Does God intervene in our lives? In this paper, I respond “yes” and work out a Thomistic account ... more Does God intervene in our lives? In this paper, I respond “yes” and work out a Thomistic account of special divine action in human life. I argue that God intensifies His action in moments that are particularly significant for our salvation. In such moments, God intervenes in a contingent mode and reorients our lives for the sake of our final good. First, I present Aquinas’ terminological choice of specialis and intervenire and address concerns expressed in the contemporary divine action debate against the term “intervention”. Second, I discuss the special divine action as a subtype of the special providence that rules over human beings. The special providence mirrors the special place of humans in the created order on account of their reason and freedom. Third, I show that divine interventions occur through irregular contingency. I refer to several interventions: test, habitual grace, God’s moving of the will, God’s enlightenment of the intellect, and punishment. Since it occurs contingently, the special divine action can be known through interpreting signs (a kind of conjectural knowledge). Fourth, I show that not all contingencies are divine interventions. To differentiate between them, I introduce an orientational criterion of interpretation: the transfiguration of a person’s life toward her final good.
held exclusively by Aletheia-Associação Científica e Cultural. This e-offprint is furnished for p... more held exclusively by Aletheia-Associação Científica e Cultural. This e-offprint is furnished for personal use only (for non-commercial research and education use) and shall not be self-archived in electronic repositories. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. If you wish to self-archive your article, contact us to require the written permission of the RPF's editor. For the use of any article or a part of it, the norms stipulated by the copyright law in vigour are applicable. Authors requiring further information regarding Revista Portuguesa de Filosofia archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: http://www.rpf.pt
The medieval Biblical hermeneutics universalizes the notion of meaning and begins a trend that re... more The medieval Biblical hermeneutics universalizes the notion of meaning and begins a trend that reaches its peak in contemporary hermeneutics, crossing also into analytic philosophy. Accordingly, meaning conveys properties of the known object, its origin and transformation, its action upon other objects, and its place within a larger context. Meaning attaches to all things in the universe-not just language. Therefore, things have meaning, too. This paper first shows how hermeneutics extended the sphere of meaning from language to things. My short historical survey starts with medieval Biblical hermeneutics, continues with German Protestant hermeneutics, and finishes with contemporary hermeneutics and the influence of Neo-Kantianism. Then, I discuss the various significations of meaning that pertain to the object's aspects and question how this polysemy can be fruitful. Finally, I draw from Nozick's account of meaning that has many similarities with hermeneutics.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
For Christians, coping with a crisis requires a proper expectation of the end of the world. This ... more For Christians, coping with a crisis requires a proper expectation of the end of the world. This article will discuss the experience of Thessalonians' persecuted community, who receive solace and orientation from Saint Paul's eschatological teaching. I will focus on Aquinas' and Heidegger's reading of Saint Paul's letters to the Thessalonians. Their interpretation reveals two opposite ways of waiting for the end of the world, which pertain to two different modes of human rationality: (1) the calculative reasoning of those who claim to know when the end will happen, and (2) the lucidity and sobriety of the true believers, who accept that nobody can know the day of the second coming of Christ and thus we have to continually prepare and be ready for it. Which way is the most suited to handle a crisis like the current pandemic? The calculative reason is necessary for fields like medicine, which are crucial in defeating the pandemic. However, when dealing with a crisis that brings us unexpected and unknown circumstances, we also need the virtuous, sober, and awakened attitude promoted by Saint Paul in his letters and highlighted by Aquinas and Heidegger.
is paper argues that Heidegger's description of death as a phenomenon of life opens a path to imm... more is paper argues that Heidegger's description of death as a phenomenon of life opens a path to immortality different from the classical arguments. In the first part, I will explain why, for Heidegger, the account of immortality must start from a phenomenology of death, and I will analyze the characteristics of Beingtowards-death. en, I will discuss the relationship between immortality and death's revelation of Being. Finally, I will examine the Christian background of Heidegger's conception of death and immortality, and I will address some objections.
This paper argues that causation is the core of the narrative meaning of life. In the first part,... more This paper argues that causation is the core of the narrative meaning of life. In the first part, I show that the narrative meaning of life does not stop at narrative identity and includes causal relations beyond personal agency. In the second part, I employ Aristotle's definition of plot in the Poetics as the compass for the narrative meaning of life. I show that all requirements of a plot pertain to causal relations. In the third part, I discuss the value of narrative causal relations. Here I challenge the instrumentalist accounts that deny any intrinsic value to narrative causal relations and see them as instrumental to other sorts of meaning (e.g., the ethical). I finally defend the ontological value of narrative causation, which inheres in the structure of causal relations.
quadrimestrale di informazione, bilancio ed esercizio della filosofia n° 37, anno XIII, 2020-21 (... more quadrimestrale di informazione, bilancio ed esercizio della filosofia n° 37, anno XIII, 2020-21 (A13): s a g g i (peer review) PEM 8 cristallo, o un frutto del paradiso? Che perciò dovesse essere dell'intera Umanità, di tutti e di nessuno, festa di popoli, pace e fede racchiusa nell'iride d'un solo uomo, coperto dalla pesante tuta spaziale, dalla stola d'un annuncio.
This chapter discusses the ways in which theism provides answers to the question of the meaning o... more This chapter discusses the ways in which theism provides answers to the question of the meaning of life.
Hermeneutics approaches the meaning of life quite uniquely: it grasps the intrinsic intelligibili... more Hermeneutics approaches the meaning of life quite uniquely: it grasps the intrinsic intelligibility of life by employing a universal concept of meaning, applicable to all phenomena. While other conceptions identify the meaning of life with values or scopes, hermeneutics starts from a grass-roots work on the meanings that are embedded at every level of reality. In this paper, I analyze this approach, especially focusing on Husserl, Heidegger, and Gadamer. First, I outline Husserl’s philosophy of meaning as developed in response to the crisis of meaning. Second, I discuss Heidegger’s concept of meaning and his understanding of life as self-movement. Third, I analyze Gadamer’s concept of common sense (viewed as the grasp of the totality of life) and his idea of hermeneutic mediation that conveys the meaning of life itself.
Does God intervene in our lives? In this paper, I respond “yes” and work out a Thomistic account ... more Does God intervene in our lives? In this paper, I respond “yes” and work out a Thomistic account of special divine action in human life. I argue that God intensifies His action in moments that are particularly significant for our salvation. In such moments, God intervenes in a contingent mode and reorients our lives for the sake of our final good. First, I present Aquinas’ terminological choice of specialis and intervenire and address concerns expressed in the contemporary divine action debate against the term “intervention”. Second, I discuss the special divine action as a subtype of the special providence that rules over human beings. The special providence mirrors the special place of humans in the created order on account of their reason and freedom. Third, I show that divine interventions occur through irregular contingency. I refer to several interventions: test, habitual grace, God’s moving of the will, God’s enlightenment of the intellect, and punishment. Since it occurs contingently, the special divine action can be known through interpreting signs (a kind of conjectural knowledge). Fourth, I show that not all contingencies are divine interventions. To differentiate between them, I introduce an orientational criterion of interpretation: the transfiguration of a person’s life toward her final good.
held exclusively by Aletheia-Associação Científica e Cultural. This e-offprint is furnished for p... more held exclusively by Aletheia-Associação Científica e Cultural. This e-offprint is furnished for personal use only (for non-commercial research and education use) and shall not be self-archived in electronic repositories. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. If you wish to self-archive your article, contact us to require the written permission of the RPF's editor. For the use of any article or a part of it, the norms stipulated by the copyright law in vigour are applicable. Authors requiring further information regarding Revista Portuguesa de Filosofia archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: http://www.rpf.pt
The medieval Biblical hermeneutics universalizes the notion of meaning and begins a trend that re... more The medieval Biblical hermeneutics universalizes the notion of meaning and begins a trend that reaches its peak in contemporary hermeneutics, crossing also into analytic philosophy. Accordingly, meaning conveys properties of the known object, its origin and transformation, its action upon other objects, and its place within a larger context. Meaning attaches to all things in the universe-not just language. Therefore, things have meaning, too. This paper first shows how hermeneutics extended the sphere of meaning from language to things. My short historical survey starts with medieval Biblical hermeneutics, continues with German Protestant hermeneutics, and finishes with contemporary hermeneutics and the influence of Neo-Kantianism. Then, I discuss the various significations of meaning that pertain to the object's aspects and question how this polysemy can be fruitful. Finally, I draw from Nozick's account of meaning that has many similarities with hermeneutics.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
For Christians, coping with a crisis requires a proper expectation of the end of the world. This ... more For Christians, coping with a crisis requires a proper expectation of the end of the world. This article will discuss the experience of Thessalonians' persecuted community, who receive solace and orientation from Saint Paul's eschatological teaching. I will focus on Aquinas' and Heidegger's reading of Saint Paul's letters to the Thessalonians. Their interpretation reveals two opposite ways of waiting for the end of the world, which pertain to two different modes of human rationality: (1) the calculative reasoning of those who claim to know when the end will happen, and (2) the lucidity and sobriety of the true believers, who accept that nobody can know the day of the second coming of Christ and thus we have to continually prepare and be ready for it. Which way is the most suited to handle a crisis like the current pandemic? The calculative reason is necessary for fields like medicine, which are crucial in defeating the pandemic. However, when dealing with a crisis that brings us unexpected and unknown circumstances, we also need the virtuous, sober, and awakened attitude promoted by Saint Paul in his letters and highlighted by Aquinas and Heidegger.
is paper argues that Heidegger's description of death as a phenomenon of life opens a path to imm... more is paper argues that Heidegger's description of death as a phenomenon of life opens a path to immortality different from the classical arguments. In the first part, I will explain why, for Heidegger, the account of immortality must start from a phenomenology of death, and I will analyze the characteristics of Beingtowards-death. en, I will discuss the relationship between immortality and death's revelation of Being. Finally, I will examine the Christian background of Heidegger's conception of death and immortality, and I will address some objections.
This paper argues that causation is the core of the narrative meaning of life. In the first part,... more This paper argues that causation is the core of the narrative meaning of life. In the first part, I show that the narrative meaning of life does not stop at narrative identity and includes causal relations beyond personal agency. In the second part, I employ Aristotle's definition of plot in the Poetics as the compass for the narrative meaning of life. I show that all requirements of a plot pertain to causal relations. In the third part, I discuss the value of narrative causal relations. Here I challenge the instrumentalist accounts that deny any intrinsic value to narrative causal relations and see them as instrumental to other sorts of meaning (e.g., the ethical). I finally defend the ontological value of narrative causation, which inheres in the structure of causal relations.
quadrimestrale di informazione, bilancio ed esercizio della filosofia n° 37, anno XIII, 2020-21 (... more quadrimestrale di informazione, bilancio ed esercizio della filosofia n° 37, anno XIII, 2020-21 (A13): s a g g i (peer review) PEM 8 cristallo, o un frutto del paradiso? Che perciò dovesse essere dell'intera Umanità, di tutti e di nessuno, festa di popoli, pace e fede racchiusa nell'iride d'un solo uomo, coperto dalla pesante tuta spaziale, dalla stola d'un annuncio.
This chapter discusses the ways in which theism provides answers to the question of the meaning o... more This chapter discusses the ways in which theism provides answers to the question of the meaning of life.
Hermeneutics approaches the meaning of life quite uniquely: it grasps the intrinsic intelligibili... more Hermeneutics approaches the meaning of life quite uniquely: it grasps the intrinsic intelligibility of life by employing a universal concept of meaning, applicable to all phenomena. While other conceptions identify the meaning of life with values or scopes, hermeneutics starts from a grass-roots work on the meanings that are embedded at every level of reality. In this paper, I analyze this approach, especially focusing on Husserl, Heidegger, and Gadamer. First, I outline Husserl’s philosophy of meaning as developed in response to the crisis of meaning. Second, I discuss Heidegger’s concept of meaning and his understanding of life as self-movement. Third, I analyze Gadamer’s concept of common sense (viewed as the grasp of the totality of life) and his idea of hermeneutic mediation that conveys the meaning of life itself.
Dominican School for Philosophy and Theology, 2019
This talk shows that causality is the core of the narrative meaning of life. I propose three type... more This talk shows that causality is the core of the narrative meaning of life. I propose three types of causality at work in the human life: causality of intentions, causality of history and events, causality of persons.
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