, the ten historical claims made by Craig concerning an alleged trial of Jesus before Pilate. Here are ten historical claims about the alleged trial of Jesus before Pilate: HC9. Jesus was taken Friday morning to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate.HC10. Pilate sent Jesus to the Jewish king, Herod.HC11. Herod interrogated Jesus and then sent h ... Read Article

In his book The Son Rises, the Christian apologist William Craig raises three objections against the Swoon Theory: Craig’s Objection #1: Jesus’ Physical InjuriesCraig’s Objection #2: The Deceptive Jesus ObjectionCraig’s Objection #3: The Sickly Jesus Objection Craig makes dozens of historical claims in support of Objection #1, but fails to provide historical evidence in suppor of those claims. This is sufficient reason to reject Objection #1 and to conclude that this objection fails. However, there are good reasons to doubt the historicity or historical reliability of most, if not all, of the dozens of historical claims asserted by Craig. For example, the first eight historical claims made by Craig concern an alleged Jewish trial of Jesus: HC1. Jesus was arrested on a Thursday night (by ?).HC2. Jesus was tried illegally by a night session of the Jewish court.HC3. During the Jewish night trial, “they” (?) spit on Jesus.HC4. During the Jewish night trial, “they” (?) blindfolded Jesu ... Read Article

Thus the blessed ones feel it not themselves, But their joy is The saying and the talk of humans. Born restlessly, these soothe Their hearts, intimating afar, by the happiness of those on high. This the gods love; yet their ordinance . . . Hölderlin, Draft of Patmos (Heidegger, Martin. Hölderlin's Hymns: "Germania" and "The Rhine" (Studies in Continental Thought) (p. 355). Indiana University Press. Kindle Edition.) The concept of restlessness is explored in Hölderlin's poem "Homecoming." The poem reflects on the contrast between the vibrant, almost restless experience of returning and the contentment found in the familiar surroundings, suggesting a transformation from restlessness to peace. Here's a relevant line from "Homecoming":  "Having returned, he is no longer restless, feeling trapped in the familiar; now, home "holds me, a captive content."  We can see, for instance, Odysseus longing for his homeland or Heraclitus warming himself at the simple stove saying, “even here, gods co ... Read Article

Given the 3 previous background posts, I'll now go ahead with Hölderlin as the main focus, particularly here in Part 1 with his "Germania." We are looking at Hölderlin’s poetry as a clue to understanding the ancient Greeks in a new way.  Hölderlin spoke of the departure of the gods.  As I noted previously, Roberto Calasso says: Yet there was a time when the gods were not just a literary clich?, but an event, a sudden apparition, an encounter with bandits perhaps, or the sighting of a ship. And it didn't even have to be a vision of the whole. Ajax Oileus recognized Poseidon disguised as Calchas from his gait. He saw him walking from behind and knew it was Poseidon "from his feet, his legs."  Since for us everything begins with Homer, we can ask ourselves: which words did he use for such events? By the time the Trojan War broke out, the gods were already coming to earth less frequently than in an earlier age. Only a generation before, Zeus had fathered Sarpedon on a mortal woman. All the gods ha ... Read Article

Today I'd like to conclude my preliminary background thoughts with Aristotle and then transition to an initial take on Hölderlin. Naas cites an instructive passage from Heidegger's Zur Frage nach der Bestimmung der Sache des Denkens, "Heidegger recalls a passage from the Odyssey (16. 161) in which Athene appears as a young woman to Odysseus and his son Telemachus though only Odysseus can see that she is Athene, for as the poet says ... 'it is not to all that the gods appear enargeis. Odysseus and his son Telemachus both see the young woman before them but only Odysseus apprehends the presencing of the goddess.'  So, for example, Niagara Falls may appear as Nature incarnate to the tourist, but as noise pollution to the local resident. Calasso notes: Yet there was a time when the gods were not just a literary clich?, but an event, a sudden apparition, an encounter with bandits perhaps, or the sighting of a ship. And it didn't even have to be a vision of the whole. Ajax Oileus recognized Poseid ... Read Article

So, we are going through some preliminary remarks based on Heidegger's 1926 lecture course on ancient philosophy to prepare for looking at Hölderlin's interpretation of ancient thought. Last time I looked at Heraclitus and Parmenides, and today I'll look at Plato and the "as" structure, something "as" something else: e.g., The table appearing "as" badly positioned in the middle of the gym during the basketball game. We spoke last time about taking "something as something" with the Greeks.  And so, for instance, if we consider “take as” being the same as “take to be,” Being refers to a simple presence - as Parmenides noted.  We can see this by comparing the following sentences: Sentence 1: He thought dinner to be delicious yesterday.  Sentence 2:   He thinks dinner to be delicious today.  Sentence 3: He will think dinner to be delicious tomorrow. When this breaks down, it becomes a little clearer.  If it is in dispute whether the past dinner was enjo ... Read Article

Wiki: Hölderlin by Franz Carl Hiemer, 1792 So, I’m going to be looking at ancient thought as it was reimagined by the German poet Hölderlin.  As a brief introduction I’d like to make a few remarks about the presocratic philosophers Heraclitus and Parmenides. (1) Heraclitus/Euclid and the Rule of Opposites: "Something “as” Something Else" In the 1926 lecture course on ancient philosophy Heidegger notes for Heraclitus λόγος (logos) is the principle of beings. ἕν πάντα [“all things one”]: frags. 50, 41. Frag. 1: λόγος:  Speech, word: a) the disclosed, λεγόμενον [“the uttered”], what is in the proper sense, what is understandable, the meaning. The manifested being itself "as" manifest; binding on everyone as this very thing that has become understandable. b) the “What” is addressed “as something,” the dog “as” brown: in relation to, relatedness, proportion.  This would later be applied in Euclid’s mathematics. Euclid, ... Read Article

The stock market temporarily tanked today and the proposed tariffs are wildly unpopular in the states. So, the result of Trump terrorizing my fellow Canadians with tariff threats for the last little while is Canada and Mexico have been given probationary periods. This stay of execution was bought with Trump brokering deals (that had already been agreed to previously). Three hostile commenters noted: We Canadians are all crossing our fingers that Trump was honest about his motives. On the other hand, if after 30 days of Canada working closely with the Trump administration Trump decides to go ahead with the tariffs anyway, then we know the "fentanyl" reason was just a smokescreen and it was all just a scheme to get companies to move to the states to avoid paying tariffs and make the USA "rich as hell." See the brief video below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExWLTayuuzs ... Read Article

I mentioned last time it is foundational for Donald Trump to cite reasons such as fentanyl to justify large tariffs on Canada, because in the video I linked to of him this seems to be smoke and mirrors since in his words were he wants tariffs to make America "filthy rich." Today he posted: We pay hundreds of Billions of Dollars to SUBSIDIZE Canada. Why? There is no reason. We don’t need anything they have. We have unlimited Energy, should make our own Cars, and have more Lumber than we can ever use. Without this massive subsidy, Canada ceases to exist as a viable Country. Harsh but true! Therefore, Canada should become our Cherished 51st State. Much lower taxes, and far better military protection for the people of Canada — AND NO TARIFFS! In fact, Canada buys more from the United States than any other country does. If the energy sector—oil, natural gas, and electricity—is not included in calculations, the U.S. has had a trade surplus with Canada for the last sixteen years straigh ... Read Article

Why would Trump do such a thing? Here is his official justification: As a Canadian this is scary because it threatens to put our economy into recession. Is Trump being honest, though? Here is an alternative answer: Greed. Trump has become convinced Tariffs will be a cash cow. Economists are saying America is shooting itself in the foot with massive tariffs, but this is what Trump seems to think. Note this short video of him loving the idea of tariffs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExWLTayuuzs So why is he emphatic that the reason for the tariffs is, in the case of Canada, fentanyl? Imposing arbitrary tariffs is contrary to the US constitution and international law. The President has authority under certain statutes (e.g., the Trade Act of 1974, Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962) to impose tariffs for national security or economic reasons, though these actions can be challenged in court. If a tariff policy were challenged on constitutional grounds, courts might examine ... Read Article

“We know next to nothing about the poetic truth of the tragic poetry of Aeschylus and Sophocles (Heidegger, Heraclitus 1944, 237)” “The human is the place of the truth of being, and this is why the human can, at the same time, also be the confusion of the madness of empty nothingness (Heidegger, Heraclitus 1944, 280).” I’d like to close out this E-Project with some thoughts on Heidegger’s 1944 course of Heraclitus’s Logos (I was previously looking at the 1943 Heraclitus course) Last time we looked the 1943 course at how a friend can detect a toxic relationship between lovers who are oblivious to the defective nature of their relationship since the friend is not caught up in the relationship like the lovers and so can see the dysfunctionality that the lovers are too near to the relationship to see.  The friend can see the forest despite the trees. The friend has the distance/perspective to see the simplicity of the interplay of the lovers for what it is, sees the jointure/whol ... Read Article

The modern human is fascinated by this technological monstrosity of brightness; when it becomes too much, he uses the mountains or the sea as a palliative; he then ‘experiences’ ‘nature’  an experience that certainly can become boring already on the first morning of the trip, whereupon he just goes to the movies.  Ah, the totality of what is called ‘life’! (108). I wrote previously we go beyond the subject/object dichotomy in moods, such as the boring book.  An exemplary case of this is love.  In normal subject/predicate thinking we say “The boy (subject) loves the girl (predicate).  We talk about something (subject) and say something about it (predicate).  Thinking unifies the loving with the beloved.  However, moods are exemplary in this sense of a union of inner and outer, and so for instance in David Copperfield Dickens writes: “I was sensible of a mist of love and beauty about Dora, but of nothing else … it was all Dora to me. The sun shone ... Read Article

"What are you gaping at, you scoundrels? Or is it not better to do this [Play with kids] than to work with you on behalf of the πόλις [city-state]?" (Heraclitus) The above statement reflects Heraclitus’s disdain for current affairs political involvement and his preference for philosophical contemplation or simpler, perhaps more authentic, pursuits like playing with children. Last time we looked at the difference between conventional thinking and philosophical thinking where conventional thinking reduces everything the level of “one” so “one” thinks this or that, is arbiter (Will to Power in Nietzsche’s language) of a world that has been dumbed down to the short, quick, and simplistic.  For example, in law we have jury trials where we randomly poll 12 non-experts to make complex legal decisions.  It’s the same as if you polled 12 non-mechanics on the street about how to fix your car, or holding a popularity contest among people with no expertise in political science to elect ... Read Article

Heidegger notes regarding phusis that when we see the Van Gogh that “this is art” or the circling bird of prey “this is nature,” as though artness and natureness was present incarnate in the beings (Pa, phusis, 212).”  More to the point with Heraclitus, beingness emerges as the being conceals in its emergence, “the animal through whose swaying and hovering the free dimension of the open unfolds, and through whose singing and the tidings the call and the enchantment unfold, so that its bird essence whiles away and disperses in the open (72).”  Let's relate this to thinking. Kant said “to no thing belongs a predicate that contradicts it,” and so so called enlightened thinking basically goes about trying to find contradictions.  Heraclitus says “Emerging to self-concealing gives favor.”  Heidegger notes: With this discovery of the contradiction, one obtains the longed-for superiority over the thinker: one finds him ‘illogical.’  One ‘finds much’ in that fact: an ... Read Article

Thales is a step back from life, not caught up in the everyday and so falls in a well while thinking, and the Thracian slave girl laughs at him. Heidegger argues (FCM, 183) all creative action resides in a mood of melancholy, whether we are clearly aware of this fact or not, whether we speak at length about it or not. All creative action resides in a mood of melancholy, but this is not to say that everyone in a melancholic mood is creative. Aristotle already recognized this connection between creativity and melancholia when he asked the question: “Why is it that all those men who have achieved exceptional things, whether in philosophy, in politics, in poetry, or in the arts, are clearly melancholies? (Problemata 30.1)” Aristotle explicitly mentions Empedocles, Socrates and Plato in this context.  As a creative and essential activity of human life, philosophy stands in the fundamental attunement of melancholy. This melancholy concerns the form rather than the content of philosophizing, but it nece ... Read Article