The Mind: An Eternal Enterprise
Hey Everyone. Thanks for inviting me onto this blog.
Besides Jonathan Edwards, Aristotle has given me a great understanding of what the mind is and what the role of the mind is. Though I am more aquainted with Edwards on the mind, I have an interest in the way Aristotle yokes the mind to eternality. Edwards does the same with the mind: the mind is infinite because its magnanimity is inexhaustible in high proportions. The distinction, however, between the two, is that Edwards makes an aesthetic case for the mind with an aptness to virtue as it is fastened by God's self-sufficiency. Aristotelian magnanimity links itself to the divine to get virtue by fastening itself to self-love. This in my judgment beckons Modernity. For one great highlight of Modernity is intrinsic individualism and anthropocentric status. Edwardsean magnanimity resigns to self-abasement so that the creature might be utterly and boundlessly be fastened to the Creator to display His eternality and infinite worth.
The epistemology of Aristotle with regard to the divine is not too far from the epistemology of Edwards. Aristotle believes that the greatest aim a man should have is to be immortal with all of his might. This is what it means to be alive. This sounds like Christianity in the sense that Christians aim at being or becoming like Christ through the grace of sanctification. Although, the end is the same, the means is different. Aristotle fastens the mind to self-love; Edwards fastens his mind to the intrinsic and inexhausible nature of God. In other words, God-likeness comes from outside yourself and rather from infinite supremacy.
I write all this because it amazes me how close a Romans 1 and 2 man (Aristotle) can get to grasping and attaining the divine. It all begins with the mind. The mind is that eternal and inexhaustible faculty that God has endowed to man out of any and every other brute of the earth. Men are 'tilted' to the divine as Augustine put it in his Confessions. How far are they tilted though? Reading Aristotle has taught me to never underestimate the filthiest pagan and his natural and innate capacities to reason. Praise God that, with the help of Edwards and the Bible, we have the 'mind of Christ'.
Peace to you all,
Gabe
Besides Jonathan Edwards, Aristotle has given me a great understanding of what the mind is and what the role of the mind is. Though I am more aquainted with Edwards on the mind, I have an interest in the way Aristotle yokes the mind to eternality. Edwards does the same with the mind: the mind is infinite because its magnanimity is inexhaustible in high proportions. The distinction, however, between the two, is that Edwards makes an aesthetic case for the mind with an aptness to virtue as it is fastened by God's self-sufficiency. Aristotelian magnanimity links itself to the divine to get virtue by fastening itself to self-love. This in my judgment beckons Modernity. For one great highlight of Modernity is intrinsic individualism and anthropocentric status. Edwardsean magnanimity resigns to self-abasement so that the creature might be utterly and boundlessly be fastened to the Creator to display His eternality and infinite worth.
The epistemology of Aristotle with regard to the divine is not too far from the epistemology of Edwards. Aristotle believes that the greatest aim a man should have is to be immortal with all of his might. This is what it means to be alive. This sounds like Christianity in the sense that Christians aim at being or becoming like Christ through the grace of sanctification. Although, the end is the same, the means is different. Aristotle fastens the mind to self-love; Edwards fastens his mind to the intrinsic and inexhausible nature of God. In other words, God-likeness comes from outside yourself and rather from infinite supremacy.
I write all this because it amazes me how close a Romans 1 and 2 man (Aristotle) can get to grasping and attaining the divine. It all begins with the mind. The mind is that eternal and inexhaustible faculty that God has endowed to man out of any and every other brute of the earth. Men are 'tilted' to the divine as Augustine put it in his Confessions. How far are they tilted though? Reading Aristotle has taught me to never underestimate the filthiest pagan and his natural and innate capacities to reason. Praise God that, with the help of Edwards and the Bible, we have the 'mind of Christ'.
Peace to you all,
Gabe
posted by the Zepeda family at
11:16 AM
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