May 2024
Exploring the notion of individual identity in premodern times necessitates confronting a spectrum of philosophico-theological interrogations that emerge from the fundamental question: what distinguishes one human being from another?
I propose a collective-evolutive model to retrieve Proclus’ and Eriugena’s views on individual identity. Within this paradigm, this investigation sheds light on two crucial facets (collective and evolutive) of individual identity during this stage of European intellectual history: the individual identity of the human being was not consistently qualified as immutable, singularly bestowed at birth. Instead, it was perceived as a character with a propensity to evolve, increase or decrease, received within and through a harmonious collective whole.
June 2024
In contemporary literature, the apparent lack of coherence in Ibn Sīnā's (d. 1037/427) metaphysical insights, specifically on human soul, has rendered it arduous to delineate his proper intellectual originality in a systematic form. This study excavates a foundational tenet of Ibn Sīnā's theory regarding individual human souls. In The Book of Healing (Kitāb al-shifāʾ), particularly within its Metaphysics (Kitāb al-ilāhiyyāt), I contend that he ascribes metaphysical precedence to existing humans in their individuality what I referred to as whoness over essences and intellectual notions, the realm of whatness (māhiyyah). Contrary to the late Platonist framework, on the one hand, the Baghdadi philosopher assigns the individual human soul a higher status than essences and universals in terms of oneness, existence, and truth. On the other hand, he astutely refrained from endorsing the Aristotelian hylomorphic theory and its portrayal of instantiated universals. Moreover, this whoness realm, enshrouded by ontological mystery, incorporates some metaphysical notions initially developed for the divine paradigm.
June 2023
This paper endeavors to excavate Cioran's metaphysics of time as emerging from a critique of Nietzsche's view(s) of eternal return. Thereby, I argue against reducing Cioran to a self-contradictory and destructive thinker with stylistic qualities but on the margins of philosophical debates, particularly those on the question of time. To retrieve Cioran's understanding of time, my innovative method is to assemble his disordered aphorisms under the light of Nietzsche's angle in order to unearth Cioran intimate spiritual journey on the question of time. I conclude that if Cioran's coherence has eluded scholarly investigation it is because his identified stance is intricately intertwined with his secretive and agnostic theological quest. I introduce and advocate for a "wandering paradigm" on Cioran metaphysics in order to deconstruct what I refer to as the "sedentary paradigm" derived from the nihilist or Nietzschean interpretation.
Key words: Cioran, time, eternity, Nietzsche, mourning, hell.
December 2023
This paper centers on Ibn Sīnā's (ca. 980/370-1037/427) Latin corpus, known as the Avicenna latinus, pursuing a twofold purpose. Firstly, I aim to establish the coherence and consistency of Avicenna's theory on the individuation of the human soul, nuancing the prevailing scholarship that characterizes it as bifurcated or self-contradictory. Secondly, this study seeks to evaluate the legacy of this theory within Latin Christianity, specifically during the classical period of scholasticism (late 12 th-13 th century).
Key words: Procus, individuation, soul, Plato, Theology of Plato, eternity.
De-individuating Proclus
September 2023
This paper seeks to excavate what the system of Proclus articulates – or omits – concerning the issue of human individuation. This philosophico-theological problem conglomerates a spectrum of questions that stem from the interrogation: what distinguishes one human being from another? Acknowledging that bodies and matter swiftly prove inadequate candidates to account for a proper individuation of spiritual human beings in Proclus, my analysis centers on the nature of the human soul as a part of Proclus’ cosmology and a moment of his theogony. Navigating the labyrinthine terrain of his metaphysical musing, two plausible routes for articulating human individuation come to the forefront: is there an eternal form (εἶδος) allotted to each human being that grants their personal specificity? Are human beings individualized through their gradual return to the One? The result of our inquiry not only sheds light on some of the most distinctive features of the religious thought of Proclus but also brings to the fore a notable characteristic of the Proclean worldview: the deficiency of a robust differentiation between human beings.
Key words: Procus, individuation, soul, Plato, Theology of Plato, eternity.
Se dépêtrer de l’individualisme libidinal - Compte rendu critique
August 2024
Mark Hunyadi first expounds how the influence of the ethics of rights unfolded from the emergence of medieval nominalism: the will was established as the dominant faculty of humans, safeguarding their freedom. It instituted a nominalism of individual rights, devoid of a response to the climate and digital challenges (part I of this article). The inauguration of a new era for the individual will be allowed by the discovery of “communalities of conviction (communs de conviction),” such as the mind (l’esprit), which must be protected as we do for some seabed (part II). The argument of Mark Hunyadi is clear, thought-provoking, and inspiring, with only two critiques – although fundamental – appearing to resist it. At first, the historical reconstruction of this ambitious mental history of the West unfortunately lacks precision, verging on conceptual anachronism and overlooking the Cartesian rupture (part III). Then, the proposed solution seems still entirely conditioned by the ethics of rights which it sought to depart from. Like the digital it aims to defend us from, this solution abstracts the mind from the cultural conditions in which it is embodied, substituting an idealized universalism for a simplistic individualism (part IV). Keywords: nominalism, individualism, will, natural rights, digital, mind, communality, medieval philosophy.
Key words: Procus, individuation, soul, Plato, Theology of Plato, eternity.
Surpassing Human Nature: The Notion of Theōsis in Eriugena
Eriugena’s treatment of theōsis illustrates more than any other part of his system how he articulates Eastern and Western traditions. Moreover, his anthropology, that shapes the whole scheme of the Periphyseon, culminates in his elucidation of theōsis. In Eriugena, no concept can be analyzed as isolated from other notions, but they all are in a perpetual interplay that dynamizes his thought. Therefore, studying theōsis requires us to show to what extent this idea relates to Eriugena’s insights on ontology, epistemology, and cosmology. This threefold analysis reveals the centrality of theōsis in Eriugena’s system, although this preeminence is neglected in Eriugenian scholarship.
Pascal's Understanding of "Le moi"; From a Philosophical and Theological Point of View
This text aims to clarify the philosophical signification of the opaque concept of “le moi” created by Pascal in his chef-d’œuvre, the Pensées. Introduced with no definition, this concept has had a tremendous influence on the history of philosophy. However, along with the difficulties of translation, this legacy often leads to some misunderstandings of Pascal’s intention when he invents the locution “le moi”. At the crossroads of Cartesian thought and Augustinian doctrine, this specific notion turns out to be a key to apprehending the thought of this genuine polymath which Pascal was. Eventually, “le moi” constitutes an emblematic example of the risk of conceptual anachronism in the history of philosophy.
Key words: Pascal, self, moi, the Ego, Descartes, love, amour-propre.
Pascal's Understanding of "le moi"
June 2021
This text aims to clarify the philosophical signification of the opaque concept of “le moi” created by Pascal in his chef-d’œuvre, the Pensées. Introduced with no definition, this concept has had a tremendous influence on the history of philosophy. However, along with the difficulties of translation, this legacy often leads to some misunderstandings of Pascal’s intention when he invents the locution “le moi”. At the crossroads of Cartesian thought and Augustinian doctrine, this specific notion turns out to be a key to apprehending the thought of this genuine polymath which Pascal was. Eventually, “le moi” constitutes an emblematic example of the risk of conceptual anachronism in the history of philosophy.
Key words: Pascal, self, moi, the Ego, Descartes, love, amour-propre.
French Moralists and Philosophy: An Archipelagic Philosophy
Paris: Les Trois Colonnes, 2022. 160 pages.
This work analyzes the philosophical impact of the use of fragments and aphorisms ("formes brèves") in the writings of French moralists. Their fragments and aphorisms shapes a genuine philosophical movement that this book is the first to characterize.
Western Monastic Spirituality: Cassian, Caesarius of Arles, and Benedict ed. by Roger Haight, Alfred Pach III, and Amanda Avila Kaminski (review)
May 2023
In this accessible introduction to Western monastic spirituality, Roger Haight (Union Theological Seminary in New York), Alfred Pach III (Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine), and Amanda Avila Kaminski (Texas Lutheran University) offer primary texts from three classic figures: John Cassian (d. ca. 435), Caesarius of Arles (d. 542), and Benedict of Nursia (d. 547). These texts are accompanied by an introduction on the historical context, as well as a concluding essay that engages spirituality in the present day...
Key words: Monasticism, John Cassian, Caesarius of Arles, Benedict of Nursia, early Christian spirituality.
