Haddox thinks that Percy uses two strategies to bring his characters to the point of decision. The first "involves embracing a sacramental understanding of the world, in which what had seemed irredeemably dreary appears in its true light as a splendid, gratuitous gift, charged, in Hopinsesque fashion with the glory of God (132)." One does see this often in Percy writings. The idea of experiencing the transcendent in the ordinary. It is pure gift, an act of God's grace. He says that a second strategy is a concern with apocalypse. This is also evident in Percy's writings. Percy often shows that in a major trauma individuals experience God's grace. It seems these two strategies can work against each other.
Percy in his essay, "The Message in the Bottle," develops Kierkegaard's distinction between a "genius" and an "apostle" and applies it to the messenger of the Gospel:
"Faith comes from God, but it also comes by hearing. It is a piece of news and there is a newsbearer. But why should we believe the newsbearer, the apostle? Must the apostle first prove his case to the scientist in the seminar room? No, because, this would mean that God and the apostle must wait in the porter's lodge while the learned upstairs settle the matter. . . .
How then may we recognize the divine authority of the apostle? What, in other words, are the credentials of the newsbearer? The credential of the apostle is simply the gravity of the message: 'I am called by God; do with me what you will, scourge me, persecute me, but my last words are first; I am called by God and I make you eternally responsible for what you do against me.' . . . What if a man receives the commission to bring news across the seas to the castaway and does so in perfect sobriety and with good faith and perseverance to the point of martyrdom? And what if the news the newsbearer bears is the very news the castaway has been waiting for, news of where he came from and who he is and what he must do, and what if the newsbearer brought with the means by which the castaway may do what he must do? Well then, the castaway will, by the grace of God, believe him (146, 147, 149)." Quoted in Haddox, p. 146.
One sees this idea from his essay in much of Percy's fiction writing. Everyday knowledge and the revelation of God is not the same. A person sees his need and he is willing to believe the message. However, it is only by the grace of God he can believe. Belief is a gift of God.
Haddox analyses many of the novels written by Percy. I will concentrate on his analysis of The Lost in the Cosmos. He asserts that in this work, "Percy provides the most concise and in many respects most entertaining summation of his thought" (148). Haddox focuses on "A Space Odyssey." The two different strategies are seen in these two fictional pieces at the end of the work. Haddox notes, "Whereas Percy's protagonists often longed for an apocalypse that either did not come or arrived with a whimper, here the theoretician proposes the real thing-- a nuclear holocaust that leaves only a few survivors and their descendants on the earth--as a test of whether Percy's theories of the self, language, and redemption would still operate in the most extreme conditions imaginable. Predictably, the theories are verified--not even a literal end of the world, as opposed to a metaphorical one, can transfigure recalcitrant human nature" (148).
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Monday, September 9, 2013
Walker Percy's Rhetoric of Time, Apocalypse, and the Modern Predicament
Thomas F. Haddix, "Walker Percy's Rhetoric of Time, Apocalypse, and the Modern Predicament," in Hard Sayings: the Rhetoric of Christian Orthodoxy in Late Modern Fiction. Columbus, OH: Ohio State University, 2013, 125-160.
Thomas F. Haddix in Hard Sayings analyzes the works of Flannery O'Connor, Muriel Spark, John Updike, Walker Percy, Mary Gordon, and Marilynne Robinson. The book is about these writers relationship to "Christian Orthodoxy." This post will focus on what he says in his chapter on Percy.
Haddix says of Percy: "Among avowedly Christian writers of merit in the late twentieth century, Walker Percy is distinguished not only by his novelistic achievement but also by the range and sophistication of his intellectual interests" (125). This is quite true. Percy was an excellent writer and thinker. His knowledge of various subjects was quite immense. He was truly interested in the "truth of things."
Kieran Quinlan writes, " Walker Percy is one of the few contemporary novelists who has made a difference in the lives of many of his readers" (125, n.1). There is much evidence that proves this point. Much of the literature on Walker Percy mentions how Percy made a difference in their lives. Many noted that he pointed them to Christian faith. The interesting thing is Percy is liked by both believers and Non-believers. There is something in his writing that resonates with many people.
Haddix agrees with Lawler in seeing Percy as a postmodern thinker. Haddix notes, "In Percy's view, Enlightenment promises of liberation cannot succeed, because consciousness and language, the very things that most distinguish human beings as species, remain inexplicable if viewed through the frames of positivist science and utilitarian philosophy. Consciousness and facility with linguistic signs are the only things that allow humans to place themselves in the world, yet there very existence is absurd, an unaccountable 'leftover.' Scientists can explain distant phenomena in the universe more fully than they can explain the most mundane daily experiences (Lost 1), and their failure to legitimate experiences as such leads both to a preoccupation with the self and to impoverishment of daily life" (128). In other words, the human being finds himself an alien in the world. He does not fit in the world. because of this he either turns to transcendence or imminence. There is a third option. He can turn to God.
Percy's first rhetorical principle "is to assume that his readers will find their own experiences 'certified' in such a description, no matter who or where in modernity they may be" (128). The Percy reader will see themselves in Percy's description of the modern predicament. They will feel they are alienated, unable to place themselves in the world.
Haddix thinks Percy is successful "in persuading readers that they share a general predicament of boredom and meaningless in the twentieth century (and this particular claim has been seconded by many non-Christian writers) (130). He does not think Percy is as successful in "persuading readers that conversion is the only effective remedy" (130). I have mentioned this is something Percy does indirectly. There is a difference between preaching and writing a novel.
Haddix suggests that some of Percy's readers are unhappy with his lack of "closure" in his novels. Haddix notes, "With the exception of The Second Coming (1980), Percy's novels tend to end with their plots resolved but with their characters left nonetheless in a state ambiguity--in some cases, possibly having converted or on the cusp of a conversion to Christianity (as in The Moviegoer and Lancelot), but without decisive clues that would confirm such a judgement, and with an overarching sense of irony that even had such an event taken place, life goes on (131)." I find this insight quite remarkable. It agrees with Percy's idea that we are wayfarers on earth. We never achieve absolute certainty. We walk by faith, not by sight. This idea would contrast with some Evangelicals who say Jesus is the answer to every problem. Just believe in Christ and all your troubles will go away. What do you do after you believe in Christ? Percy would probable ask, How do you get through an ordinary Wednesday afternoon?
Haddix continues: "It is understandable that such ambiguity would frustrate both Christian readers who want a clearer affirmation of Christian dogmas and all ordinary readers who seek the pleasures of closure. Yet Percy's endings in fact represent both the predicament he diagnoses and the necessity of accepting temporary change. The only genuine closure in human life is death, and novels traditionally impart their sense of meaning in human life through their selection of an end that retrospectively determines this meaning--either death or something that functions as its structural equivalent, such as marriage" (131). This is an interesting insight since marriage is important in many of Percy's novel. Percy often implies that we come to God through loving others. In many ways, Percy's novels are a search for community as observed by John Desmond.
In addition, "Until the moment of death, the story remains open: even those who have become Christians may fall away, and even the most confirmed atheist may come to believe. The greatest difficulty for Percy's wayfarers is not merely to accept Christianity--or at least the necessity of something like it, since Percy is more explicit about this in some novels than in others--but to continue to live in the ordinary, dreary world after having arrived at this knowledge" (132). This is a great evaluation of Percy's lack of closure. I do not think Percy was completely happy with a lack of closure. It seemed to bother him when readers did not understand what he was doing in the novel. Percy was often caught in the dilemma of producing art and delivering a message. He sought to do both.
Thomas F. Haddix in Hard Sayings analyzes the works of Flannery O'Connor, Muriel Spark, John Updike, Walker Percy, Mary Gordon, and Marilynne Robinson. The book is about these writers relationship to "Christian Orthodoxy." This post will focus on what he says in his chapter on Percy.
Haddix says of Percy: "Among avowedly Christian writers of merit in the late twentieth century, Walker Percy is distinguished not only by his novelistic achievement but also by the range and sophistication of his intellectual interests" (125). This is quite true. Percy was an excellent writer and thinker. His knowledge of various subjects was quite immense. He was truly interested in the "truth of things."
Kieran Quinlan writes, " Walker Percy is one of the few contemporary novelists who has made a difference in the lives of many of his readers" (125, n.1). There is much evidence that proves this point. Much of the literature on Walker Percy mentions how Percy made a difference in their lives. Many noted that he pointed them to Christian faith. The interesting thing is Percy is liked by both believers and Non-believers. There is something in his writing that resonates with many people.
Haddix agrees with Lawler in seeing Percy as a postmodern thinker. Haddix notes, "In Percy's view, Enlightenment promises of liberation cannot succeed, because consciousness and language, the very things that most distinguish human beings as species, remain inexplicable if viewed through the frames of positivist science and utilitarian philosophy. Consciousness and facility with linguistic signs are the only things that allow humans to place themselves in the world, yet there very existence is absurd, an unaccountable 'leftover.' Scientists can explain distant phenomena in the universe more fully than they can explain the most mundane daily experiences (Lost 1), and their failure to legitimate experiences as such leads both to a preoccupation with the self and to impoverishment of daily life" (128). In other words, the human being finds himself an alien in the world. He does not fit in the world. because of this he either turns to transcendence or imminence. There is a third option. He can turn to God.
Percy's first rhetorical principle "is to assume that his readers will find their own experiences 'certified' in such a description, no matter who or where in modernity they may be" (128). The Percy reader will see themselves in Percy's description of the modern predicament. They will feel they are alienated, unable to place themselves in the world.
Haddix thinks Percy is successful "in persuading readers that they share a general predicament of boredom and meaningless in the twentieth century (and this particular claim has been seconded by many non-Christian writers) (130). He does not think Percy is as successful in "persuading readers that conversion is the only effective remedy" (130). I have mentioned this is something Percy does indirectly. There is a difference between preaching and writing a novel.
Haddix suggests that some of Percy's readers are unhappy with his lack of "closure" in his novels. Haddix notes, "With the exception of The Second Coming (1980), Percy's novels tend to end with their plots resolved but with their characters left nonetheless in a state ambiguity--in some cases, possibly having converted or on the cusp of a conversion to Christianity (as in The Moviegoer and Lancelot), but without decisive clues that would confirm such a judgement, and with an overarching sense of irony that even had such an event taken place, life goes on (131)." I find this insight quite remarkable. It agrees with Percy's idea that we are wayfarers on earth. We never achieve absolute certainty. We walk by faith, not by sight. This idea would contrast with some Evangelicals who say Jesus is the answer to every problem. Just believe in Christ and all your troubles will go away. What do you do after you believe in Christ? Percy would probable ask, How do you get through an ordinary Wednesday afternoon?
Haddix continues: "It is understandable that such ambiguity would frustrate both Christian readers who want a clearer affirmation of Christian dogmas and all ordinary readers who seek the pleasures of closure. Yet Percy's endings in fact represent both the predicament he diagnoses and the necessity of accepting temporary change. The only genuine closure in human life is death, and novels traditionally impart their sense of meaning in human life through their selection of an end that retrospectively determines this meaning--either death or something that functions as its structural equivalent, such as marriage" (131). This is an interesting insight since marriage is important in many of Percy's novel. Percy often implies that we come to God through loving others. In many ways, Percy's novels are a search for community as observed by John Desmond.
In addition, "Until the moment of death, the story remains open: even those who have become Christians may fall away, and even the most confirmed atheist may come to believe. The greatest difficulty for Percy's wayfarers is not merely to accept Christianity--or at least the necessity of something like it, since Percy is more explicit about this in some novels than in others--but to continue to live in the ordinary, dreary world after having arrived at this knowledge" (132). This is a great evaluation of Percy's lack of closure. I do not think Percy was completely happy with a lack of closure. It seemed to bother him when readers did not understand what he was doing in the novel. Percy was often caught in the dilemma of producing art and delivering a message. He sought to do both.
Friday, September 6, 2013
John of Salisbury: A Christian Humanist
John of Salisbury; translated by Daniel D. McGarry. The Metalogicon: A Twelfth Century Defense of the Verbal and Logical Arts of the Trivium. Philadelphia: Paul Dry Book, 2009.
John of Salisbury lived from 1115-1180. He studied with some of the leading intellectuals of his time. He was an assistant to Thomas Becket, a friend of Pope Hadrian IV, and served as bishop of Chartres. One can tell from reading The Metalogican that John lived a very active life. It is amazing how he found time to study, teach, and write. John wrote this book in 1159. The title basically means of behalf of logical studies. John of Salisbury seeks in this book to defend the study of the liberal arts. This book is basically a manual on pursuing the liberal studies.
The Metalogicon is divided into four parts and a prologue.The first part explains the reason for the work. In addition, the translator provides a good introduction to the work.John writes this work because some individuals in the church are discouraging liberal studies. Anti-intellectualism in the church is nothing new. In part one John discusses "The Trivium and Grammar." In this part he responds to attacks by Cornificius against Trivium. In parts two through four he discusses different elements of logic: general observation, Aristotle's Categories, and truth.
John of Salisbury was from Wessex, England. He studied under Peter Abelard and was a friend of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. He was a learner who lived an active life. He had a heart for liberal studies. He was a true Christian Humanist. Two things stand out in this work. First, John was conversant with both pagan and Christian knowledge. When he quotes from writers like Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero, he does't try to justify drawing from pagan sources. He truly believed all truth comes from God whatever the source. Second, he filtered all knowledge through a Christian world-view. John of Salisbury is an excellent model to follow today.
John of Salisbury lived from 1115-1180. He studied with some of the leading intellectuals of his time. He was an assistant to Thomas Becket, a friend of Pope Hadrian IV, and served as bishop of Chartres. One can tell from reading The Metalogican that John lived a very active life. It is amazing how he found time to study, teach, and write. John wrote this book in 1159. The title basically means of behalf of logical studies. John of Salisbury seeks in this book to defend the study of the liberal arts. This book is basically a manual on pursuing the liberal studies.
The Metalogicon is divided into four parts and a prologue.The first part explains the reason for the work. In addition, the translator provides a good introduction to the work.John writes this work because some individuals in the church are discouraging liberal studies. Anti-intellectualism in the church is nothing new. In part one John discusses "The Trivium and Grammar." In this part he responds to attacks by Cornificius against Trivium. In parts two through four he discusses different elements of logic: general observation, Aristotle's Categories, and truth.
John of Salisbury was from Wessex, England. He studied under Peter Abelard and was a friend of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. He was a learner who lived an active life. He had a heart for liberal studies. He was a true Christian Humanist. Two things stand out in this work. First, John was conversant with both pagan and Christian knowledge. When he quotes from writers like Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero, he does't try to justify drawing from pagan sources. He truly believed all truth comes from God whatever the source. Second, he filtered all knowledge through a Christian world-view. John of Salisbury is an excellent model to follow today.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Research tutorials
The Harness library at Vermont Tech has some excellent tutorials on doing research. See the link below.
http://hartness.vsc.edu/guidesccv/tutorial/tutorials
http://hartness.vsc.edu/guidesccv/tutorial/tutorials
It Might Have Been
“It
Might Have Been”
John
Greenleaf Whittier writes: “For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest
are these, ‘It might have been’.” Why are these words the saddest words? It is
because the reader has only one life to live. It is best to live life with no
regrets. Life is full of hard choices. Maybe, the reader didn’t have the
opportunities to achieve his dreams. When one looks back at his life, he wants
to be able to say that he accomplished what he came to the earth for. It would
be sad to say at the end of one’s life that he could have had a better life,
but he didn’t do what was necessary to accomplish this goal. What are some of
the reasons people might not have achieved their goals? Maybe, unseen
circumstances blocked it. If this was caused by circumstances beyond their
control, are they really responsible for not achieving their goals. Other
possible reasons might be a lack of financial backing, laziness, or other
priorities.
This
is a topic that John has struggled with for a long time. When he was finishing
up his master’s degree in history he thought about going on to earn a doctorate
in history. Another decision was should he get married? He thought he couldn’t
do both things at the time. John decided to get married and look for a job
teaching school. He was offered a librarian job at a private school in
Louisiana. He had originally applied for an opening for a fourth grade teacher.
However, the principal called him on the phone and asked him if he would be
willing to work in the library instead. The reason for this was that the
librarian wanted to move back into the classroom. John told the principal that he
would be happy to run the library for the school.
The
interesting thing about being offered the librarian position was that he had
thought about going to school to become a librarian for several years. He had
worked part-time as a student worker in the library while attending the
university. The private school was also willing to help pay for his tuition. John
has now been working in libraries for nineteen years. However, it has remained
in his heart to pursue a doctorate in some discipline. Every few years John has
a desire to take this idea from the shelf and look at it again. It is hard to
understand why this desire has stayed with him all these years. Did God put it
there?
While
John was pursuing undergraduate studies in history, he sensed God was calling him
to be a Christian scholar. He didn’t hear any voices, but he was convinced that
this is what God wanted him to do with his life. This conviction has never left
John. After working in Public, School, and Academic libraries, John is
convinced that his calling is to work in an academic library. Working in the
academy allows him to pursue the calling of a Christian scholar. The good thing
about being a librarian is that the requirement is a master’s degree in library
science. So even though John does not have a doctorate, he can live out his
calling at the college or university level.
Some
of the ways he tries to pursue this calling is through scholarly activities.
Several years ago John began to publish book reviews for library journals. A
few years ago he began to present papers at academic conferences. In addition, John
has published some articles in academic journals. Last summer he started to
write a blog to further his scholarly activities.
John
has been teaching history courses at the Baptist College of Florida for several
years. He has taught survey courses in American History and Western
Civilization. Over three years ago, he started teaching the survey courses of
Western Civilization online. Recently, John has been assigned to teach most of
the history courses in the history major online.
A
few years ago John presented a paper at the University of Mobile. At the
conference were some professors of Faulkner University at Montgomery. John
happened to sit together at meals with these professors and become familiar
with them. He was interested to learn that Faulkner had a master’s degree in
the Great Books and was trying to create a doctoral program in the Great Books.
He was excited about this idea because of his love for the Great Books. John
was a participant in a Great Books group for over five years. He still has an
interest in the doctorate and so it seemed a good combination. He was quite
excited about the prospect of this opportunity. It seemed like the perfect
time. Maybe, it was time for John to pursue the doctorate. He knew that certain
obstacles would be in the way. One of these was funds. How would he finance
this new degree? He had already paid off all his student loans. Did John want
to create new debts? What would the school think about his pursuing a
doctorate? Probably, the biggest obstacle would be his family. What would his
wife and kids think about this idea?
It
didn’t take long to find out the answers to these questions. John got the
school’s approval to help finance it. John’s wife and kids did not like the
idea, but they were willing to let him try it for one semester. So John
registered for the class and was on his way. It was an excellent first course. He
enjoyed it very much and did very well. The next semester would be the summer
term. John tried to get the school to pay for it, but it was rejected. So he
decided he would just start back the next semester. Next semester came around
and it was denied. John was told that since the school was not requiring him to
earn this degree that the school would not pay for it. He was told that he
should forget the idea and save the money for his family. He found out about a
scholarship with the Southern Baptist foundation, but it would only pay for
half the degree. John’s wife was against the idea of him continuing in the
program. Since they have special needs kids and their needs will grow as they
get older, she thought John needed to drop the idea until the kids were grown.
Another
obstacle is his age. He is now fifty. It would take between 5-10 years to
complete the program. John will be close to retirement by that time. Is it
really worth the investment of time and money that he will need to spend on
doing the task? John read in a book about a professor who spent all his time at
school and pursuing scholarly activity and neglecting his family. Should John’s
family pay the price for his secret dream? Of course, John could continue
pursuing learning on his own and participating in scholarly activities. John
decided to drop the pursuit for the time being. Did he do the right thing? Will
John later regret it?
John
has received many benefits from his association with faculty at Faulkner
University. First, he was asked to present a paper at their annual Faith and
Learning conference. He has now presented papers at this annual conference
three years in a row. Second, while taking a course with Dr. Robert Woods, he
began a relationship that continues to this day. Third, through Dr. Wood’s
encouragement, John began a blog. Fourth, he began a discipline of getting up
at 5 a. m. to study while taking a course at Faulkner which he continues to
follow. John’s association with Faulkner University and some of its professors
has been a blessed one.
This
essay began with a quote from John Greenleaf Whittier: “For all sad words of
tongue and pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been’.” This writer does
not know the circumstances of Whittier when he wrote this line. Was he disappointed
with his life? Did he know of others who were disappointed with their life? It
is true that life should be lived with no regrets. Sometimes, obstacles stand
in the way of achieving life-long goals. Certain priorities might not allow for
a person to fulfill his or her dream. For example, John has chosen not to
pursue the Ph.D because it will hurt his relationship with his wife. He believes
his relationship to his wife and children are more important than earning a
doctorate at this time. Is he missing out on life? Definitely not! He has the
opportunity to teach and work at the library in the college environment. He has
opportunities to publish and present papers at conferences. John picked a
dissertation topic while enrolled at Faulkner. The topic was Walker Percy. John
continues to do research on Percy and present papers on Percy at academic
conferences. Though John does not feel at peace to pursue the doctorate at this
time, he does feel an inner peace to pursue his studies on Walker Percy. John does
not moan a might have been. He, however, rejoices in the many opportunities God
has given him to pursue his life-long mission—to be a Christian scholar.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Walker Percy's Twentieth Century Thomism
"Political Thought"
In this section Lawler compares Thomas Jefferson's view of man with Percy's view. Percy thinks that if Jefferson's view was true, most Americans would be happy, but they are not. Lawler states the modern world has been replaced by a postmodern one. He notes Percy's view of this world: "our century has not been the coming of 'universal peace and brotherhood,' but a time of war, self-destruction, deranged, violent eroticism, and angry, self-hatred. The world human beings have created for themselves is for angels and pigs--abstracted, unempirical beings that are absolutely transcendent or absolutely immanent. It is a world for those who live wholly as scientists or wholly as consumers; it is not for human beings" (95). Percy and Thomistic thought places the human being between angels and beasts. Percy notes often in his writings how man often falls either in the transcendent or immanent realm.
Lawler states that "Cartesian Scientists often speak of the "autonomous self," or the individual who has complete mastery over his self or transcendence similar to the scientist. Lawler thinks the theory of the autonomous self has led to most of the cruelties in our modern world. He says because the autonomous man believes in nothing, he is often caught in the clutches of ideology. Pascal said that man who takes himself to be an angel will often act like a beast. Percy and Flannery O" Connor connected modern sentimentality to cruelty. C. S. Lewis also wrote about the problem of the autonomous man in The Abolition of Man. Peter Kreeft has written about the connection between this work and Percy's Lost in the Cosmos.
"Percy's Self-Help Book"
Lawler notes, "Percy's self-help is a scientific explanation for the apparent misery of Americans in the midst of prosperity, their dislocation, angry self-hatred, and derangement" (97). Why is man sad in good environments? Why was the twentieth century was one of the most violent centuries in history? Percy's "longest piece of prose in that book is a theoretical 'intermezzo of some forty pages,' where Percy presents his Thomistic science, his theory of evolution and of man as a languaged being by nature" (97). Is this the heart of the book? Percy in this prose section analyzes "the impoverishments and enrichments of a self in a world are not necessarily the same as the impoverishments and enrichments of an organism in an environment" (97). Percy says, "the self in a world is rich or poor accordingly as it identifies its otherwise unspeakable self, e. g., mythically, by identifying itself with a world-sign, such as totem; religiously, by identifying itself as a creature of God" (97). Percy thinks this is the reason "that, for Americans, 'The pursuit of happiness becomes the pursuit of diversion' (98). This is because man does not want to know what he is. Lawler notes, "The diverted self cannot be explained rationally or scientifically by the Cartesian expert." "The diverted self is closer to the truth" than the Cartesian scientist. Ultimately, all diversions end in failure. Man must come to failure before he will seek God. This is similar to the Book of Ecclesiastes.
Lawler concludes this section by noting: "There is some pride and joy in knowing the truth about the mystery of the self, and the search for that truth is better than depression or diversion. If the search cannot eradicate the mystery of the self, it can at least make clear what makes one self lovable to another, the foundation for human community" (99).
In this section Lawler compares Thomas Jefferson's view of man with Percy's view. Percy thinks that if Jefferson's view was true, most Americans would be happy, but they are not. Lawler states the modern world has been replaced by a postmodern one. He notes Percy's view of this world: "our century has not been the coming of 'universal peace and brotherhood,' but a time of war, self-destruction, deranged, violent eroticism, and angry, self-hatred. The world human beings have created for themselves is for angels and pigs--abstracted, unempirical beings that are absolutely transcendent or absolutely immanent. It is a world for those who live wholly as scientists or wholly as consumers; it is not for human beings" (95). Percy and Thomistic thought places the human being between angels and beasts. Percy notes often in his writings how man often falls either in the transcendent or immanent realm.
Lawler states that "Cartesian Scientists often speak of the "autonomous self," or the individual who has complete mastery over his self or transcendence similar to the scientist. Lawler thinks the theory of the autonomous self has led to most of the cruelties in our modern world. He says because the autonomous man believes in nothing, he is often caught in the clutches of ideology. Pascal said that man who takes himself to be an angel will often act like a beast. Percy and Flannery O" Connor connected modern sentimentality to cruelty. C. S. Lewis also wrote about the problem of the autonomous man in The Abolition of Man. Peter Kreeft has written about the connection between this work and Percy's Lost in the Cosmos.
"Percy's Self-Help Book"
Lawler notes, "Percy's self-help is a scientific explanation for the apparent misery of Americans in the midst of prosperity, their dislocation, angry self-hatred, and derangement" (97). Why is man sad in good environments? Why was the twentieth century was one of the most violent centuries in history? Percy's "longest piece of prose in that book is a theoretical 'intermezzo of some forty pages,' where Percy presents his Thomistic science, his theory of evolution and of man as a languaged being by nature" (97). Is this the heart of the book? Percy in this prose section analyzes "the impoverishments and enrichments of a self in a world are not necessarily the same as the impoverishments and enrichments of an organism in an environment" (97). Percy says, "the self in a world is rich or poor accordingly as it identifies its otherwise unspeakable self, e. g., mythically, by identifying itself with a world-sign, such as totem; religiously, by identifying itself as a creature of God" (97). Percy thinks this is the reason "that, for Americans, 'The pursuit of happiness becomes the pursuit of diversion' (98). This is because man does not want to know what he is. Lawler notes, "The diverted self cannot be explained rationally or scientifically by the Cartesian expert." "The diverted self is closer to the truth" than the Cartesian scientist. Ultimately, all diversions end in failure. Man must come to failure before he will seek God. This is similar to the Book of Ecclesiastes.
Lawler concludes this section by noting: "There is some pride and joy in knowing the truth about the mystery of the self, and the search for that truth is better than depression or diversion. If the search cannot eradicate the mystery of the self, it can at least make clear what makes one self lovable to another, the foundation for human community" (99).
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Walker Percy's Twentieth Century Thomism Part 4
"Social and Political Science"
Walker Percy was a broad thinker. He was also a very deep thinker. I like to think of Walker Percy as a Christian Humanist. He spoke on many contemporary issues from a Christian world-view. Percy definitely had a Catholic mind, referring to Father Schall's book on the Catholic mind. Not alot has been written on Percy's view on social and political science. In some of Lawler's writings he has compared Percy with Alexis de Tocqueville. It is easy to recognize Lawler's respect for Tocqueville.
Lawler in this section ties in Percy's thought with his arguments against "pop Cartesianism." He says it is really scientism. Lawler notes, ""The pop Cartesianism of the Americans is really scientism, the 'elevation' of a theory that does account scientifically for nonhuman nature into 'an all-enveloping ideology'." Lawler claims that the ideology of scientism is basically "a project for eradicating human nature in the name of science's truth" (92). One can even say it is a reductionism. Whatever that is not explained by science doesn't exist or doesn't matter.
Percy talks much about the Sovereign Wayfarer and one of the early analysis of his work was entitled, The Sovereign Wayfarer. There is alot that is included in this term. One thing is refers is the layman deferring to the knowledge of the experts. Lawler writes: "Laymen tend to surrender their personal sovereignty, their own judgments about their personal experiences, to the scientists' allegedly impersonal authority" (92).
Percy often notes how modern humans felt more alone in the modern, technological world. This is ironic because with the growth of modern science, it is assumed that they would be more at home. Lawler states, "Despite all the expert emphasis on human relations or getting along with others, loneliness remains 'the twentieth-century disease" (93). Is this true still in the modern era of social media? I believe it is.
Lawler also speaks of our therapeutic culture. Percy was good at addressing important issues through questions. He often asked, why do people feel bad in good environments, and why do people feel good in bad environments? There is a common thought we need to cure all anxieties and discomfort through drugs or "through a change in environmental stimuli" (93). Percy would not agree with this. We need to stop putting band aids on these symptoms and look at the core issues. Percy thought that Americans believed "or or told to believe by experts who they hope will provide answers for all the mysteries of human life" (93). A good thing about Percy's writing is that all mysteries or not answered. Life is meant to be lived with mystery. Science does not, cannot and will not answer all of life's questions.
Walker Percy was a broad thinker. He was also a very deep thinker. I like to think of Walker Percy as a Christian Humanist. He spoke on many contemporary issues from a Christian world-view. Percy definitely had a Catholic mind, referring to Father Schall's book on the Catholic mind. Not alot has been written on Percy's view on social and political science. In some of Lawler's writings he has compared Percy with Alexis de Tocqueville. It is easy to recognize Lawler's respect for Tocqueville.
Lawler in this section ties in Percy's thought with his arguments against "pop Cartesianism." He says it is really scientism. Lawler notes, ""The pop Cartesianism of the Americans is really scientism, the 'elevation' of a theory that does account scientifically for nonhuman nature into 'an all-enveloping ideology'." Lawler claims that the ideology of scientism is basically "a project for eradicating human nature in the name of science's truth" (92). One can even say it is a reductionism. Whatever that is not explained by science doesn't exist or doesn't matter.
Percy talks much about the Sovereign Wayfarer and one of the early analysis of his work was entitled, The Sovereign Wayfarer. There is alot that is included in this term. One thing is refers is the layman deferring to the knowledge of the experts. Lawler writes: "Laymen tend to surrender their personal sovereignty, their own judgments about their personal experiences, to the scientists' allegedly impersonal authority" (92).
Percy often notes how modern humans felt more alone in the modern, technological world. This is ironic because with the growth of modern science, it is assumed that they would be more at home. Lawler states, "Despite all the expert emphasis on human relations or getting along with others, loneliness remains 'the twentieth-century disease" (93). Is this true still in the modern era of social media? I believe it is.
Lawler also speaks of our therapeutic culture. Percy was good at addressing important issues through questions. He often asked, why do people feel bad in good environments, and why do people feel good in bad environments? There is a common thought we need to cure all anxieties and discomfort through drugs or "through a change in environmental stimuli" (93). Percy would not agree with this. We need to stop putting band aids on these symptoms and look at the core issues. Percy thought that Americans believed "or or told to believe by experts who they hope will provide answers for all the mysteries of human life" (93). A good thing about Percy's writing is that all mysteries or not answered. Life is meant to be lived with mystery. Science does not, cannot and will not answer all of life's questions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)