Date: Wed, 03 Sep 2003 14:37:30 -0500
From: allen scult <allen.scult-AT-drake.edu>
Subject: Re: God and Philosophy


>Allen Scult wrote:
>
>>>Perhaps Heidegger's rules are indicative
>>>of what Dasein can be.
>>>
>>>Dasein can find God in its understanding
>>>of itself. It can be a creative being,
>>>it can be the ground of all grounds, etc.
>>>To say it bluntly, fundamental ontology
>>>_is_ theology.
>>
>>Henk,
>>
>>Well put.  I don't think the part played by "theology" in 
>>Heidegger's early ontology
>>can be over-estimated.  The impulse to think God  carries with it a 
>>romantic/creative
>>fervor which is powerfully present (Pardon the expression!) in the 
>>Presocratics, and is
>>recovered and re-inscribed by the German romantics, Hoelderlin and 
>>perhaps most " philosophically" by Schlegel:
>>
>>"Ideas are infinite, independent, unceasingly moving in themselves, 
>>godlike thoughts." (Ideas, 10)
>
>The problem is that I don't see how this is phenomenologically 
>distinct from atheist Dasein. An atheist Dasein can also understand 
>itself as as creative being, the ground of all grounds, etc. So this 
>does not seem enough for a phenomenological ground for God.
>
>Anthony Crifasi

Hi Anthony,

On the one hand, I think it's like comparing experiences of great 
art, music philosophy, or even ice cream.
There's no way I can convince you that my experience of the 
work/thing is richer and fuller than yours.
But I can SHOW you through the language I create to EVOKE something 
of the experience in you.  I talked about this in an earlier post as 
communicating the "thrill" of thinking this way.  Kierkegaard speaks 
of it
as "communicating a competency."  But whatever you call it, the 
"audience" must be willing to hear what
you hear in the words you speak to evoke the experience.  I 
understand the audiences which the Homeric bards were blessed with 
were exceedingly "helpful" in this regard.  If you've ever been at an 
African American Church and tried to join in the" responsiveness" (I 
couldn't), you know something of what this means in both its presence 
and its absence.

Allen


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