Dr Matthew Edward Harris is the Head of Theology, Philosophy and Ethics and Senior Head of Department at Cheltenham College. He obtained his PhD in Philosophy from the Department of Philosophy, Staffordshire University, UK. Matthew earned his undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Theology from Regent’s Park College, Oxford University, as well as postgraduate degrees from the University of Birmingham (MPhil) and University of Bristol (MEd). For his doctoral research, Matthew focused on Gianni Vattimo’s ‘return to religion,’ and has published numerous articles on Vattimo for journals such as Parrhesia, The Heythrop Journal, and Minerva, among others.
This article uses insights from philosophy and religion to assess critically Ruth Dann’s contribu... more This article uses insights from philosophy and religion to assess critically Ruth Dann’s contributions to the academic debate on the nature and purpose of feedback in an educational setting. Dann is currently Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment at the UCL Institute of Education. She uses Habermas’ theory of Communicative Action to reframe the power relations of feedback away from the ‘Transmission Model’ of feedback, towards an intersubjectivity which is more conducive to motivating learners to shift their views towards educational norms. I will argue that the apparent intersubjectivity which Dann finds in her application of the theory of Communicative Action is in fact a disguised ‘Transmission Model.’ This is partly because of ambiguity within Habermas’ theory and due to the way in which Dann frames the use of Communicative Action in an educational context. Gianni Vattimo’s ‘weak thought’ is used to question not only Dann’s use of Habermas’ theory of Communicative Action, but also the ‘reduction’ of the views of the learner to the learning criteria. I draw upon the work of another theoretically-minded educationalist, Professor Ruth Deakin Crick, to propose an alternative model of feedback through a ‘learning journey’ which would take the lifeworld of the learner into account in a non-reductionist way, but nevertheless avoid the pitfalls of the Transmission Model.
The cover of Time Magazine from April 8, 1966 asked the question ‘Is God dead?’ The article withi... more The cover of Time Magazine from April 8, 1966 asked the question ‘Is God dead?’ The article within, ‘Toward a hidden God,’ explored the meaning, roots, consequences and solutions to the ‘problem’ of secularism. In other words, Nietzsche hit upon a phrase which became an umbrella for all manner of phenomena and attitudes pertaining to the limitations and decline of religion, especially the relevance of God in late-modernity. The particularly Nietzschean insight is that the death of God has implications for the highest values of which religion is emblematic but not synonymous. This article briefly outlines Nietzsche’s notion of the death of God, focusing in the main on his published writings, before describing ways in which the idea of the death of God has manifested itself in the twentieth century in death of God theology, systematic theology and in post-modern philosophy, critically assessing each theorist’s reception of Nietzsche’s announcement of the ‘death of God’ in turn.
Gianni Vattimo (b. 1936) is a postmodern philosopher working within the field of hermeneutics. Fo... more Gianni Vattimo (b. 1936) is a postmodern philosopher working within the field of hermeneutics. For someone who is not a theologian first and foremost and who only views himself as a ‘half-believer’, it is perhaps hard to see what he could possibly have to contribute to a debate on ecclesiology, a theoretical study of the Church. Nevertheless, his relatively recent writings which constitute his ‘return to religion’ offer a surprising amount of interesting and relevant material on this topic. On one level, coming from a Catholic background, Vattimo can appear polemical against what he sees as the worst abuses of the Church. However, he grounds this explicitly political and ethical attack in something approximating religionless Christianity. In my opinion, Vattimo's version of religionless Christianity has benefits over Dietrich Bonhoeffer's, not only in embedding the power of Christianity culturally, but also in explaining why the notion of the Church must continue. Nevertheless, a closer analysis shows that his return to religion is centred not on faith or ethics, but too much on hermeneutics and his personal views to be a plausible ecclesiology.
The internet has had a paradoxical effect with regard to truth claims. On the one hand, it has ha... more The internet has had a paradoxical effect with regard to truth claims. On the one hand, it has hastened the dissolution of ‘strong’ truth-claims by creating an irreducibly plural and decentred world. On the other, the internet allows a retreat into a world in which you are surrounded only by your own worldview, accessing information through one-sidedly religious, ethnic and/or political filters. Beyond truth-claims, the internet has raised important questions for ethics, with the anonymity it provides acting as a ‘shield’ to one’s true identity. This lecture will explore the philosophical and ethical issues pertaining to the internet.
Ethics and the Future of Spying: Technology, National Security and Intelligence Collection, Jan 2016
This chapter draws upon the philosophy and ethics of Gianni Vattimo to meet the challenges of the... more This chapter draws upon the philosophy and ethics of Gianni Vattimo to meet the challenges of the fallout of intelligence leaks made by Edward Snowden concerning the kind of HUMINT (mostly online) intelligence operations mentioned by the GCHQ’s JTRIG (Joint Threat Research Intelligence Group). The latter allegedly has been involved not only in the profiling, but also (and more controversially) in the infiltrating, distorting and discrediting of individuals and groups online. The writings of Vattimo will prove useful for these purposes due to his extensive engagement with issues pertaining to violence, democracy, reality, ethics and communications technology. Vattimo thinks violence occurs primarily in interpretations which are strong, that is, inflexible, dogmatic and extremist. Moreover, Vattimo sees a link between strong thought and violent deeds. Vattimo thinks the vocation of thought today is to ‘distort’ strong thought through hermeneutics, the philosophy of interpretation. Therefore, on primarily consequentialist grounds, I argue the aim is to distort the beliefs of extremist communities which are closed to the outside through online HUMINT by infiltrating these communities and not only exploiting existing minor differences, but also adding to the range of information available to them to cause confusion and a sense of hopelessness.
A conference was held at Staffordshire University on the topic of “St. Paul in Continental Philos... more A conference was held at Staffordshire University on the topic of “St. Paul in Continental Philosophy” on 6 June 2014. Four papers were given: by Matthew Harris (Staffordshire University), Philip Goodchild (University of Nottingham), Jordan Dyck (Staffordshire University), and Denis McManus (University of Southampton). The content of these papers varied considerably, from Badiou to Vattimo, Schelling to Kierkegaard, and more besides. Thematically, items considered included Christianity’s relationship with Judaism, eschatology, set theory, and existential fear. A fifth paper was scheduled, but unfortunately the speaker was unable to attend. This conference report will outline the rationale of the conference, before detailing both the arguments and the main ensuing points of discussion for each paper in turn.
To a significant extent, all theorising on the issue of secularisation since the debate between K... more To a significant extent, all theorising on the issue of secularisation since the debate between Karl Löwith and Hans Blumenberg in 1962 has been a footnote to this event. If the debate is seen as the starting-point for discussion on this subject, there have nonetheless been attempts made to move away from its restriction of options between seeing modernity as an illegitimate secularisation of Christian eschatology, or as a radically new self-assertion on the part of humanity. Indeed, Gianni Vattimo has argued instead that secularisation comes from within the logic, and is a fulfilment, of Christianity. This article attempts three things: i) an outline of Vattimo’s views, including a possible explanation of how secularisation works for Vattimo; ii) a survey of Vattimo’s views on Blumenberg and Löwith; iii) an explanation of a judgement of why Vattimo’s alternative to the conclusions reached through Blumenberg- Löwith debate is better than a superficially similar account of secularisation propounded by Marcel Gauchet.
Odradek: Studies in Philosophy of Literature, Aesthetics and New Media Theories, Sep 12, 2015
The philosopher Gianni Vattimo has put forward that we are living after the death of God and end ... more The philosopher Gianni Vattimo has put forward that we are living after the death of God and end of metaphysics, that Being is in inexorable decline. In part, this is due to the effects of information and communications technology giving mass exposure to minority voices, exposing the subjectivity (and
contingency) of representation, of Heidegger’s interpretation of Nietzsche’s notion of the will to power as the culmination of metaphysics. Vattimo puts forward the figure of the Übermensch negotiating the traces of tradition liberated through information and communications technology (and the media more broadly) in an artistic way, creating pastiches and wearing masks and costumes in an ironic way. However, I would argue that cookies, social media and Apple technologies reassert the ego (the foundational modern metaphysical bedrock) and bring back hierarchical distinctions in a strong sense, that they show a non-reactive challenge to nihilism that
questions ‘weak thought.’
Inter.culture.philosophy: journal of philosophy and its cultural context, Mar 31, 2015
The concept of ‘learning’ is much used, yet ill-defined, even though increasingly young people in... more The concept of ‘learning’ is much used, yet ill-defined, even though increasingly young people in schools are being identified as ‘learners.’ There are two main metaphors for learning: ‘acquisition’ and ‘participation.’ The former relies upon an outmoded subject-object distinction that could also be regarded as making ‘learners’ passive consumers. The participation metaphor assumes the nature of the participating subject and therefore is unsuitable to underpin the notion of a ‘learner.’ Drawing upon the insights of Gregory Bateson and Gianni Vattimo, a definition of ‘learning’ is developed that is sufficiently ontological and well suited to the pluralistic world of late-modernity.
After the death of God, the hermeneutical nihilist Gianni Vattimo thinks we are living in an age ... more After the death of God, the hermeneutical nihilist Gianni Vattimo thinks we are living in an age where it is no longer possible to believe in ‘violent’ metaphysical notions such as ‘objectivity’ and ‘universality’. However, we still cannot shake off the traces of the past that have been passed down through linguistic traditions. Kantian ethics is a case in point, situated in the midst of what Vattimo, following Heidegger’s interpretation of Nietzsche, regards as the history of Being as a weakening without a termination point. Kant’s Categorical Imperative is a secularised form of Christian caritas mixed with its evangelical universalising mission. In turn, Kant’s emphasis on reason built on the key Christian insight of binding people together by turning inwards through faith. For Vattimo, if one turns inwards then one should listen to others like you, i.e., those who are fellow weak thinkers who want to engage in dialogue. By introducing this condition implicitly, Vattimo weakens the categorical imperative by revealing it in weakened form to be a hypothetical imperative at the cost not only of excluding ‘strong’ thinkers, but also revealing a stronger conception of the subject in his philosophy that borders on the metaphysical.
The European Legacy: Towards New Paradigms, Jan 26, 2015
To clarify Vattimo’s position on secularism and Islam, I first discuss his view that secularisati... more To clarify Vattimo’s position on secularism and Islam, I first discuss his view that secularisation as kenosis and caritas entails the nihilistic vocation of Being, as expressed in our postmodern world where there appear to be no facts, only interpretations. I then survey some of Vattimo’s negative judgements of Islam, which appear to be out of keeping with his own disavowal of “modern” ideals such as “progress” and “grand narratives.” After analysing Islam’s turbulent history of secularism, I suggest the need for Islamic secularism for its own religious and political reasons. Vattimo’s theory of secularisation helps to identify not only what Islam should avoid in pursuing its own secularisation (an Enlightenment notion of subjectivity), but also what it can emphasise within its own tradition as a stimulus towards secularisation: the Golden Rule. This rule, if presented by influential imams as spiritually and as ethically open to the other as possible, may lead through action-based dialogue to a form of reciprocal listening that is the core of Vattimo’s notion of secularism, but which is based, at the same time, on the awareness of the gulf between the transcendence of Allah and the finitude and fallibility of human politico-religious institutions.
International Journal of Philosophy and Theology, Nov 25, 2014
The style of weak thought associated with Gianni Vattimo involves positing that we are living aft... more The style of weak thought associated with Gianni Vattimo involves positing that we are living after the death of God in an age of nihilism that is our ‘sole opportunity’. Nihilism, the lack of highest values, frees one from the ‘violence’ of metaphysics that silences one by reducing everything back to first principles. This article focuses on Vattimo’s return to Christianity, analysing in particular his use of terms found in the New Testament, kenosis and caritas. Vattimo sees the history of the West as the secularisation of Christianity, reaching its culmination in the nihilism of late-modernity through the liberation of a plurality of interpretations from metaphysics. By analysing Vattimo’s notion of Being and use of Joachim of Fiore’s historical schema in relation to Paul’s distinction between the ‘spirit’ and the ‘letter’, it shall be argued that Vattimo’s understanding of Christianity does not involve the religion ‘superseding’ Judaism. However, this resolution comes at the cost of highlighting the lack of importance of Christianity for Vattimo if a broader understanding of Heidegger than Vattimo deploys is used to put Vattimo’s understanding of Being under scrutiny.
This article looks at implications of the ideas of postmodern philosopher Gianni Vattimo for how ... more This article looks at implications of the ideas of postmodern philosopher Gianni Vattimo for how management deals with cultural conflict in an educational setting. Vattimo’s ideas point
towards the development of less prescriptive, more performative, means of resolving conflict in a setting where truth claims are of reduced importance. The performance will be a living out of caritas, a charitable attitude towards the cultures of others, moving in the direction of a gradual convergence of cultures through listening to and accepting the other. The paper then discusses ways in which Thomas Kuhn’s idea of paradigm understood as exemplar can be used by management to inculcate the caritas as the habitus of those who live and work in their educational institution.
[Brief description in lieu of an abstract] The case of the remarkable success (critically and in... more [Brief description in lieu of an abstract] The case of the remarkable success (critically and in terms of sales) of the hologram of Tupac at Coachella in 2012 bears some similarity to the cult of saints in late antiquity. The image of Tupac at Coachella was aesthetically unremarkable as there was little difference (except Tupac’s height) between it and how Tupac appears in music videos that live on posthumously on YouTube and MTV. Ontologically, there was no connection at all, for the image was a hologram. The value of the hologram came, like the saints, from the curious narrative of his survival of death, as well as the sheer novelty of the holographic technology combining to produce maximum impact in the event.
Gianni Vattimo’s return to religion would appear to show at best ambivalence to the notion of God... more Gianni Vattimo’s return to religion would appear to show at best ambivalence to the notion of God the Father, at worst a contradiction in his thought. Vattimo seems to care not whether God is father or mother, yet he talks of a ‘paternal’ feeling of dependence on God. Furthermore, Vattimo associates God the Father with the God of literalism, the Old Testament, and ‘natural religion’, all of which in his eyes are associated with metaphysical violence. However, not only does Vattimo still draw upon Trinitarian formulae, but some form of Trinity is needed in his thought. To prevent Vattimo’s Trinity from degenerating into a kind of supersessionism it is important to draw upon resources both from Vattimo’s own thought and a reading of Heidegger along Vattimian lines in seeing the Father as a theological transcription of the Heideggerian notion of a ‘Shepherd of Being’, of the interpretative act of gathering ‘lost’ interpretations to create a situation in which there is even greater hermeneutical plurality.
Gianni Vattimo makes a deep connection between the
philosophy of Martin Heidegger and the anthro... more Gianni Vattimo makes a deep connection between the
philosophy of Martin Heidegger and the anthropology of René Girard. Heidegger’s ontology of decline is, for Vattimo, a ‘transcription’ of Girard’s understanding of Christianity. At the heart of this identification is the parallel Vattimo sees between the ‘natural sacred’ in Girard’s thought and the violence of metaphysics. The incarnation in Vattimo’s utilisation of Girard’s ideas is connected with a broader understanding of the incarnation as kenosis. Vattimo sees Christianity as inaugurating a principle of ‘weakening’ which moves through history as secularising message. Not much evidence is provided by Vattimo for this identification, but it is possible to go back through the history of Christianity and find examples which back up his claims, such as how Aquinas’ theology in the thirteenth century could be interpreted as a ‘twisting’ of Aristotle which weakened his philosophy. Nevertheless, by
bringing the violence of metaphysics too close to the physical violence of the natural sacred, Vattimo runs the risk of trivialising the latter. Moreover, Vattimo’s hermeneutical nihilistic approach prevents him not only considering approaches to the origin of physical violence such as seeing it as a result of evolution, but also rules out a number of ways to
cope with this violence such as institutions that are founded upon metaphysical principles.
[Brief description in lieu of an abstract] This short article uses insights from Žižek's work to ... more [Brief description in lieu of an abstract] This short article uses insights from Žižek's work to explore how Charlie Sheen's life seemed to unravel in early 2011, and that for all Sheen was seeming to try to create a new identity for himself in a more real and 'authentic' way, he could not escape being pigeonholed and second-guessed by the far more critical 'new media.'
This article uses insights from philosophy and religion to assess critically Ruth Dann’s contribu... more This article uses insights from philosophy and religion to assess critically Ruth Dann’s contributions to the academic debate on the nature and purpose of feedback in an educational setting. Dann is currently Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment at the UCL Institute of Education. She uses Habermas’ theory of Communicative Action to reframe the power relations of feedback away from the ‘Transmission Model’ of feedback, towards an intersubjectivity which is more conducive to motivating learners to shift their views towards educational norms. I will argue that the apparent intersubjectivity which Dann finds in her application of the theory of Communicative Action is in fact a disguised ‘Transmission Model.’ This is partly because of ambiguity within Habermas’ theory and due to the way in which Dann frames the use of Communicative Action in an educational context. Gianni Vattimo’s ‘weak thought’ is used to question not only Dann’s use of Habermas’ theory of Communicative Action, but also the ‘reduction’ of the views of the learner to the learning criteria. I draw upon the work of another theoretically-minded educationalist, Professor Ruth Deakin Crick, to propose an alternative model of feedback through a ‘learning journey’ which would take the lifeworld of the learner into account in a non-reductionist way, but nevertheless avoid the pitfalls of the Transmission Model.
The cover of Time Magazine from April 8, 1966 asked the question ‘Is God dead?’ The article withi... more The cover of Time Magazine from April 8, 1966 asked the question ‘Is God dead?’ The article within, ‘Toward a hidden God,’ explored the meaning, roots, consequences and solutions to the ‘problem’ of secularism. In other words, Nietzsche hit upon a phrase which became an umbrella for all manner of phenomena and attitudes pertaining to the limitations and decline of religion, especially the relevance of God in late-modernity. The particularly Nietzschean insight is that the death of God has implications for the highest values of which religion is emblematic but not synonymous. This article briefly outlines Nietzsche’s notion of the death of God, focusing in the main on his published writings, before describing ways in which the idea of the death of God has manifested itself in the twentieth century in death of God theology, systematic theology and in post-modern philosophy, critically assessing each theorist’s reception of Nietzsche’s announcement of the ‘death of God’ in turn.
Gianni Vattimo (b. 1936) is a postmodern philosopher working within the field of hermeneutics. Fo... more Gianni Vattimo (b. 1936) is a postmodern philosopher working within the field of hermeneutics. For someone who is not a theologian first and foremost and who only views himself as a ‘half-believer’, it is perhaps hard to see what he could possibly have to contribute to a debate on ecclesiology, a theoretical study of the Church. Nevertheless, his relatively recent writings which constitute his ‘return to religion’ offer a surprising amount of interesting and relevant material on this topic. On one level, coming from a Catholic background, Vattimo can appear polemical against what he sees as the worst abuses of the Church. However, he grounds this explicitly political and ethical attack in something approximating religionless Christianity. In my opinion, Vattimo's version of religionless Christianity has benefits over Dietrich Bonhoeffer's, not only in embedding the power of Christianity culturally, but also in explaining why the notion of the Church must continue. Nevertheless, a closer analysis shows that his return to religion is centred not on faith or ethics, but too much on hermeneutics and his personal views to be a plausible ecclesiology.
The internet has had a paradoxical effect with regard to truth claims. On the one hand, it has ha... more The internet has had a paradoxical effect with regard to truth claims. On the one hand, it has hastened the dissolution of ‘strong’ truth-claims by creating an irreducibly plural and decentred world. On the other, the internet allows a retreat into a world in which you are surrounded only by your own worldview, accessing information through one-sidedly religious, ethnic and/or political filters. Beyond truth-claims, the internet has raised important questions for ethics, with the anonymity it provides acting as a ‘shield’ to one’s true identity. This lecture will explore the philosophical and ethical issues pertaining to the internet.
Ethics and the Future of Spying: Technology, National Security and Intelligence Collection, Jan 2016
This chapter draws upon the philosophy and ethics of Gianni Vattimo to meet the challenges of the... more This chapter draws upon the philosophy and ethics of Gianni Vattimo to meet the challenges of the fallout of intelligence leaks made by Edward Snowden concerning the kind of HUMINT (mostly online) intelligence operations mentioned by the GCHQ’s JTRIG (Joint Threat Research Intelligence Group). The latter allegedly has been involved not only in the profiling, but also (and more controversially) in the infiltrating, distorting and discrediting of individuals and groups online. The writings of Vattimo will prove useful for these purposes due to his extensive engagement with issues pertaining to violence, democracy, reality, ethics and communications technology. Vattimo thinks violence occurs primarily in interpretations which are strong, that is, inflexible, dogmatic and extremist. Moreover, Vattimo sees a link between strong thought and violent deeds. Vattimo thinks the vocation of thought today is to ‘distort’ strong thought through hermeneutics, the philosophy of interpretation. Therefore, on primarily consequentialist grounds, I argue the aim is to distort the beliefs of extremist communities which are closed to the outside through online HUMINT by infiltrating these communities and not only exploiting existing minor differences, but also adding to the range of information available to them to cause confusion and a sense of hopelessness.
A conference was held at Staffordshire University on the topic of “St. Paul in Continental Philos... more A conference was held at Staffordshire University on the topic of “St. Paul in Continental Philosophy” on 6 June 2014. Four papers were given: by Matthew Harris (Staffordshire University), Philip Goodchild (University of Nottingham), Jordan Dyck (Staffordshire University), and Denis McManus (University of Southampton). The content of these papers varied considerably, from Badiou to Vattimo, Schelling to Kierkegaard, and more besides. Thematically, items considered included Christianity’s relationship with Judaism, eschatology, set theory, and existential fear. A fifth paper was scheduled, but unfortunately the speaker was unable to attend. This conference report will outline the rationale of the conference, before detailing both the arguments and the main ensuing points of discussion for each paper in turn.
To a significant extent, all theorising on the issue of secularisation since the debate between K... more To a significant extent, all theorising on the issue of secularisation since the debate between Karl Löwith and Hans Blumenberg in 1962 has been a footnote to this event. If the debate is seen as the starting-point for discussion on this subject, there have nonetheless been attempts made to move away from its restriction of options between seeing modernity as an illegitimate secularisation of Christian eschatology, or as a radically new self-assertion on the part of humanity. Indeed, Gianni Vattimo has argued instead that secularisation comes from within the logic, and is a fulfilment, of Christianity. This article attempts three things: i) an outline of Vattimo’s views, including a possible explanation of how secularisation works for Vattimo; ii) a survey of Vattimo’s views on Blumenberg and Löwith; iii) an explanation of a judgement of why Vattimo’s alternative to the conclusions reached through Blumenberg- Löwith debate is better than a superficially similar account of secularisation propounded by Marcel Gauchet.
Odradek: Studies in Philosophy of Literature, Aesthetics and New Media Theories, Sep 12, 2015
The philosopher Gianni Vattimo has put forward that we are living after the death of God and end ... more The philosopher Gianni Vattimo has put forward that we are living after the death of God and end of metaphysics, that Being is in inexorable decline. In part, this is due to the effects of information and communications technology giving mass exposure to minority voices, exposing the subjectivity (and
contingency) of representation, of Heidegger’s interpretation of Nietzsche’s notion of the will to power as the culmination of metaphysics. Vattimo puts forward the figure of the Übermensch negotiating the traces of tradition liberated through information and communications technology (and the media more broadly) in an artistic way, creating pastiches and wearing masks and costumes in an ironic way. However, I would argue that cookies, social media and Apple technologies reassert the ego (the foundational modern metaphysical bedrock) and bring back hierarchical distinctions in a strong sense, that they show a non-reactive challenge to nihilism that
questions ‘weak thought.’
Inter.culture.philosophy: journal of philosophy and its cultural context, Mar 31, 2015
The concept of ‘learning’ is much used, yet ill-defined, even though increasingly young people in... more The concept of ‘learning’ is much used, yet ill-defined, even though increasingly young people in schools are being identified as ‘learners.’ There are two main metaphors for learning: ‘acquisition’ and ‘participation.’ The former relies upon an outmoded subject-object distinction that could also be regarded as making ‘learners’ passive consumers. The participation metaphor assumes the nature of the participating subject and therefore is unsuitable to underpin the notion of a ‘learner.’ Drawing upon the insights of Gregory Bateson and Gianni Vattimo, a definition of ‘learning’ is developed that is sufficiently ontological and well suited to the pluralistic world of late-modernity.
After the death of God, the hermeneutical nihilist Gianni Vattimo thinks we are living in an age ... more After the death of God, the hermeneutical nihilist Gianni Vattimo thinks we are living in an age where it is no longer possible to believe in ‘violent’ metaphysical notions such as ‘objectivity’ and ‘universality’. However, we still cannot shake off the traces of the past that have been passed down through linguistic traditions. Kantian ethics is a case in point, situated in the midst of what Vattimo, following Heidegger’s interpretation of Nietzsche, regards as the history of Being as a weakening without a termination point. Kant’s Categorical Imperative is a secularised form of Christian caritas mixed with its evangelical universalising mission. In turn, Kant’s emphasis on reason built on the key Christian insight of binding people together by turning inwards through faith. For Vattimo, if one turns inwards then one should listen to others like you, i.e., those who are fellow weak thinkers who want to engage in dialogue. By introducing this condition implicitly, Vattimo weakens the categorical imperative by revealing it in weakened form to be a hypothetical imperative at the cost not only of excluding ‘strong’ thinkers, but also revealing a stronger conception of the subject in his philosophy that borders on the metaphysical.
The European Legacy: Towards New Paradigms, Jan 26, 2015
To clarify Vattimo’s position on secularism and Islam, I first discuss his view that secularisati... more To clarify Vattimo’s position on secularism and Islam, I first discuss his view that secularisation as kenosis and caritas entails the nihilistic vocation of Being, as expressed in our postmodern world where there appear to be no facts, only interpretations. I then survey some of Vattimo’s negative judgements of Islam, which appear to be out of keeping with his own disavowal of “modern” ideals such as “progress” and “grand narratives.” After analysing Islam’s turbulent history of secularism, I suggest the need for Islamic secularism for its own religious and political reasons. Vattimo’s theory of secularisation helps to identify not only what Islam should avoid in pursuing its own secularisation (an Enlightenment notion of subjectivity), but also what it can emphasise within its own tradition as a stimulus towards secularisation: the Golden Rule. This rule, if presented by influential imams as spiritually and as ethically open to the other as possible, may lead through action-based dialogue to a form of reciprocal listening that is the core of Vattimo’s notion of secularism, but which is based, at the same time, on the awareness of the gulf between the transcendence of Allah and the finitude and fallibility of human politico-religious institutions.
International Journal of Philosophy and Theology, Nov 25, 2014
The style of weak thought associated with Gianni Vattimo involves positing that we are living aft... more The style of weak thought associated with Gianni Vattimo involves positing that we are living after the death of God in an age of nihilism that is our ‘sole opportunity’. Nihilism, the lack of highest values, frees one from the ‘violence’ of metaphysics that silences one by reducing everything back to first principles. This article focuses on Vattimo’s return to Christianity, analysing in particular his use of terms found in the New Testament, kenosis and caritas. Vattimo sees the history of the West as the secularisation of Christianity, reaching its culmination in the nihilism of late-modernity through the liberation of a plurality of interpretations from metaphysics. By analysing Vattimo’s notion of Being and use of Joachim of Fiore’s historical schema in relation to Paul’s distinction between the ‘spirit’ and the ‘letter’, it shall be argued that Vattimo’s understanding of Christianity does not involve the religion ‘superseding’ Judaism. However, this resolution comes at the cost of highlighting the lack of importance of Christianity for Vattimo if a broader understanding of Heidegger than Vattimo deploys is used to put Vattimo’s understanding of Being under scrutiny.
This article looks at implications of the ideas of postmodern philosopher Gianni Vattimo for how ... more This article looks at implications of the ideas of postmodern philosopher Gianni Vattimo for how management deals with cultural conflict in an educational setting. Vattimo’s ideas point
towards the development of less prescriptive, more performative, means of resolving conflict in a setting where truth claims are of reduced importance. The performance will be a living out of caritas, a charitable attitude towards the cultures of others, moving in the direction of a gradual convergence of cultures through listening to and accepting the other. The paper then discusses ways in which Thomas Kuhn’s idea of paradigm understood as exemplar can be used by management to inculcate the caritas as the habitus of those who live and work in their educational institution.
[Brief description in lieu of an abstract] The case of the remarkable success (critically and in... more [Brief description in lieu of an abstract] The case of the remarkable success (critically and in terms of sales) of the hologram of Tupac at Coachella in 2012 bears some similarity to the cult of saints in late antiquity. The image of Tupac at Coachella was aesthetically unremarkable as there was little difference (except Tupac’s height) between it and how Tupac appears in music videos that live on posthumously on YouTube and MTV. Ontologically, there was no connection at all, for the image was a hologram. The value of the hologram came, like the saints, from the curious narrative of his survival of death, as well as the sheer novelty of the holographic technology combining to produce maximum impact in the event.
Gianni Vattimo’s return to religion would appear to show at best ambivalence to the notion of God... more Gianni Vattimo’s return to religion would appear to show at best ambivalence to the notion of God the Father, at worst a contradiction in his thought. Vattimo seems to care not whether God is father or mother, yet he talks of a ‘paternal’ feeling of dependence on God. Furthermore, Vattimo associates God the Father with the God of literalism, the Old Testament, and ‘natural religion’, all of which in his eyes are associated with metaphysical violence. However, not only does Vattimo still draw upon Trinitarian formulae, but some form of Trinity is needed in his thought. To prevent Vattimo’s Trinity from degenerating into a kind of supersessionism it is important to draw upon resources both from Vattimo’s own thought and a reading of Heidegger along Vattimian lines in seeing the Father as a theological transcription of the Heideggerian notion of a ‘Shepherd of Being’, of the interpretative act of gathering ‘lost’ interpretations to create a situation in which there is even greater hermeneutical plurality.
Gianni Vattimo makes a deep connection between the
philosophy of Martin Heidegger and the anthro... more Gianni Vattimo makes a deep connection between the
philosophy of Martin Heidegger and the anthropology of René Girard. Heidegger’s ontology of decline is, for Vattimo, a ‘transcription’ of Girard’s understanding of Christianity. At the heart of this identification is the parallel Vattimo sees between the ‘natural sacred’ in Girard’s thought and the violence of metaphysics. The incarnation in Vattimo’s utilisation of Girard’s ideas is connected with a broader understanding of the incarnation as kenosis. Vattimo sees Christianity as inaugurating a principle of ‘weakening’ which moves through history as secularising message. Not much evidence is provided by Vattimo for this identification, but it is possible to go back through the history of Christianity and find examples which back up his claims, such as how Aquinas’ theology in the thirteenth century could be interpreted as a ‘twisting’ of Aristotle which weakened his philosophy. Nevertheless, by
bringing the violence of metaphysics too close to the physical violence of the natural sacred, Vattimo runs the risk of trivialising the latter. Moreover, Vattimo’s hermeneutical nihilistic approach prevents him not only considering approaches to the origin of physical violence such as seeing it as a result of evolution, but also rules out a number of ways to
cope with this violence such as institutions that are founded upon metaphysical principles.
[Brief description in lieu of an abstract] This short article uses insights from Žižek's work to ... more [Brief description in lieu of an abstract] This short article uses insights from Žižek's work to explore how Charlie Sheen's life seemed to unravel in early 2011, and that for all Sheen was seeming to try to create a new identity for himself in a more real and 'authentic' way, he could not escape being pigeonholed and second-guessed by the far more critical 'new media.'
What has postmodernism got to do with Christianity? To what extent can a nihilist derive an ethic... more What has postmodernism got to do with Christianity? To what extent can a nihilist derive an ethic from the history of a religion? Can a western approach to secularisation be applied to Islam? These questions are central to this collection of essays from 2011–2015 by Matthew Edward Harris. The essays are grouped around the interrelated themes of religion, ethics and the history of ideas and constitute a critically constructive approach to the subject matter. Harris defends Vattimo against some of his more strident critics, but nevertheless poses questions of his own. Along with a new introduction, outlining Vattimo’s life, thought and ideas, and a conclusion, which looks at how developments in Vattimo’s views on religion have wider implications for his ‘weak thought,’ the volume includes nine essays on Vattimo’s thought. Harris’ overall argument is that Vattimo is overly reliant upon history and that there is a contradiction within his style of ‘weak thought,’ which is against definitive pronouncements yet excludes outright anything that does not pertain to the history of linguistic messages.
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contingency) of representation, of Heidegger’s interpretation of Nietzsche’s notion of the will to power as the culmination of metaphysics. Vattimo puts forward the figure of the Übermensch negotiating the traces of tradition liberated through information and communications technology (and the media more broadly) in an artistic way, creating pastiches and wearing masks and costumes in an ironic way. However, I would argue that cookies, social media and Apple technologies reassert the ego (the foundational modern metaphysical bedrock) and bring back hierarchical distinctions in a strong sense, that they show a non-reactive challenge to nihilism that
questions ‘weak thought.’
Get free access to the paper at:
http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/GvYx259yyzKpbM5JuQAi/full
Get free access to the paper at: http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/G88tf7sZdu9P3N9zWBmC/full
towards the development of less prescriptive, more performative, means of resolving conflict in a setting where truth claims are of reduced importance. The performance will be a living out of caritas, a charitable attitude towards the cultures of others, moving in the direction of a gradual convergence of cultures through listening to and accepting the other. The paper then discusses ways in which Thomas Kuhn’s idea of paradigm understood as exemplar can be used by management to inculcate the caritas as the habitus of those who live and work in their educational institution.
philosophy of Martin Heidegger and the anthropology of René Girard. Heidegger’s ontology of decline is, for Vattimo, a ‘transcription’ of Girard’s understanding of Christianity. At the heart of this identification is the parallel Vattimo sees between the ‘natural sacred’ in Girard’s thought and the violence of metaphysics. The incarnation in Vattimo’s utilisation of Girard’s ideas is connected with a broader understanding of the incarnation as kenosis. Vattimo sees Christianity as inaugurating a principle of ‘weakening’ which moves through history as secularising message. Not much evidence is provided by Vattimo for this identification, but it is possible to go back through the history of Christianity and find examples which back up his claims, such as how Aquinas’ theology in the thirteenth century could be interpreted as a ‘twisting’ of Aristotle which weakened his philosophy. Nevertheless, by
bringing the violence of metaphysics too close to the physical violence of the natural sacred, Vattimo runs the risk of trivialising the latter. Moreover, Vattimo’s hermeneutical nihilistic approach prevents him not only considering approaches to the origin of physical violence such as seeing it as a result of evolution, but also rules out a number of ways to
cope with this violence such as institutions that are founded upon metaphysical principles.
contingency) of representation, of Heidegger’s interpretation of Nietzsche’s notion of the will to power as the culmination of metaphysics. Vattimo puts forward the figure of the Übermensch negotiating the traces of tradition liberated through information and communications technology (and the media more broadly) in an artistic way, creating pastiches and wearing masks and costumes in an ironic way. However, I would argue that cookies, social media and Apple technologies reassert the ego (the foundational modern metaphysical bedrock) and bring back hierarchical distinctions in a strong sense, that they show a non-reactive challenge to nihilism that
questions ‘weak thought.’
Get free access to the paper at:
http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/GvYx259yyzKpbM5JuQAi/full
Get free access to the paper at: http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/G88tf7sZdu9P3N9zWBmC/full
towards the development of less prescriptive, more performative, means of resolving conflict in a setting where truth claims are of reduced importance. The performance will be a living out of caritas, a charitable attitude towards the cultures of others, moving in the direction of a gradual convergence of cultures through listening to and accepting the other. The paper then discusses ways in which Thomas Kuhn’s idea of paradigm understood as exemplar can be used by management to inculcate the caritas as the habitus of those who live and work in their educational institution.
philosophy of Martin Heidegger and the anthropology of René Girard. Heidegger’s ontology of decline is, for Vattimo, a ‘transcription’ of Girard’s understanding of Christianity. At the heart of this identification is the parallel Vattimo sees between the ‘natural sacred’ in Girard’s thought and the violence of metaphysics. The incarnation in Vattimo’s utilisation of Girard’s ideas is connected with a broader understanding of the incarnation as kenosis. Vattimo sees Christianity as inaugurating a principle of ‘weakening’ which moves through history as secularising message. Not much evidence is provided by Vattimo for this identification, but it is possible to go back through the history of Christianity and find examples which back up his claims, such as how Aquinas’ theology in the thirteenth century could be interpreted as a ‘twisting’ of Aristotle which weakened his philosophy. Nevertheless, by
bringing the violence of metaphysics too close to the physical violence of the natural sacred, Vattimo runs the risk of trivialising the latter. Moreover, Vattimo’s hermeneutical nihilistic approach prevents him not only considering approaches to the origin of physical violence such as seeing it as a result of evolution, but also rules out a number of ways to
cope with this violence such as institutions that are founded upon metaphysical principles.
http://www.cambridgescholars.com/essays-on-gianni-vattimo