Offline
I just discovered the forum, by way of mention on Ed Feser's blog, and at the same time learned of the passing of Scott. Since I'm absolutely new here, I don't know much about Scott or the forum itself, except that it's all about civil discussion of classical theism and related philosophical and theological concerns. I hope to learn more.
I'm 62, with a PhD in philosophy (analytic). I teach at a Catholic university, but I'm not Catholic. I'm best described as a "recovering atheist" and "entry-level Christian."
Offline
Hello Doctor! I'm sure this forum will be blessed to have you, welcome!
Offline
Welcome!
I'm never going to get any other Hegelians, am I?
Offline
dingodile wrote:
I just discovered the forum, by way of mention on Ed Feser's blog, and at the same time learned of the passing of Scott. Since I'm absolutely new here, I don't know much about Scott or the forum itself, except that it's all about civil discussion of classical theism and related philosophical and theological concerns. I hope to learn more.
I'm 62, with a PhD in philosophy (analytic). I teach at a Catholic university, but I'm not Catholic. I'm best described as a "recovering atheist" and "entry-level Christian."
Hello ding, and welcome. Thank you very much for your condolences.
I would say your description of this forum is accurate, except that I'm not always very civil lol. Thanks also for instructing young people in philosophy. I look forward to your contributions!
Timo.
Offline
Hello, ding, what made you become an entry level Christian?
Offline
884heid wrote:
Hello, ding, what made you become an entry level Christian?
Well, it's a long and not very interesting story. But I'll say this much. Even though I decided as a teenager that I was an atheist, unlike many atheists (such as my father), I could never quite just walk away and leave it alone. I kept being drawn back, if not to Christianity then to something. For a long time it was ABC spirituality (Anything But Christianity): Sidha Yoga, various "alternative" revelations, whatever passes for Buddhism in the US, and so on. I kept quiet about these things when I was around my philosophy friends.
At some point I became aware that I was in serious denial about my own inner state. I actually found some of the arguments for the existence of God more compelling than I was willing to let on. I found the historical case for the resurrection of Jesus also stronger than I'd been willing to consider. When Antony Flew published his about-face book, There Is a God, in 2007, I found I couldn't keep up the pretense of atheism. I was, and still am, impressed by the fine-tuning argument, and unimpressed by the various attempts to refute it.
There's more, but that's enough. I'm still very confused theologically.
Offline
Anyone with a name like dingodile has got to be a good guy. Welcome aboard.
Offline
iwpoe wrote:
Welcome!
I'm never going to get any other Hegelians, am I?
I didn't know that you were a Hegelian Iwpoe; what sort of books do you recommend as an intro into his thought, because I'm about 95% sure that most people get him wrong, including, but certainly not limited to, my beloved Reginald Garigou Lagrange?
And also, welcome!
Offline
I'm a weird Hegelian, because I basically think he's got a perfectly acceptable of itself metaphysical project that tries to accommodate the tradition to modern thought.
Try Stanley Rosen's two books on Hegel.
Allan White's two early books (one on Hegel the other on Schelling) are also very good.
Frederick C. Beiser is good.
Stephen Houlgate is good.
HS Harris is good.
If the author is influenced by Derrida, it's going to be a bad reading. If the author is Brandom or trys to give a Kantian reading: Pinkard, Pippin. It's going to miss a lot of the point.
Heidegger and Gadamer's readings are good, but the former has the problem that all Heidegger reading's do: where it's suddenly about the historical occlusion of Sein/Being (or Seyn/Beyng if Heidegger's in a mood).
I think a good edition of the History of Philosophy is a good way in. The best is the new 3 volume Oxford. Get your head screwed on right especially about Plato and Aristotle, and read them with Hegel Philosophically, not historically, or you'll miss the point.
I'm trying to get my classical metaphysical understanding good enough that I can read Hegel metaphysically. There are very few readers who are able to do so.
Offline
Welcome!