Gevurah. Justice. Tiferet. Beauty. Gevurah she’b’Tiferet. Justice within beauty. How does beauty hold justice in it? Well, there’s Plato’s view, that all ideals converge. The best things are good, beautiful, and just. So when we see something truly beautiful, it’s because we also see justice in action. Injustice is ugly, and we find it jarring.…
Category: Philosophy
Love with Beauty: Omer 15
Chesed: Love. Tiferet: Beauty. Chesed she’b’Tiferet: The love in beauty. Love that sees beauty. And love that seeks beauty. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” At the simplest level, this means we all find different things beautiful. When we love someone, for example, they seem beautiful to us. Like my cat Koi. He’s…
Philosophy Skills: Omer 12
Hod. Splendour. Gevurah. Judgment. Hod she’b’gevurah. Splendid judgment. So, I have a Ph.D. in philosophy. I don’t teach it anymore, and I’m glad. But I learned so much. Philosophy is equal parts critical thinking and creative thinking. In the critical thinking part, you have to define concepts precisely. Think quickly about all the implications of…
Beautiful Judgment? Omer 10
Tiferet: Beauty. Gevurah: Judgment. Tiferet she’b’gevurah: Beauty in Judgment. At its best, judgment activates our rational minds. So, let’s take a theory break. A little detour into philosophy. Just for a few paragraphs! Plato’s allegory of the cave tells of prisoners chained to a bench. Where they sit, they can only see shadows. They’re experts…
Good Judgment: Omer 9
Gevurah she’b’gevurah. Judgment in Judgment. I’ve been waiting for this one. Why? Well, my memory might be a little fuzzy. But I’m pretty sure I wrote my Ph.D. dissertation about this 30 years ago. So much, I said, goes into making good judgments. You have to listen and read carefully. Understand a social and political…
Kohelet: Life, Politics, Spirit
What is Kohelet (Ecclesiastes)? It’s a work of existential philosophy, about the meaning of life. A political critique, looking realistically at life under monarchy, and how one can safely resist abuses. And a work of spiritual wisdom, teaching about equanimity under stress. Traditionally, Jews read this Biblical book each fall, during the holiday of Sukkot.…
Infinity: God in My Soul
Infinity: A perfect topic for my interview on this innovative podcast. It’s called PTR: Philosophy, Theology, and Religious studies. Or, if you prefer, “Poststructuralist Tent Revival.” PTR is hosted by Jacob Given, a doctoral student at Villanova University. Here we discuss ideas from my book The Infinity Inside: infinity, kabbalah, God’s existence, dreams, and mystical…
Foucault on Mass Incarceration
Michel Foucault (1926-1984), French philosopher and historian. Sure, we all cite him, but have we read his work lately? And seen just how current it is? This summer, I re-read his book Discipline and Punish: Birth of the Prison (1975). It’s an intellectual history of criminal punishment in France. A summary of the ideals of 18th and…
Terumah: Did God Create Humans or Did Humans Create God?
“Did God create humans or did humans create God?” That, said my study group, is a question posed by Parshat Terumah. They are a lovely group, from Havurat Hakerem in Columbia, South Carolina. International, diverse, and learned. And one verse, close to the beginning of the parsha, caught their eye. God introduces Moses to the…
Argumentation for Theological Scholars
A slide lecture for research students at the Vancouver School of Theology. This was a fun project! A great opportunity to revisit my foundations in philosophical thought.