First Philosophy Seminar of the semester – All welcome!
The seminar will take place on Wednesday 20 September, from 4 – 6pm in Dalhousie 2F11.
Dr Constantinos Athanasopoulos
‘Hesychia vs. Quietude: St Gregory Palamas and L. Wittgenstein on the escapist and futile misconceptions of ontological salvation and metaphysical hinges’.
Abstract
Hesychasm is a monastic and ascetic practice of Athonite Monks that was attacked by Monk Barlaam of Kalavria, a famous and controversial Byzantine Professor of Philosophy at the University of Constantinople in 14th century. Hesychasm as both a practice and as a way of understanding and attracting divine energy was defended by St Gregory Palamas (1296-1359). The paper will discuss the background of the controversy and it will propose a philosophical understanding of the views of Palamas that place his views within what I will define as the “Greek Agenda” agreeing with most of the intuitions of L. Wittgenstein on religion and ethics.