scholarly journals Christian Personalism versus Utilitarianism: An Analysis of Their Approaches to Love and Suffering*

2020 ◽  
Vol 87 (4) ◽  
pp. 425-437
Author(s):  
Peter J. Colosi
Keyword(s):  
Historical Context ◽  
Human Person ◽  
Christian Ethics ◽  
Human Suffering ◽  
Christian Anthropology ◽  
Christian Perspective ◽  
Utilitarian Approach ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Polar Opposite

Although Christian ethics and contemporary utilitarian ethics both employ terms such as “love” and “compassion” in their efforts to deal with human suffering, they are in fact polar opposite ethical views. This fact is not at all easy to discern. One key to perceiving the radical opposition between them lies in clarifying their respective concepts of love and suffering and the relation between the two. In Christian personalism, suffering is always understood as the suffering of individual persons, while in utilitarianism, suffering is primarily understood as a quantifiable entity detached from the individuals who experience it. This detachment of suffering from individuals leads to the depersonalizing and commodifying recommendations of utilitarianism. The dignity of persons as understood in Christian anthropology serves as the foundation of Christian ethics and is the only basis on which ethics can avoid commodifying people. The article begins with an explanation of the utilitarian approach to suffering and its concept of love. It then proceeds to express the view of love and suffering that flows from the Christian perspective. The article concludes by exposing the inherently self-defeating structure of utilitarian ethics and offers the hope-filled, if challenging, approach of Christian personalism. Although Christian anthropology and ethics developed within the historical context of Christianity, and in fact could only have developed there, the arguments here are primarily philosophical elucidations of the differences between the two opposing schools of thought discussed, while here and there including occasional theological points. Summary: The article examines the difference between Christian ethics and utilitarian ethics, bringing out their stark opposition on the topics of love, suffering and the human person.

The Materiality of the Text and Manuscript Culture

2021 ◽  
pp. 48-62
Author(s):  
Martin Eisner
Keyword(s):  
Human Person ◽  
Essential Element ◽  
The Body ◽  
Manuscript Culture ◽  
Christian Anthropology ◽  
Body And Soul ◽  
Christian Thought ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
Materiality Of The Text ◽  
The Relationship

This article investigates the significance of the manuscripts of Virgil and other classical poets that Dante might have read. Calling attention to the presence of musical notation (neumes) in copies that share the particular Virgilian readings Dante quotes, this essay explores the resonance of one of those passages (Aeneas’ dream of Hector) in Dante’s poem. It shows how Dante uses this Virgilian episode to craft his encounter with Manfred where he considers the relationship of body and soul that constitutes one of the major differences between classical and Christian thought, as Augustine frequently noted. Just as Christian anthropology maintains that the body constitutes an essential element of the human person, this essay argues that the materiality of the texts Dante read constitutes a crucial source for understanding how Dante interpreted these texts.

scholarly journals An attempt at clarifying Maximus the Confesor’s remarks on (the fate of) sexual difference in Ambiguum 41

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 194-203
Author(s):  
Sotiris Mitralexis
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Difference ◽  
Human Person ◽  
Close Reading ◽  
Church Fathers ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Maximus The Confessor ◽  
As If

Maximus the Confessor?s Ambiguum 41 contains some rather atypical observations concerning the distinction of sexes in the human person. There is a certain ambiguity as to whether the distinction of the sexes was intended by God and is ?by nature? (as found in Genesis and asserted by most Church Fathers) or a product of the Fall. Namely, Christ is described three times as ?shaking out of nature the distinctive characteristics of male and female?, ?driving out of nature the difference and division of male and female? and ?removing the difference between male and female?. Different readings of those passages engender important implications that can be drawn out from the Confessor?s thought, both eschatological implications and otherwise. The subject has been picked up by Cameron Partridge, Doru Costache and Karolina Kochanczyk-Boninska, among others, but is by no means settled, as they draw quite different conclusions. The noteworthy and far-reaching implications of Maximus? theological stance and problems are not the object of this paper. In a 2017 paper I attempted to demonstrate what Maximus exactly says in these peculiar and oft-commented passages through a close reading, in order to avoid a two-edged Maximian misunderstanding: to either draw overly radical implications from those passages, projecting decidedly non-Maximian visions on the historical Maximus, or none at all, as if those passages represented standard Patristic positions. Here, I am revisiting this argument, given that the interest in what the Confessor has to say on the subject seems to be increasing.

Christian Duty to Bury the Dead and its Contemporary Challenges

2020 ◽  
pp. 233-248
Author(s):  
Tadeusz Zadorożny
Keyword(s):  
Human Body ◽  
Human Person ◽  
Human Remains ◽  
Original Sin ◽  
Christian Anthropology ◽  
Christian Teaching ◽  
Imitation Of Christ ◽  
Christian Culture ◽  
The Dead ◽  
The Church

The custom of burying the dead is not merely commonly accepted by Christianity the way of disposal of the human body after the death. It is most deeply rooted and perfectly expressing Christian anthropology, revealed in the Holy Scriptures as a consequence of original sin, sign of hope in the Resurrection, and imitation of Christ, who was buried in the tomb. In Catholic view the burial is a corporal work of mercy, act of care for the dead and their loved ones. Gaining popularity the practice of cremation is accepted by the Church for the sake of hygiene, economy, or community. Human remains, also in the form of ashes, always must be buried or placed in the columbarium. Church does not allow the human body to be disposed via resomation or promession. Alternative forms of memorializing the deceased, though attractive esthetically and sentimentally, are not only outlandish in Christian culture, but also contrary to the Christian teaching on origins, nature, and destination of the human person.

Laziness in American Literature: The Inaugural Moment

2019 ◽  
pp. 72-144
Author(s):  
Zuzanna Ladyga
Keyword(s):  
American Literature ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Early Republic ◽  
18Th Century ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Didactic Literature ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Speaking Truth To Power ◽  
Romantic Aesthetics

The chapter serves as a historical prelude to chapters on modernism and postmodernism, by providing a historical context for how the trope of laziness evolved in American literature prior to the 20th century. First, it looks at how the motif of laziness functioned in early Puritan literature, how this function was broadened in 18th-century secular and religious didactic literature, and how it eventually developed into an aesthetic device in the Early Republic, when the new trope of laziness combined high Romantic aesthetics of the pastoral with unrefined motifs of vagabondage and delinquency, and in this way addresses the culture’s desire for freedom from the norm of collective labour and from patterns of inclusion and exclusion within the consensual networks of social participation. Second, the chapter explores the difference between the familiar Romantic topos of idleness, which has no subversive potential with respect to ethical normativity and the topos of laziness, which does. Walt Whitman’s trope of loafing is reread here via the Cynical tradition of performative indomitability as parrhēsia, or speaking truth to power. Herman Melville’s experiments with haptic poetics of laziness in Typee are interpreted as a critique of Romantic moralism and the emerging ethico-aesthetic norm of productivity.

scholarly journals The Theme of Humanitarianism as Portrayed in Langston Hughes’ Poetry

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Ahmed Adam Abdalla Babiker
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Langston Hughes ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
Human Suffering ◽  
Human Value ◽  
Western Concept ◽  
Protection Of Human Rights ◽  
Important Means ◽  
The Difference

This study focuses on the theme of humanitarianism as portrayed in Hughes’ poetry. One key objective of this study is to find out to what extent Hughes deals with the theme of humanitarianism in his poetry. Also, to shed lights on the theme of humanitarianism as human value and to compare the western concept of humanitarianism with the Islamic one and reach some conclusions. The study follows the descriptive, analytic and comparative approach to discuss and rationally analyze five selected poems of Hughes with special reference to the theme of humanitarianism that is depicted in them. In accordance, a number of findings have been obtained:  many types of humanitarianism such as reducing the human suffering, protection of human rights, including, right of life, security, freedom, equality, justice and peace have been portrayed in Langston Hughes poetry. In addition, values of impartiality and neutrality which represent the central point of humanitarianism are also portrayed. Also, it can be said that conducting comparative studies is one important means for cultural understanding between different peoples, and can be used as an effective means for the exchange of ideas, values, experiences and yet draw the nations closer to each other; hence contributing to the spread of understanding and peace between peoples. Moreover, despite the existence of some differences in some points, specifications and concepts, nonetheless, the theme of humanitarianism is found as a key value in both American and Islamic traditions; although the difference of cultures, including religions. Lastly, it can be said that due to the findings of the study, we could argue that, the humanitarianism cannot be separated from human rights.

scholarly journals Die noodsaaklikheid van habitat in ons definisie van menswees: Op soek na ’n eko-teologiese verstaan van menslike lewe

2012 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Buitendag
Keyword(s):  
Human Life ◽  
Human Person ◽  
Christian Anthropology ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Cultural Paradigm ◽  
Nature Religion ◽  
Body And Soul ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Theological Understanding ◽  
Deep Green

The indispensability of habitat in our definition of human personhood: In search of an eco-theological understanding of human life. The endeavour of this article is to arrive at a theological responsible conception of life. Life cannot be described adequately only in terms of body and soul (and/or spirit), or even in terms of human personhood. The point is that it is constitutive for life to take the human being’s environment sociologically as well as ecologically into account. This article does not plead for a nature religion as advocated by the Deep Green Movement and all its variations of naturalism and supernaturalism, but asks for a revaluation of a Christian anthropology which approaches the Bible with a green hermeneutics. Perhaps the expression, ‘bio-cultural’ paradigm requests to be substituted with an eco-sociological niche of the human person. An eco-sociological (eco-theological) understanding of homo religiosus is therefore to assume human life as ontologically ‘distributed’.

scholarly journals Christelike gesindheid en politieke protes

2005 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
J.M. Vorster
Keyword(s):  
Minority Groups ◽  
Civil Disobedience ◽  
External Pressure ◽  
Christian Ethics ◽  
Weapons Of Mass Destruction ◽  
Political Protest ◽  
Mass Destruction ◽  
Freedom Of Choice ◽  
Value System ◽  
Christian Perspective

Christian attitude and political protestIn Christian ethics the issue of protest has always been a widely discussed theme. Notwithstanding, the development of constitutional democracies all over the world, the topic has become even more prominent especially as it relates to the following issues: the position of minority groups in majority governments and the freedom of individuals to maintain a certain value system in various spheres of authority. This article discusses the nature of a Christian perspective on political protest and the role such Christian attitude can play. In this regard special reference is made to the strategies of armed resistance, civil disobedience and external pressure. The implementation of the classic idea of “uis ad bellum” is questioned on grounds of the current existence of weapons of mass destruction. Norms are formulated for the responsible use of civil disobedience and external pressure to promote freedom of choice and expression in a peaceful and constructive way.

Gadamer’s Logic of Question and Answer and the Difference Between the History of Philosophy and the History of Ideas

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 360-379
Author(s):  
David Vessey
Keyword(s):  
Historical Context ◽  
Philosophy Of History ◽  
History Of Philosophy ◽  
History Of Ideas ◽  
Philosophical Practice ◽  
Current Discussion ◽  
History Of ◽  
Principle Of Charity ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Hans Georg Gadamer

The key difference between the history of ideas and the history of philosophy is that philosophers always consider their historical studies as potentially contributing to contemporary philosophical practice. Such presentism risks anachronistic readings of texts, but a too narrow focus on the historical context of the text risks limiting its ability to contribute to contemporary philosophizing. The current discussion of the history of philosophy focus entirely on how to understand, and what we can learn from, a philosopher’s claims and arguments. Hans-Georg Gadamer offers a different focus, arguing instead that it is the questions that the text answers that generate insights for contemporary philosophical practice. His focus on questions cuts across the standard ways of thinking about the relation between the history of philosophy and the history of ideas and provides novel answers to some central issues in the philosophy of history, for example how to best articulate a principle of charity.

scholarly journals Makna Kafir dalam Al-Qur'an (Studi Komparatif Penafsiran Ibnu Kasir dan Quraish Shihab)

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 67
Author(s):  
Ahmad Farhan ◽  
Deden Bagus Putra
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Significant Influence ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Ordinary People ◽  
Historical Approach ◽  
Library Research ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
The Difference

The word infidel is mentioned 525 times in the Qur'an. The use of this word infidel has various meanings as in the QS. Ali 'Imran:151, the word infidels are those who associate partners with Allah while in QS. Luqman:12, the Qur'an calls the disbelievers those who disbelieve in the favors of Allah. The difference in the term infidel is not only limited to the verses of the Qur'an, but also applies among commentators, scholars, intellectuals, to ordinary people, including in the understanding of Indonesian society. This research is entitled "The Meaning of Kafir in the Qur'an (Comparative Study of the Interpretation of Ibn Kasir and M. Qurais Shihab)". In order to significantly answer the questions that arise; what is the meaning of infidel in the Qur'an according to Ibn Kasir in the book of Tafsir al-Qur'an al-'Azhim and M. Quraish Shihab in the book of Tafsir al-Misbah, similarities and differences in interpretation, and the relevance of their interpretation in the Indonesian context. This research is a library research that uses descriptive comparative analysis research method with a historical approach. The results of this study are: the socio-historical context, sources of interpretation, methods, and styles have a significant influence in producing differences in the interpretation of the Qur'an, especially regarding the meaning of kafir. Between Ibn Kasir and M. Quraish Shihab agreed to interpret the word infidel in the form of isim jama 'muzakkar salim (الكَافِرُوْنَ) in five (5) verses, namely QS. al-Mai'dah: 44, QS. al-A'raf: 45, QS. al-Taubah: 32, QS. al-Ankabut: 47, and QS. al-Rum: 8 with the meaning of denying and covering, but differing in explaining the interpretation of the five verses, although the difference is not that far away. The interpretations of the two figures in this thesis are very relevant to the context of Indonesia which is multi-religious and multi-cultural.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document