aristotle and phenomenology and bultmannimages.pcmac.org/sisfiles/.../uploads/...bultmann.pdf ·...
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FriedrichNietzsche
RecognizedGodasaconstructforustohidefromsuffering.“Godisdead.Wehavekilledhim,youandI.”
Sawvalueinsuffering forustobecomestronger“Thatwhichdoesnotkillmemakesmestronger.”
DidnotbelieveinFreeWill;wearedetermined.
Strongwillv.WeakwillWearestrong ifweacceptourfate.Weareweakifweavoidsuffering.
Superman (Ubermensch). • Wearemoving pasttheeraofslavemorality,whichmakesvirtuesoutofourweaknesses.• Thenewhuman(Supermen) willcreateculturetoreplacereligion.• Supermen areindividuals whowillthinkforthemselves,andmakemorallawsforthemselves.• Supermenwillalsocarefor theweakandbuildupculture/societyoutofcompassion.• ThestrengthofSupermen liesintheirjoyfulacceptanceoffateandtheirsufferingbecauseofhowit
ennobles them.
Existentialism
Existentialistsbelievefundamentallyintheradicalfreedomofindividuals.Wehidefromourfreedombybelievinginrealitiesthatdonotexist.
Examples:moralrules,conventions,needforcertainmaterialthings,labels.
SartreandCamus,likeNietzsche,recognizeGodandmoralityasconceptsthatrestrictourfreedom.
ForSartre,beingobservedreducesthehumantoanobject.Anall-knowingGod,whodesignedusforaspecificpurpose,necessarilyrestrictsourfreedom.
Thenatureofradicalnotionoffreedomfortheexistentialistslieintherecognitionthatwehumansareverbs,notobjects.Wearenotdeterminedbywhatweare,butwedetermineourselvesbywhatwedo.
MauriceMerleau-PontyPhenomenology:Thestudyoftheappearanceofthings.Lessconcernedwithobjectiveexistence;oftendoesnotaddressexistence.
”IfGodexists,Iamnotfree.IfIamfree,Godcannotexist.”–Sartre
FellowexistentialistandphenomenologistMauriceMerleau-Ponty criticizedSartre’snotionoffreedom.
• ForMerleau-Ponty,Sartreignoredtheextenttowhichweashumansactuallydoexistintheworld.
• Thereisnoabsolutedistinctionbetweenobserverandtheobserved.• Wearefreeintheworld,butnotseparatefromit.• Ourfreedomisnotradicalbecauseweinevitiablyaffectthethingsweinteractwith
(ifonlybyobservation)andtheyaffectus.ObservingrealityislikehandlingHoney..
Phenomenology,Freedom,andGodTocalleveryactionradicallyfree,asSartredoes,makesnosense.Iftheactionofarebelliousslaveisthesameastheactionofanon-reflectiveworkingmanoranartistismeaningless.
Freedomcanexistonlyifthereareobstaclestofreedom.Merleau-Ponty,asaphenomenologist,talksaboutthephenomenonofGod,butavoidstalkingabouttheobjectiveexistenceofanything.
DoesMerleau-Ponty’s conceptionofFreedomallowfortheexistenceofGod?
WhatwouldGodbelikeinMerleau-Ponty’s understanding?
MoralRelativism
Theclaimthatquestionsofmoralitycanonlybeansweredrelativetothetimeandcustomsofthesocietyinwhichtheproblemarises.
Twomaintypes:DescriptiveMoralrelativism:holdsthatculturesdisagreeaboutmoralvaluesandsimplymakemoraljudgementsforeachculturerelativetoitsnorms.Meta-EthicalMoralRelativism:Holdsthatthetruthorfalsityofmoraljudgementsisnotabsoluteoruniversal,butisrelativetotradition.Moraldisputescannotberationallysolvedandshouldthereforebetolerated.
IsSartreamoralrelativist?Camus?Kierkegaard?WhatisSartre’sconceptionofethics?Whataretheweaknessesofthisconception?
AreMorallawsabsolute?WhatisthedifferencebetweenculturalcustomsandObjectivemorality?Whyhavesomanycultureengagedinpracticesthatweconsiderwrong?
WhatisGod?
IfGodisinfinite,Hecannotbedefined.IsitstillmeaningfultousethewordGodinconversationifwecannotdefinetheterm?
WhataretheattributesofGodasinferredbytheproofsoftheExistenceofGod?
Godaspureexistence:anactofexistingaccordingtoAquinas.IsthisthenotionofGoddeniedbyDawkinsorSartre?
AristotlePhilosophybeganwithSocrates,whowasthefirsttoconsiderhumansandthebestwaytoliveratherthantojuststudytheheavens.
ThefourCausesofathingtoexist:MaterialFormalEfficientFinal
Whatarethefourcausesof:ahouse,adog,apieceoffruit,ahuman?
Soul:Thefirstandenduringactofananimalbodywiththecapacityforlife.
SoulofananimalincludestheFormalcause,theefficientcause,andthefinalcause.
AristotleandNaturalLawHumansobserveconsistentlawsintheuniverseandarethereforeabletodeviseamethodforlivingwell.
Aristotledistinguishesbetweenthosecharacteristicsthatbenefitahumanandthosethathinderhappinessinoneselforinothers.
Iftheuniversewerenotmoreorlessconsistent,man’sreasonwouldbeofnouse,andhumanswouldbenobetterthananimals.
Aristotlebelievedthatmorallaws,orrulesofhumanconductdonotchangeinthesamewaythelawsofphysicsdonotchange.
Thedifferenceishumanshavethecapacitytounderstandtheirrelationshiptotheworldintheiractofbeingandtotherebylivewell.
NaturalLaw:Canmeandifferentthingsindifferentcontexts.Ingeneral,naturallawisknowntousbyourreason.
InCivillaw:naturalrelationshipsformthefoundationoflaw,andmuchofthisisnotarticulatedinlawdocuments,asopposedtolegalpositivismwhichholdssocietymakeslawsoutliningitsrelationships.
Inmoralphilosophy:referstoanaturalconceptionofmoralobligationandresponsibility.Wearecreatedthroughournaturetowardaparticularend.Actionsinaccordwiththatnatureandendaregood,thosewhichdrawusawayareevil.
Threenormsofnaturallaw(Aquinas):
Thediscriminatingnorm:humannature/biology/psychology
Theultimatenorm:theideal.ForAquinas,thisisderivedfromthenatureofGodandrepresentswhathumansshouldbe
Themanifestingnorm:determinesthemoralqualityofactions.Byweighingthediscriminatingnormandthemanifestingnorm,thishelpsusdetermineacourseofaction.
ThequalitiesofnaturalLaw:
Itisuniversal.
Itisunchangeable.
CivilLaworhumanderivesfromitandhasnoauthoritytochangeit.Humanlawhelpsusinterpretnaturallawinspecificcircumstances.
ProblemswithNaturalLaw
IsNaturalLawnecessaryifwearetobelievethereisarationalbasisforhumanconduct?
Istherearationalbasisforhumanconductorisrightandwrongultimatelyarbitrary?
WhatobjectionsmightpeoplehavetoNaturalLaw?
Istheuniverseultimatelyirrational?Isitpossiblethatanyorderweseeintheuniverseisimposedsimplybyourownminds?
Theproblemofpain:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjcpW_kPYq0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPm6Y-pANYI
BultmannDe-Mythologization
Anthropology:IntheNewTestamentperiod,peoplethoughtofthemselvesaspossessedbyforcesofnatureanddemonicspirits.
• Modernpeoplerecognizeourradicalfreedomandresponsibility.• Wehavedominionovernatureandoverourselvesandcanrationally
organizeourlives.
• Ourthoughts,feelings,andwillbelongtous.
• Althoughweareconditionedbyourphysicalbodies,weknowourtrueselvestobeindependentofnature.
BultmannDe-Mythology
MythologycontainsstumblingblockstomodernthinkingJesus’ethicalteachingsshouldbemaintained
De-Mythologization:theprocessofinterpreting,notdismissing,elementsofNewTestamentworldview.
Mythsgiveworldlyobjectivitytothatwhichisnon-objective.Theygiveusametaphoricalwayoftalkingaboutrealitieswhichcannotbediscussedotherwise.
Metaphorspervadeallformsofhumanthoughtandspeech.• Modernsciencemakespervasiveuseofmetaphors,e.g.“Stringtheory.”Justasthe
metaphorofstringshouldnotbeunderstoodliterally,neithershouldmythology.
BultmannInterpretationoftheNewTestament
Inordertounderstandatext,onemusthavesomerelationshiptoit• Inordertounderstandamusicalscore,onemustbemusical.• Inordertounderstandahistoricaltext,onemusthavean
understandingofselfinhistory.
HowdoweunderstandtheBibleifwerejectmythology?Onwhatbasiscanweunderstandit?• WehaveanunderstandingofGodinadvance.• Wehaveanunderstandingofwhatitmeanstoexistandtoface
existentialistquestions.
BultmannDe-Mythologization oftheCrossandResurrection
JesushimselfwasaPharisee,andbelievedintheResurrectionoftheDead.Jesus’followersthoughthewouldbethefirsttoberaisedandothersimmediatelyafter.TheResurrectionanditsworldviewwasdisprovedwhentherewasnogeneralResurrection.
TheMeaningoftheResurrectioncomesfromtheCross.TheCrossrepresents:
theremissionofoursinsbyGodourexistentialfreedomfromsintheachievementoffreedombyself-sacrifice(ofdesires)
Existentialistresponsetosuffering
Theuniverseisirrational.Aristotlewaswronginrecognizingahumansoulwhichalignshumanswithnature.Theuniverseisirrational,andsowecannotultimatelyknowitbyreason.ThereisnoNaturalLawbindinghumanactivity.
AtheisticExistentialists:Sartre,Camus,Nietzsche:Inthefaceofanabsurd,irrationalworld,wemustmakeourownlaws.Theselawsarebasedonnoobjectivefoundation,butarearbitrary.
TheisticExistentialists:Kierkegaard,Bultmann:Wecannotultimatelyknowtheuniversebyreason.However,Godrevealstoushowtolivewell.FaithandtrustinGodoverhumanreasonistheultimatewisdom.
RudolfBultmannGermantheologianduringWWII.CriticoftheNazis.
WroteNewTestamentandMythologyand JesusChristandMythology,claimingthatChristianchurchesaresocaughtupindogmaaboutJesusChristthattheyhavelosthisoriginalmessage
DeniestheResurrectionandmiraclesasliteralevents.Instead,theyaremyths.
Myth:theattempttoexpressanon-objectiverealityinsymbolic,objectiveterms.
RudolfBultmann
Twoinfluences:• TheExistentialismofJean-PaulSartre• theliberaltheologyofFriedrichSchleiermacher
TwoImportantbooks:• NewTestamentandMythology(1941)• JesusChristandMythology(1958)
Existentialism influencedBultmann byitsemphasisonthebasicfactsofhumanexistence,particularlyanxietyinthefaceofdeathandmeaninglessness.
• Bultmann wasfrustratedbytheobsessionofChristianchurcheswithdoctrinethathadlittlebearingonthethinkingofmodernpeople.
• SawtheCrossasaneventwhichteachessalvationthroughtheremissionofsinsandtheimportanceofself-sacrifice.
RudolfBultmann
InfluencedbyFriedrichSchleiermacher(1768- 1834)
• FounderofLiberalTheology• Post-Enlightenmentthinker,pre-AmericanCivilWar• Consideredcertainreligiousclaimsasanti-scientific:• Christwasdivine• Christrosefromthedead
Adoptedananthropology*whichdescribedhumansasamicrocosmoftheuniverse.Ineveryhumantheuniverseitselfismarriedtoreason.
*anthropology:thestudyofwhatitmeanstobehuman
RudolfBultmannDe-Mythologization
WecannotuseelectriclightsandmodernmedicineandthenadoptaNewTestamentWorldview
WecannotbelieveHeavenisaboveandHellisbelow.HeavenrepresentsfreedomandaworldoflightHellrepresentsdeath,darkness,allthatisfearful.
Christdidnotascendordescend,becausethisisdependentona“three-story”viewoftheuniverse.