Comments for In Defense of First Philosophy at http://www.thecatholicthing.org , comment 1 to 8 out of 8 comments http://www.thecatholicthing.org Sun, 19 May 2013 03:34:27 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/in-defense-of-first-philosophy.html#comment-12116 Dr. Beckwith, I'm glad that despite your puzzlement with Kurt Wise you did not disparage him as some kind of flat-earther. The reality is that at some point every Christian is compelled to say 'this far and not farther' to the claims of science. This, of course, lumps us all together as some kind of leper colony in the eyes of the Dawkinati. For myself, I can't get past my revulsion with the idea of a God who uses death as the mainspring of His original plan of creation. In the words of Guardini," death is not a constituent part of man's nature, but the result of an act. Death belongs not to the natural but to the historic order." - Nick Kangas Sat, 23 Jun 2012 05:35:28 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/in-defense-of-first-philosophy.html#comment-12109 Thank you, Dr. Beckwith, for an incredibly helpful essay. The issues of first principles, "empirical science v. philosophical/theological science," and related topics, seem to be coming up quite a bit of late, both here and in other fora. - Dave Fri, 22 Jun 2012 14:35:30 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/in-defense-of-first-philosophy.html#comment-12104 Excellent article. This is interesting: "If parents begin to think of their children as commodities whose value is determined by the free market..." Do you write about this aspect of the abortion business in another essay? Does anyone? - Dan Deeny Fri, 22 Jun 2012 07:05:49 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/in-defense-of-first-philosophy.html#comment-12101 To the Editors: Thank you for doing the research to correct the surname to Berlinski. BTW, Chris Ferrara, the Catholic writer, is a friend of mine who has interviewed Berlinski. He said to Berlinski "You are a brilliant "Catholic" in your thinking". Berlinski replied that G-d had given him everything but the gift of the Faith. - Manfred Fri, 22 Jun 2012 05:14:31 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/in-defense-of-first-philosophy.html#comment-12097 What is the obsession with Dawkins? In a few years he will be dead, just as is Stephen Jay Gould. I have cited this video here before but EXPELLED is outstanding as it brings great thinkers including David Berlinski who, while not Catholic, can explain phenomena as though he were. The best part is when Ben Stein asks Dawkins, face to face, Where did life come from? Dawkins, when pressed, admitted he did not know. He finally suggests aliens brought it here from another planet.(The Dawkins obsession is easy to understand-it results from a weak institution which cannot admit that it allowed the nuns of the LCWR to teach our children for the last forty years that contraception, abortion and aberrosexual behavior were normative and that women should be allowed to be priests). It is easier to discuss the Straw Man Dawkins whom most laymen and religious will never have to deal with. - Manfred Fri, 22 Jun 2012 02:00:58 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/in-defense-of-first-philosophy.html#comment-12096 Excellent! We need these reminders. One of the correspondents here recently stated that consciousness is moderated by (actually is nothing more than) sense data in a "feedback loop". A moment's application of first philosophy would reveal the error. A cook repeatedly tasting soup to adjust the seasoning seems like a feedback loop, but it is not. The cook's brain is not being moderated by chemicals in the soup; it is being moderated by an ideal, by taste, by a subjective judgment and desire. Cue Aristotle and Saint Thomas. The game is afoot. - Other Joe Fri, 22 Jun 2012 01:39:32 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/in-defense-of-first-philosophy.html#comment-12095 Thank you, Professor Beckwith, for helping articulate one of the main reasons for being a Catholic, i.e., every other way of thought, such as that of Richard Dawkins, is at best a reductionism because the Catholic Faith best synthesizes Reason and Revelation. - Jon S. Fri, 22 Jun 2012 01:30:27 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/in-defense-of-first-philosophy.html#comment-12093 This seeming rejection of "first philosophy" which you describe so well, reminds me of the situation of modern tolerance which imposes obligations of tolerance on everyone but itself all the while extoling its magnificent tolerance. - Louise Thu, 21 Jun 2012 22:20:52 +0100