Youth and experience of living faith : the essential aspects of the path to Christian maturity

Is there any other Christianity than the authentic one? Is there another faith than the living one? Or is it rather that you have a choice to either be authentic in your Christian faith, or not being a Christian at all? This question seems very compelling for at first glance we can notice alarming, increasing regress of the interest in Christianity among European youth — especially in Western Europe. How to restore Christianity to its brilliance for the modern youth? What is the secret of authentic Christianity and how to bring young people to experience it so that the religion is not associated by them with something archaic and long outdated? The foregoing questions especially are answered by this article

Między doświadczeniem a teorią, czyli o niektórych problemach filozofii mistyki

Mysticism today is not only a popular term often referred to the strange and incomprehensible phenomena, oscillating between psychology and spirituality. Mysticism is also a research problem, which has long been analyzing by the specialists from various scientific disciplines. Philosophy also has its own contribution to the study of mysticism. Moreover, one can also put forward the thesis about its special competencies for this. There is no doubt that a mystical intuition accompanies the philosophers from the very beginning, and for a long time the philosophy itself has been also developing, here and there, as a mystical philosophy. Currently, the attention of philosophers dealing with mysticism is mainly focused on problems determined by the philosophy of mysticism. Here the most important discussions and disputes are taking place — especially the so-called dispute between essentialism and contextualism. The author of the article formules the thesis that moderate contextualism, as the position that opts for the existence of several irreversible types of experiences defined today as mystical, better explains the complex phenomenon of mysticism than the reductionist essentialist attitude. This does not mean, however, that it gives an exhaustive explanation. Although the dispute examined in the article does not seem to be possible to unambiguously settle, the philosophical analysis of the most important, constitutive themes allows us to better understand the nature of the main processes that shape the broadly understood mysticism. The purpose of this article is therefore to identify the way in which philosophy enters the area of mysticism, the contribution it makes to the analysis of the mystical experience, as well as several major methodological problems that it encounters

Josepha Marechala badania nad psychologią doświadczenia mistycznego a problem empirycznego determinizmu

The paper deals with the issue of the studies on mystical experience led in first half of 20th century by Joseph Maréchal, Belgian philosopher and the creator of transcendental Thomism. His most important work in this area is Studies in psychology of mystics (Études sur la Psychologie des Mystiques), first volume of which was published in 1924. Maréchal’s research, apart from the attempt made to specify the nature of mystical experience on the basis of the concept of the dynamic purpose of intellect and on the problem of so-called sense of presence, concerned also some methodological issues. Making use of his background in biology and psychology, Maréchal focused on the question of the possibility of applying the methods of empirical sciences in psychology of mystical experience. This was first of all aimed at application of those methods to analysing both special phenomenon related to mystical experience and its essential hidden depth. This paper aims at showing how Maréchal, using the tools of philosophers, evaluates the possibility of using scientific methods to study phenomenological and criticises some deterministic presuppositions underlying those methods

Désiré Mercier (1851-1926) : wokół kantyzmu i apologii wiary

The figure of Désiré Mercier (1851—1926) — Belgian philosopher, theologian, cardinal and later the Primate of Belgium, the founding father of the neo-scholastical Leuven School and a great restorer of Thomism — has long inscribed itself into the history of contemporary philosophy. He is remembered in particular among those representatives of classical philosophy who saw in the rebirth of scholasticism, which occurred at the turn of the 20th century, a chance to establish modern, realistically-oriented philosophy that could withstand the challenges of contemporary idealism in its varied versions — particularly those connected with broadly-understood legacy of Kant’s philosophy. What, then, are the philosophical foundations of Mercier’s polemic with Kant? What alternative does Mercier propose for the subjective, in his view, concept of synthetic a priori judgments? The present monograph constitutes an attempt at answering these questions, among others. The first chapter contains a synthetic reconstruction of the main theses of Mercier’s criteriology, while the second chapter discusses the fundamental lines of Mercier’s disagreement with Kant’s ideas. Chapter three comprises a polemic analysis of the issue of the apologetic engagement of neo-scholasticism, with particular attention being paid to the stance espoused by Mercier as well as the Polish alumni of the Higher Institute of Philosophy in Leuven. As such, the present work constitutes a complementary look at the issues discussed in Désiré Mercier’s General Theory of Certitude, published by the University of Silesia Press in 2008. The monograph is addressed to those who, on the one hand would like to familiarize themselves with a synthetic and systematized approach to Mercier’s theory of certitude as well as the main axis of his disagreement with Kantianism, and on the other hand — receive an in-depth study of the apology of faith in neo-scholasticism

Antropologiczno-egzystencjalne podstawy Josepha Marechala studiów nad mistyką

The paper aims at revealing theoretical basis of studies in mysticism conducted by Belgian Jesuit Joseph Maréchal. It is focused on the key issue of unification of man and God. This problem has its precisely defined, anthropological and existential context which in Maréchal’s work comes down to the question on the nature of the substantial centre of the soul in which this unification shall take place. The paper argues that in Maréchal’s analysis the centre of the soul, or substantial ego, equates with the possible intellect and in some cases it might be taken as not only the ontic basis for acts of cognition, but also for mystical phenomena

Désiré Merciera ogólna teoria pewności

Mercier, a founder of a Neo-scholastic Louvain school, showing not only the issues crucial to his philosophy, but also an evolution of an epistemological thought by a Belgian cardinal, based on particular editions of his works and a rich philosophical output. It concerns mainly A general criteriology, Mercier’s main work in which a systematic theory of cognition is derived from Thomas Aquinas’s classical texts, confirming a tomistic epistemology on the paths of a philosophical realism. In its main part, the work consists of the introduction, five chapters and conclusion. The first chapter depicts a historical background against which Mercier’s conception developed, and focuses mainly on the presentation of the programme and the method of an academic activity conducted in the Higher Institute of Philosophy founded in Louvain by Mercier. The second chapter examines an evolution of Mercier’s means of interpretation of a classical definition of truth, and leaves a place for the analysis of three fundamental issues (the three subsequent chapters) which, according to Mercier, define a proper position of a criteriological problem. The first of them (in chapter three) is related to the attitude an intellect should hold towards the issue of certainty. Mercier’s point of view, regarded as “a rational dogmatism”, is presented in a discussion with the advocates of scepticism and Cartesian standpoint on the one hand, and the representatives of the so called “old dogmatism” on the other. The second issue (chapter four) concerns the nature of the references in his opinion between its two basic constituents: a subject and predicate, and, thus, it is connected with the first fundamental problem — a synthesis of the subject and predicate, i.e. the question on the status and cognitive value of different kinds of opinion. Before Mercier solves the problem, he polemicises with Immanuel Kant’s position, as well as main theses of a positivist philosophy. Such a polemics, in the case of Kant, relates to the issue of an objective certainty of academic opinions, whereas in the case of positivists, their objective and essential nature. Finally, the third aspect (chapter five) is connected with the problem of an ontic status of notions constituting the subject and predicate in a statement, and, thus, concerns the so called second fundamental issue, i.e. the issue of an objective reality of notions. In his analysis, Mercier attempts to show that cognitive forms giving statements to predicates, possess an objective reality, however, the way he justifies his thesis becomes the subject of a serious philosophical argument. The two most important voices in this argument are represented by Étienne Gilson, a creator of the conception of a methodological realism on the one hand, and Léon Noël, Mercier’s student, in favour of a critical direct realism on the other hand. As much as Gilson tries to prove that Mercier’s standpoint is eventually an indirect realism, and, in consequence, an illationism of a Cartesian type, Noël wants to prove that Mercier is still in a position of a critical direct realism and his conception is based not on illation, but immediatism. A critical analysis of Mercier’s conception shows that it is Noël’s point of view that is more probable. Mercier’s general theory of certainty is definitely realistic and can be valuable in a discussion with not only contemporary versions of idealism, but also with different branches of a realistic philosophy

Wiara w porządku "ratio"

When in 1977, in a book entitled At the root of modern atheism, French philo-sopher Marcel Neusch formulated the thesis about the coming of postatheistc age, he probably did not think, that at the beginning of the twenty-first century, atheistic thought reborn in the form of a so-called „„newnewnew atheism”.atheism”.atheism”. Its main representatives: Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Daniel C. Dennett and Sam Harris, takingtaking the position of scientific scientism, attack with a renewed vigor not only all forms of religion, but also skepticism, relativism and epistemological agnosticism. Their main efforts focus on trying to argue that all faith is an act completely irrational, and the non-existence of God can be confirmed by scientific methods. This article is a polemic with the main theses of the new atheists. It shows the actual place of faith in thethe orderorder ofof ratio and discusses the problem of possibility of proving the existence or the non-existence of God

Koncepcja "zjednoczenia upodabniającego" w mistycznej doktrynie Jana od Krzyża

The idea of “resembling unification” as developed by John of the Cross is broadly discussed by scholars of his work. The key queries here are not only those of how this kind of unification, the highest moment of mystical unification possible in earthly life, is possible in the mystic’s soul, but also what role is played by two fundamental powers of soul: mind and will. In John’s view their tasks are clear: while unifying with God they turn towards their supernatural objects, which are the virtues of, respectively, faith and love. Yet, the problem of what is the nature of the unification thus understood remains unsolved. Is it a kind of intellectual insight or an experience of emotion and will? How should be understood the “substantial touches” in the very heart of the soul which John mentions in the descriptions of states of the highest unification? Finally, what is the difference between unification in the substance of the soul and transformation of its powers and is this unification identical with participation in the life of God itself as John describes it? The aim of the paper is to answer those questions

Jean Paul Sartre i Karl Rahner w egzystencjalnym sporze o naturę wolności

The first half of the eighties of the twentieth century is associated in history with the death of two great figures of contemporary philosophy and theology: Jean Paul Sartre – a leading representative of French existentialism and Karl Rahner – the au-thor of transcendentally oriented existential theology. Both thinkers exerted a huge influence on the philosophical and theological reflection of their era. Taking as their starting point the necessity of the human freedom, they come to the different conclusions about the nature of man, the status of the subjectivity and the meaning of human destiny. Sartre joined the absurdity of freedom with nothingness and awe. Rahner saw in it a gift of hope and revelation of the Absolute. How could they come to such different conclusions? What made, that despite a similar starting point, their understanding of freedom is so different? This article reconstructs and compares the main lines of reasoning of both thinkers. It also attempts to answer, what is the reason of their different approach to the problem of freedom

The Mission of Catholics in the Modern World According to Benedict XVI’s Encyclical Caritas in Veritate. An Analytical Study

Benedict XVI’s encyclical Caritas in Veritate is by many commentators of his pontificate marginalized and considered a weak point of the teaching of the Pope. It is accused of more pastoral than social nature, naivety, and even some daydreaming. Unfairly. Paradoxically, what is disclosed as its weakness, after careful reading may prove to be its strength. This article aims to show that Caritas in Veritate can be read according to three key concepts: understanding, loving, action. These terms define some interdependent layers of the encyclical, and their skillful interpretation allows to extract from the text of the Pope an interesting vision of the mission of Catholics in the today’s world