The Fidelity of Reason: A Phenomenological Metaphysics of Self, Nature and Divinity

Description

The book reveals a phenomenological metaphysics, which places it at the cutting edge of contemporary work on phenomenology. It addresses the crisis of world that is all around us as the meaning structures relating to self, nature and divinity all seem to be undermined politically and socially within the current reality of climatic, geo-political and ideology turmoil. In addressing these issues, this text argues for a renewed understanding of reason as a fidelity to world understood as faithfulness to the being and value of self, nature and divinity. The account of the self engages with contemporary and older phenomenological discussions (Husserl, Heidegger, Ricoeur, Henry, Zahavi) as well as debates in the Philosophy of Mind; the account of nature ranges over Schelling’s Naturphilosophie, Whitehead, Philosophy of Quantum Physics and Bruno Latour; the section on divinity engages with debates in Anthropology and the History of Religion as well as within the so-called ‘theological turn’ and theological discussions of ecology. This book is directed at scholars working within the fields of phenomenology, philosophy of nature, philosophy of self, philosophical theology, philosophy of religion and metaphysics as well as upper undergraduate and graduate students in philosophy, ecological studies and theology. Preface References Acknowledgements Contents Chapter 1: Introduction World and the metaphysica specialis The Hermeneutical Transcendentals: Self, Nature and Divinity Reason and Faith Chapter Descriptions References Part I: Self Introduction to Part I References Chapter 2: The Methodological Self Reduction, Scepticism, Ataraxia Promise and the Teleological Suspension of the Epistemological Method and Death References Chapter 3: The Passionate Self Fortune and Self Feeling of Self Being a Self for and with the Other Love and Emotion References Chapter 4: The Faithful Self Sense Experience The ‘Thin’ Self Boundaries of the Self Faith and Speaking Prayer and Testimony References Chapter 5: A Self Amongst Others Relating to the Other Narrating Self as Person Community Agápe and Transcending Community References Chapter 6: The Ensouled Self Spirit: Power and Force Animal and Vegetative Soul Freedom and World References Part II: Nature Introduction to Part II References Chapter 7: Approaching Nature: Place, Motion and Expression Within Nature Motion and Place Expression References Chapter 8: Idea-Formation, Making and Materiality Idea-Formation Material Qualities Making and Ruination Technology and Art References Chapter 9: Natural Knowledge: Knowing and Being Known Apocalypse Causality and Enchantment Beauty Wild Nature References Chapter 10: The True and the Right: Nature and Fallenness Duplicity Agency and Reality Responsibility and Justice The Question of Right and Transcendence References Part III: Divinity Introduction to Part III References Chapter 11: Divine Presence and Absence Divine Presence ‘Religion’ Ritual Towards Monotheism Eschatology and Eucharist Absence of God Atheism Revelation and Emotion References Chapter 12: Command and Love Command Love Command to Love References Chapter 13: Capacity/Incapacity Myth of the Fall Capacity and the Fall: Augustinian/Pelagian Redemption: Collective and Cosmological References Conclusion Index