Philosophy as a Rite of Rebirth - Algis Uždavinys (original) (raw)
Related papers
Philosophy as Human and Spiritual Formation
In an age in which the discipline of philosophy grows ever more specialized and moves ever farther toward the margins of typical universities, Catholic seminaries have been directed by the bishops to a renewed focus on philosophical studies. How can philosophy constitute a mode of human formation and spiritual formation? How can the study of philosophy further a man’s development in the virtues, in affective maturity, in capacity for right relation to others, and so on? What does philosophy have to do with the life of prayer and of grace? Three basic answers to these questions stand out. First, right understanding removes obstacles to right action. The PPF and John Paul II, in Pastores dabo vobis, emphasize this connection. Second, participating in philosophical inquiry provides an occasion for the cultivation of virtues, both intellectual and moral. Finally, philosophy’s intimate connection to prayer appears in its highest object and its contemplative nature.
Philosophy, Religion, and Spirituality
Spirituality and the Good Life: Philosophical Approaches, 2017
The role of philosophy Philosophy has long been a contested subject, and there have been, and still are, many different and often conflicting conceptions of its proper scope and aims. But if we go back to how its founding father, Socrates, conceived of the philosophical enterprise, we find one element which has continued to be central to much if not all subsequent philosophizing, that of critical scrutiny or examination (in Greek exetasis), encapsulated in Socrates' famous pronouncement at his trial, 'the unexamined life is not worth living for a human being'. 1 For Socrates, such 'examination' meant, in the first place, a careful scrutiny of the meaning of our concepts: What do we really mean by justice, or piety, or courage? Can we define these notions?; Do we really understand the criteria for their use? … and so on. And of course this basic feature of philosophizing remains central today. Philosophers continue to be preoccupied with language, and with the correct analysis of concepts, both in general use and in the specialised disciplines; indeed, for a fair time during the latter part of the twentieth century, it was held that the analysis of language was the only proper object of philosophy. 2 Yet alongside what may be called this technical or professional concern with meaning and language, philosophers have very often also had a commitment to 'examination' in a deeper sense: they have felt a powerful drive to stand back from our day-today preoccupations and concerns and to inquire into the overall direction and purpose of our lives, and the significance of our human existence. This deeper project of examination also has its roots in Socrates, who was patently committed, like many of his successors in the Classical and Hellenistic philosophical worlds, to the search for a life of integrity and virtue. The wording of Socrates' famous pronouncement at his trial should remind us that philosophical 'examination', for Socrates, involved not just a series of abstract conceptual puzzles but a critical scrutiny of the entire character of one's life (bios). What is more, as is made clear in the Apology, Socrates' philosophical vocation was linked with an unwavering allegiance to the dictates of his conscience, the 'divine sign', as he put it, whose inner voice demanded his obedience. 3 Socrates reproaches his Athenian accusers for being very concerned with things like money and reputation, but not having the faintest concern for the improvement of the most precious part of themselvestheir souls. 4 And he goes on to explain that the very activity for which he was famousengaging his interlocutors in philosophical dialoguewas explicitly designed to 'persuade young and old to make their first and chief concern not for their bodies or their wealth, but for the best possible condition of their souls.' 5
"Contents" & "Introduction", Philosophy as a Way of Life: History, Dimensions, Directions
Philosophy as a Way of Life: History, Dimensions, Directions, 2021
"Contents" and "Introduction" of upcoming work *Philosophy as a Way of Life: History, Dimensions, Directions* (with M. Ure). This work aims to be the first synoptic account tracking the dimensions and directions of this notion of philosophy from the ancients, medievals, renaissance, early moderns, the enlightenment, and the 19th century. The introduction explains the rationale for the book, the principal philosophical and methodological debts especially to the work of Pierre Hadot, our working synthetic notion of spiritual and intellectual exercises, a consideration of PWL as an approach to the history of philosophy, the ten features of the notion of PWL we use to chart the history, and a synopsis of the chapters.
Essence of Eastern Spirituality and Western Philosophy (final)
Authors Press New Delhi, 2021
The speciality of this spiritual-philosophical book is that the subjects are ancient; taking us to the past when Rishis, Saints, Prophets and Philosophers blessed humans with their knowledge and insights, their lifelong experiences, golden ideas and advice which have since the olden times been discussed, elucidated and spoken of by many learned scholars, philosophers and others of different ages from spiritual and religious points of view, from materialistic angles or judged otherwise. Authors of this book are most modern in their thoughts and ideas in spite of the fact that most of them are very senior among contemporary writers. They have discussed the age-old knowledge refined in their multilingual, multidimensional modern cauldron of culture and understanding. All of them are more or less free from bigotry and narrowness. Four of the seven authors are poets first before any other type of composer, scholar, writer or artist. In professional life one was a member of the Indian Administrative Service, one was a member of the Indian Police Service, one was a member of Indian Revenue Service and another a legal expert; of them two were members of the Judicial Tribunal. One is a Professor and Academician and the other is a University Professor Emeritus. One was a banker (a Bank Executive). So the book is a meeting place of various professionals who merged into the vast field of poetry and literature which include all professions and go beyond to embrace life and whatever is or is not there beyond life. The works of poets and litterateurs embrace all and goes beyond.
In search of the origins of philosophy
International Conference on Agricultural Studies and Practical Work , 2019
It has become a general premise of Indology that the poetry of the Samhitas, the ritualistic prose of the Brahmanas and the philosophical outpourings of the Upanishads, their development and content are chronologically and qualitatively exclusive of each other i.e. they represent successive stages of Vedic literature, history and philosophy. On closer look, the view fails to hold either in the concern of composition, compilation or even of concept. One safe path across this chronological obscurity is to search out the references to historical personalities, contemporary or reminiscent, contained within these texts. The line of teachers of Vedantic philosophy recorded in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad VI.5 offers a unique opportunity in this regard.
Journal of Philosophical Theological Research, 2020
Article link: http://pfk.qom.ac.ir/article\_1717\_0523ec797ef9bf699a7913b7104fe9b1.pdf ABSTRACT The dissolution of the Western-dominated Postwar Order, and the Eurocentric myths that sustain it, presents a unique opportunity to ponder an old question posed by every new generation: How can philosophy, which Islamic and ancient Greek learning traditions have long defined as the pursuit of "wisdom," resume its millennial civilizing role? This paper looks beyond passing political events to reconsider why philosophy was viewed in this role. As different as al-Fārābī, Ibn Sīnā, Ibn Khaldūn, Mullā Ṣadrā, Hegel and Heidegger are from each other, they all approached the question of civilization philosophically by way of the fundamental question of beingness (mawjūdiyya) and existence (wujūd). Moreover, they strove for "completeness" of thinking with the "practical," where, however, they resisted the temptation to reduce man to his practical or biological functions. Given the magnitude of the present challenges we all face, no dialogue across cultural boundaries can ignore the caution with which philosophical tradition has laid out the terms of this completeness in being.
Rebirth: The Shaky Foundation of the Four Noble Truths
This article demonstrates that the very foundation of the Four Noble Truths presupposes the reality of rebirth, of samsara, along with karma. Without the assumption that rebirth occurs the whole edifice of the Four Noble Truths crumbles. I also observe that the doctrine of rebirth is by its very nature dehumanising and compare and contrast this with the humanising truths of the gospel message.