May 5, 2023
The Catholic University of America Press recently launched a new major series, “English Editions.” Deadly The Collected Works of Karol Wojtyla/John Paul II. The first volume of this series is a new translation of Wojtyla’s 1969 book. Persons and actionsand related essays.
in Persons and actions Wojtyła bases his thought on a fusion of phenomenology, Thomism, and personalism, a foundation shared by many of his other philosophical and theological works. The first English translation is generally considered to be rather inaccurate, and crucially, the Latin terms that Wojtyła uses to refer to Thomism and the scholastic traditions were omitted, giving the false impression that Wojtyła is a purer phenomenologist and less of a Thomist than he actually is. The new translation by Gregorz Ignatik is therefore a critical moment for the reception of Wojtyła/John Paul II thought in the English-speaking world.
In this episode, Timothy Flanders speaks with Tomas Milas. Persons and actions They attempt to summarise some of the key points of this rather difficult book, place Wojtyła’s philosophy in its intellectual, cultural and religious context, and show why his insights about human consciousness, moral experience and man are relevant for us too.
The points discussed were:
- How does Wojtyła’s use of phenomenology and personalism relate to traditional Aristo-Thomistic anthropology?
- “Healing Experience” and the Importance of the Phenomenological Method for the Objective Explanation of Subjective Events
- Correcting modern misconceptions about consciousness
- The concept of personality in relation to traditional concepts of humanity
- The need to integrate cognition and experience and the dangers of “emotionalizing consciousness”
- Morality is central to character
link
Catholic meaning https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaMoKEEA-KKDNgx3icjA36Q
Persons and Deeds and Related Essays https://www.cuapress.org/9780813233666/person-and-act-and-popular-essays/
Suggested secondary sources:
Accessible:
Crosby, The Personalism of John Paul II https://www.amazon.com/Personalism-John-Paul-II/dp/1939773148
Jablonska, A Pope for all seasons
https://www.amazon.com/Pope-All-Seasons-Testimonys-Inspired/dp/1621388840
Hard to access:
Buttiglione, Karol Wojtyla: The thoughts of the man who became Pope John Paul II https://www.amazon.com/Karol-Wojtyla-Thoughtof-Became-Thought-ebook/dp/B002BWPTOW
Weigel, Witness of Hope: A Biography of Pope John Paul II
https://www.amazon.com/Witness-Hope-Biography-Pope-John/dp/0062996010/
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