Christian metaphysics

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Christian metaphysics denotes that which is specifically Christian within metaphysics as it was inaugurated by Aristotle .

Christian metaphysics in modern times

The heyday of Christian metaphysics, with its two most important representatives Thomas Aquinas and Johannes Duns Scotus , lay in the Catholic Middle Ages . However, it should not be misunderstood that Augustine , Bishop of Hippo Regius , insofar as he is to be regarded as the spiritual father of the Middle Ages, in his theory of illumination , decisively shaped what was later called Christian metaphysics. (Jaspers, 1979: 152; Camus, 1978: 128; Forschner, 2006: 238; Honnefelder, 2005: 192; Horn, 2012: 184; Hessen, 1931: 328)

The work of the French philosopher Étienne Gilson and that of the German philosopher Peter Wust can be regarded as the two most important new foundations of Christian metaphysics in modern times . Étienne Gilson, who is considered one of the most important and serious philosophers of the Middle Ages in the 20th century, argues in a large number of his works that the Catholic Middle Ages, in the large-scale sums and comments of its most important representatives, drafted a decidedly Christian philosophy based on be based on the faith of the Bible . On the other hand, Peter Wust refers to the fact that a Christian existentialism originating from Max Scheler can only be thought of under the premises of Christian metaphysics. The work Erwin Reisner "History as a fall, and way to court." The foundation of a Christian metaphysics of history, however, was ignored. (Wouters, 1999: 184; Gilson / Böhner; 1937: 620; Wust, 1920: 284; Reisner, 1929: 304)

Christian Metaphysics in the Present

For the present , with regard to the success of a Christian metaphysics, three extraordinary ontological and theological thinkers should claim the highest priority: Gustav Siewerth , Hans Urs von Balthasar and Ferdinand Ulrich . Siewerth wants to be a decidedly modern Catholic philosopher who attempts a synthesis of Thomas Aquinas in Martin Heidegger's reception . Above all, however, in his work “Metaphysics of Childhood” he endeavors to “develop a basic Thomistic doctrine” that is able to point to the development of Christian metaphysics.

The comprehensive work of Hans Urs von Balthasar appears to be even more important than the thinking of Gustav Siewerth for the comprehension of a Christian metaphysics, the comprehensiveness and profundity of which in this context is even impossible to touch. Instead, reference should be made to Werner Löser's book , “Gifted Truth”. Approaching the work of Hans Urs von Balthasar, in which he described in Chapter 7 “The Christian Contribution to Metaphysics”. In an interview with Martin Heidegger, Hans Urs von Balthasar points out four points that could be useful for Christian metaphysics: 1. From Balthasar's path to Heidegger's philosophy. 2. The suggestions of Erich Przywara. 3. The legacy of Thomas Aquinas. 4. Metaphysics under the light of faith. (Solver, 2015: 350)

As the third in this series, Ferdinand Ulrich sees himself as an undiscovered, yet to be discovered thinker of Christian metaphysics, which he describes in the first volume of his "Writings", "Homo abyssus". The risk of the question of being and, in its fifth volume, “Gabe and Forgiveness”. A contribution to the biblical ontology seeks to fundamentally develop and further develop it.

In addition to these three immensely important thinkers, a work by the early Hans Blumenberg has to be classified which bears the title “Contributions to the problem of the originality of medieval-scholastic ontology”, in which he, previously unknown to philosophical research, focuses on the fundamental concerns of a Christian Metaphysics comes to speak. Blumenberg, under the section "Creation and the reason for being with Augustine", writes:

“Greek cosmological metaphysics and the biblical personal idea of ​​creation enter into their decisive argument with Augustine. In view of the position that Augustine took on the Middle Ages as a representative of patristicism , the result must be decisive for the whole further development of the question of the ground of being within Christian metaphysics. Ultimately, it will be a question of whether the ancient categories appear in the interpretation of the idea of ​​creation merely in the function of the tools taken from a familiar perspective of reality and assuring the continuity of experience, or whether the ontological modes of interpretation on which they are based play a dominant role in the new conception. " (Page 24)

The inexplicable reasons why this early work by Blumenberg, which is to be counted among the most important writings from German sources on the Catholic Middle Ages, has so far not been accepted in any way in research remains inexplicable. After all, it represents a confrontation with the Catholic Middle Ages by means of the fundamental concept of originality , which so far has only been used in the language of mysticism.

literature

  • Peter Wust: The Resurrection of Metaphysics. Leipzig 1920. X, 284 pp.
  • Erwin Reisner: The story as the fall of man and the way to judgment. Foundation of a Christian metaphysics of history. Munich 1929. VI, 304 pp.
  • Johannes Hessen: Augustine's metaphysics of knowledge. Berlin 1931. 328 pp.
  • Albert Camus: Christian Metaphysics and Neoplatonism. (Métaphysique chrétienne et neoplatonisme. Paris 1936. Écrit pour obtention un diplôme d'études supérieures). As: Rowohlt's German encyclopedia. Vol. 385. Reinbek 1978. 128 pp.
  • Étienne Gilson et al. Philotheus Böhner: The history of Christian philosophy from its beginnings to Nikolaus von Cues. Paderborn 1937. XXX, 620 pp.
  • Gotthard Günther u. Helmut Schelsky: Christian Metaphysics and the Fate of Modern Consciousness. Leipzig 1937. 108 pp.
  • Hans Blumenberg: Contributions to the problem of the originality of the medieval-scholastic ontology. Kiel 1947. 108 sheets (Diss. Univ. Kiel 1947. Ref. Ludwig Landgrebe )
  • Perikles Joannou: Christian Metaphysics in Byzantium. Ettal 1956. - Vol. 1: The Illuminationslehre of Michael Psellos and Joannes Italos. As: Studia patristica et Byzantina. Vol. 3. 1956. VIII, 152 p. [No more published]
  • Gustav Siewerth: Metaphysics of Childhood. As: Collection Horizons. Vol. 3. Einsiedeln 1957. 136 pp. - 2nd edition 1965.
  • Gustav Siewerth: The fate of metaphysics by Thomas zu Heidegger. As: Collection Horizons. Vol. 6. Einsiedeln 1959. XXIV, 520 pp.
  • Karl Jaspers: From ancient to Christian metaphysics. Anaximander, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Plotinus, Anselm. Reinhard Piper publishing house. As: Piper series. Vol. 192. Munich 1979. 152 pp.
  • The metaphysics and the good. Essays on their relationship in antiquity and the Middle Ages. In honor of Jan A. Aertsen. Edited by Goris Wouters. As: Recherches de théologie et philosophie médiévales. Vol. 2. Louvain 1999. XX, 184 pp.
  • Werner Löser: Truth given. Approaching the work of Hans Urs von Balthasar. Würzburg 2015. 350 pp.
  • According to Thomas Aquinas, the metaphysical character of knowledge is demonstrated by the nature of the sensual act. Diss. Univ. Freiburg Breisgau 1931
  • The apriority of knowledge as the unified basis of the philosophical system of Thomas Aquinas. Habil.-Schr. Univ. Freiburg Breisgau 1938.
  • The fate of metaphysics by Thomas zu Heidegger. Einsiedeln 1959.
  • Basic questions of philosophy in the horizon of the difference of being. Collected essays on philosophy. Düsseldorf 1963
  • Ferdinand Ulrich: Writings. 5 vols. Martin Biehler. Einsiedeln 1998–2006.
    • Vol. 1: Homo abyssus. The risk of the question of being. 1998. LIV, 534 pp.
    • Vol. 2: Life in the unity of life and death. 1999. XL, 364 pp.
    • Vol. 3: Narrated sense. Philosophical experiences in the imagery of fairy tales. 2000. XVI, 528 pp. - 2nd, by author. 2002 edition. Narrated sense. Ontology of becoming oneself in the imagery of fairy tales. 2002. XVI, 540 pp.
    • Vol. 4: Logo Tokos. The man and the word. Ed. U. a. v. Stefan Oster. 2003. XLVIII, 698 pp.
    • Vol. 5: Gift and forgiveness. A contribution to biblical ontology. Ed. U. a. v. Stefan Oster. 2006. XL, 832 pp