First of all, and very sincerely and heartily, i would like to thank the university of aberdeen for my appointment. The idea of mystery in the philosophy of gabriel marcel 245 repl y to gene reeves 272 9. In allowing man to partake in this mysterious nature of life whose effects or manifestations are familiar to all, man ought to participate in a mutual. As gifford lecturer here, i am following in the footsteps of many other thinkers, representing various national cultures, all men of honourable note in the history of philosophy. There are two types of philosophical reflection according to gabriel marcel, namely, primary reflection and secondary reflection.
Reflection and mystery gifford lectures, 19491950 gabriel marcel, g s fraser on. Edited by paul arthur schlipp and lewis edwin hahn. Gabriel marcel, french philosopher, dramatist, and critic who was associated with the phenomenological and existentialist movements in 20thcentury european philosophy and whose work and style are often characterized as theistic or christian existentialism a term marcel disliked, preferring the. Being is what withstandsor what would withstandan exhaustive analysis bearing on the data of experience. Gabriel marcels existentialism focused on commitment to the development of the individuals concrete existence, the restoration of mutual respect, and trust in human relationships. The concern here will not be with the nothingness and despair of sartre, but rather with the mystery and hope of marcel. And with this we have come full circle and returned to pascal. Gabriel marcel, the mystery of being in his final paper, author, psychoanalyst, and existential. These aspects of existence are, in my mind, inextricably linked and relate in the end to nature. Gabriel marcels notion of incarnate being 123 reply to erwin w. The mystery of being contains the most systematic exposition of the philosophical thought of gabriel marcel, a convert to catholicism and the most distinguished twentiethcentury. Gabriel marcel delivered two series of ten lectures on the mystery of being, comprised of ordered reflections on nature and the goal of philosophy from an existentialist standpoint. I bought a copy of gabriel marcels the existential background of human dignity at a usedbook store and have started reading it. The conclusion reached is that marcels dialectic is an attempt at an applied theocentrism so that not only is god central in marcels thought but being is identifiable with god, in the manner in which marcel understands these terms.
He converted to catholicism in 1929 and his philosophy was later described as christian existentialism most famously in jeanpaul sartres existentialism is a humanism a term he initially endorsed but later repudiated. Share gabriel marcel quotations about metaphysics, contemplation and mathematics. This is an essay about quest and emotion and what we may call the metaphorically feminine. Next, homo viator came a little more easily but was still difficult, especially the parts about hope and rilke. Gabriel marcel, a christian existentialist, gave two series of gifford lectures under the titlethe mystery of being. Further biographical information on gabriel marcel may be found in his an autobiographical essay in the philosophy of gabriel marcel lasalle, ill open court, c1984. Next, homo viator came a little more easily but was. The first contact i had with the writings of gabriel marcel was inhis book, being and having. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. A mystery involves myself to such a degree that it can only be thought of as a sphere where. The phrase mystery of being sounds, well, mysterious.
Reflection and mystery it might be said in the first place that a road implies space. His twovolume work the mystery of being is the final product of a series of gifford lectures that were. Metaphysics and faith in gabriel marcel the controversies and debates on the correspondence between reason and faith have existed since the ancient world, being understood in this sense that philosophy is born in greece and its main source is religious. The mystery of being is a twovolume book of existential philosophy by gabriel marcel. Being and having in our society teaches us how to take possession of. May 04, 2007 for marcel, being is an element of reality which exists in and of itself, which defies reductionist analysis, which can not be circumscribed by the formulas of the natural sciences.
Gabriel marcel is one of the main figures associated with existential thought in france. Gabriel marcel on the broken world, problems, and mysteries. Jill graper hernandez, gabriel marcels ethics of hope. Marcel observed in being and having that cartesianism implies a severancebetween intellect and life. Gabriel honore marcel stanford encyclopedia of philosophy.
Meister eckhart silence and emptiness where does the mind come from. Gabriel marcel 18891973 was a philosopher, drama critic, playwright. The two volumes are, reflection and mystery and faith and reality. I dont remember if the mystery of being was this frustrating to read or not i last read it over 30 years ago, but this streamofconsciousness style is frustrating, at times even infuriating, in a. Aug 05, 2014 i thou relationship in gabriel marcel. Gabriel marcel 18891973 was a philosopher, drama critic, playwright and musician. In the first volume, reflection and mystery, he explains that rather than proceeding by expounding a system, his philosophy proceeds in a fashion more akin to a journey. Thereader ofsuchaworkasalbert camus lapeste, withits preoccupation with theproblem ofaatheistic sanctity, will understand m. My body and i are so involved with one another that any attempt at analysing one or the other is impossible. Its two volumes are the gifford lectures which marcel delivered in aberdeen, scotland, in 1949 and 1950. Gabriel marcel delivered two series of ten lectures on the mystery of being, comprised of ordered reflections on nature and the goal of philosophy from an.
The list of mysteries that con cern philosophy will certainly include love, freedom, and evil, and funda mentally the mystery of being itself. Gabriel marcels perspectives on the broken world the broken world, a fouract play. Intro to the philosophy of the human person philonotes daily whiteboard duration. Gabriel marcel s existentialism focused on commitment to the development of the individuals concrete existence, the restoration of mutual respect, and trust in human relationships. Being goes beyond the framework of the rational mind, mysterious sustaining reality. Marcel, gabriel internet encyclopedia of philosophy. Descartes is famous for having purposefully doubted all of his ideas and for splitting the. A mystery is a problem that encroaches upon itself because the questioner becomes the object of the question. The first yolume was a lot clearer than the first two books, but iri the second volume, i really started to get. Descartes is famous for having purposefully doubted all of his ideas and for splitting the interior self off. In his final paper, author, psychoanalyst, and existentialhumanist psychother.
To counter the impersonality of the mechanistic modern world and to recall man to an awareness of the mystery of being, marcel spoke of the development of the individual in persontoperson dialogue. The mystery of being contains the most systematic exposition of the philosophical thought of gabriel marcel, a convert to catholicism and the most distinguished twentiethcentury exponent of christian existentialism. The philosophy of gabriel marcel volume xvii, 1984 the theistic existentialism of the french catholic philosopher gabriel marcel is too little known in the englishspeaking parts of the world, and too often assimilated uncritically to the philosophy of sartre, to which it is in many respects diametrically opposed. First published in 1951, the book is a collection of gifford lectures given by marcel while at the university of aberdeen between 1949 and 1950 references. Reply to gene reeves, in the philosophy of gabriel marcel. Gabriel honore marcel 18891973 was a french philosopher, playwright, music critic and leading christian existentialist. Publication date 19topics consciousness, ontology, faith publisher london.
I dont remember if the mystery of being was this frustrating to read or not i last read it over 30 years ago, but this. Gabriel marcel french philosopher and author britannica. Feb 15, 2001 the mystery of being contains the most systematic exposition of the philosophical thought of gabriel marcel, a convert to catholicism and the most distinguished twentiethcentury exponent of christian existentialism. Community and the order of being louisiana state university. Gabriel marcel 18891973, who was born and died in paris, was one of the leading christian existentialists of the twentieth century. First published in 1951, the book is a collection of gifford lectures given by marcel while at the university of aberdeen between 1949 and 1950. Mystery of being 3 through various phrases such as i have a body, i make use of my body, i feel my body, etc. Publication date 19topics consciousness, ontology, faith publisher.
Full text of the mystery of being internet archive. The book had the effect of cooling me toward marcel because so often i really had to struggle to get what he was saying. Reflection and mystery contains the first of the two series of gifford lectures given by gabriel. The author of over a dozen books and at least thirty plays, marcels work focused on the modern individuals struggle in a technologically dehumanizing society. In them, he attempts to lead us through his reflections on the nature and purpose of philosophy, the concerns of metaphysics, and the purpose of and need for authentic religious faith to meet the needs of incarnate beings. For marcel, being is an element of reality which exists in and of itself, which defies reductionist analysis, which can not be circumscribed by the formulas of the natural sciences. In allowing man to partake in this mysterious nature of life whose effects or manifestations are familiar to all, man ought to participate in a mutual relationship with the other, thereby respecting and. Marcel, the mystery of being, volume i, reflection and mystery henry regnery company. List of books and articles about gabriel marcel online. The striking thing about the precious blood is the bond it establishes between love and suffering in our experience, a bond that has become so close that we have come to think of suffering accepted with joy as the most authentic sign of love with any depth at all. Gabriel marcels the mystery of being is based on the gifford lectures he delivered at the university of aberdeen in 1949 and 1950. He refers of course to that awareness that accompanies the experience of wonder at infinity.
Its two volumes are the gifford lectures which marcel delivered in aberdeen, scotland, in. Just as martin heidegger points out that the distinctive nature of human existence is to raise the question of being, marcel affirms that it is through the experience of faith, hope, and love that we open ourselves up to the mystery of being. A look at a gabriel marcel reader the philosophy forum. Reflection and mystery classic reprint gabriel marcel on. The first series of lectures is entitled reflection and mystery, and the second series of lectures is entitled faith and reality. Reflection and mystery gifford lectures, 19491950 marcel, gabriel, fraser, g s on. The mystery of being contains the most systematic exposition of the philosophical thought of gabriel marcel, a convert to catholicism and the. Two of his ideas that i find fascinating are his notion of the broken world, and the distinction between a problem and a mystery. T able of contents frontlspiece general introductlon to the library of. Mystery of being 1 being, in this realityand perhaps this aspiration is already a degree of participation, however rudimentary.
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