Tag: Nihilism
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Know Thyself – Introduction
The Crisis of Identity and the Return to Being We live in an age where identity is everything, and nothing. It is affirmed, debated, deconstructed, weaponized, and endlessly remade. To belong or to be excluded, to find one’s “true self” or to reject the very idea of a fixed self; these now lie at the…
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The Unfolding of Truth – 9: Emanuele Severino – The Inevitable Resolution of the Contradiction
The Final Contradiction The journey of philosophy, from Parmenides to postmodernity, is marked by one recurring drama: the tension between Being and becoming. Parmenides declared: Being is; non-being is not. And yet, all of history, Platonic dualism, Christian creation, Buddhist emptiness, modern subjectivity, has wrestled with the appearance of change: These questions have driven metaphysics,…
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The Unfolding of Truth – 8: Modernity – From Substance to Subject and the Collapse of Metaphysics
The Turning Point: From the World to the Self With the collapse of the medieval synthesis, the philosophical gaze shifted dramatically. No longer anchored in substance metaphysics or a transcendent order, modernity turned inward, to the thinking subject as the new foundation. This was not merely a shift in emphasis. It marked the beginning of…
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The Unfolding of Truth – 7: Scholasticism and the Domestication of Metaphysics – The Final Attempt Before the Fall
The Afterglow of Revelation and the Return of Aristotle As the Middle Ages matured, a remarkable convergence took place: the truths of revelation were increasingly systematized through the lens of Greek metaphysics, particularly that of Aristotle. The fusion promised much: clarity, coherence, and the ability to defend faith through reason. Yet behind this synthesis lay…
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The Unfolding of Truth Through the History of Thought – Introduction
Throughout the history of human thought, there has been a persistent intuition, often obscured, often contradicted, yet never entirely extinguished, that reality is not what it seems. From the first metaphysical inquiries in ancient Greece to the contemplative insights of Eastern sages, from the mystical speculation of late antiquity to the rational rigor of modern…
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Christianity and the Structure of Being– Conclusion: Christianity Was Never Meant to End in Dualism
The Return to What Has Always Been True Throughout this series, we’ve traced a path—one not of rejection, but of return. Not a return to doctrine as it has been taught, nor to metaphysics as it has been inherited, but to the truth Christianity has always carried within itself: that what-is cannot not be. That…
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Christianity and the Structure of Being– 3: The Persistence of the Platonic Framework
From Augustine to Modernity: How Christianity Carried the Logic of Annihilation By the time Christianity emerged as the dominant religious force of the Roman Empire, the seeds of a deeper metaphysical tension had already been sown. The Christian proclamation of the eternal had fused with the Platonic suspicion of time, matter, and change. The result…
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Christianity and the Structure of Being – 2: The Infiltration of Platonism
How Greek Metaphysics Entered Christian Thought In its earliest centuries, Christianity encountered a world saturated with Greek philosophy. Among the many schools of thought that shaped late antiquity, none was more influential—or more seductive—than Platonism. Plato offered a majestic metaphysical vision: a realm of eternal, unchanging Forms—the true Being of which all sensible things were…
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Christianity and the Structure of Being– Introduction to the Series
From Dualism to Destiny For centuries, Christianity has offered the Western world its deepest intuitions about the eternal: that life does not end in death, that the person is sacred, that love is stronger than the grave, and that a kingdom without end is not only possible—but promised. And yet, these luminous insights have long…
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The Final Non-Duality 2 – Buddhism: Emptiness and the Movement Beyond Suffering
The Eternal Structure Misread as Impermanence Among the spiritual paths of the world, Buddhism stands out for its analytical clarity and radical focus on the problem of suffering. Its foundation — the Four Noble Truths — begins not with metaphysical speculation but with existential urgency: dukkha, the suffering that characterizes life, and the promise of…
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The Last Dualism 3 – Awakening Without Becoming
The Contradiction of Enlightenment in the Light of Eternal Being The modern non-dual discourse is saturated with the language of awakening. One is said to awaken from illusion, from ego, from time, from the false self. This awakening is often described as a shift, a transformation, a sudden recognition, or the end of seeking. For…
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The Last Dualism 2 – The Myth of the Body’s Illusion
Plato’s Legacy and the Persistence of the Great Dualism In the midst of today’s non-dual revival, a strange contradiction persists. While the language of unity, presence, and wholeness is widespread, the body—this visible, touchable, vulnerable being—is often spoken of as an illusion, a veil, a mistake. In countless spiritual teachings, the body is subtly or…
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The Last Dualism 1 – What Is Truly Non-Dual?
Beyond the Confusion of Experience, Metaphor, and Ontology In recent decades, few terms have gained as much traction in spiritual and philosophical circles as “non-duality.” From Eastern teachings like Advaita Vedanta and Dzogchen, to Western spiritual movements, therapy sessions, and even casual Instagram posts, the term has become a kind of shorthand for ultimate truth,…
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The Last Dualism – Intro: How Non-Duality Preserves the Root of Nihilism
Introduction A growing chorus in contemporary spirituality and philosophy sings of non-duality, interconnection, and wholeness. Eastern traditions, modern mystics, and therapeutic modalities echo the same refrain: separation is an illusion, all things are ultimately one, and awakening lies in transcending dualistic thought. Terms like oneness, pure consciousness, and non-separation circulate freely, suggesting a new paradigm…
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The Structure of Madness
Madness is the belief in what is not. The common image of the madman who is Napoleon is crude, but correct: he affirms nothingness. Pursue this logic, and all are mad. We are mad in our faith that will originates action, that “if” governs “then.” This is humanity’s primordial error. The Faith in Contingency This…
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The Acrobat and the Void: When Therapy Cannot Cure Nihilism
We are like acrobats who have let go of the trapeze of tradition, of metaphysics, of a world imbued with inherent meaning. For a moment, the flight was exhilarating; the freedom of self-creation, the triumph of the individual. But now we are suspended in the void, arms outstretched, waiting for a trapeze that never arrives.…
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The Unbearable Truth: What Our Demographic Collapse Really Means
We are witnessing not a problem to be solved, but a fate to be understood. The converging crises of demographic implosion, unsustainable debt, and societal aging are typically diagnosed as separate policy failures: a lack of childcare incentives, flawed economic models, or medical advances that have outstripped our wisdom. But to see them this way…
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Beyond Materialism & Idealism 2: Why Idealism Also Fails – The Limits of Mind as Reality
Materialism collapses under the weight of its own contradiction: it insists that things come into and out of existence, yet it offers no justification for this assumption. Idealism, often considered its intellectual counterpoint, seeks to overcome materialism’s limitations by placing mind or consciousness at the center of reality. However, despite its valuable critiques, idealism ultimately…
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Beyond Materialism & Idealism 1: The Faith of Materialism – The Unquestioned Assumption
Materialism presents itself as the most rational, scientific, and evidence-based perspective of reality. It claims to reject unfounded beliefs in favor of empirical knowledge. Yet beneath this confident exterior lies an unquestioned assumption: the belief that things come into being and pass away. This belief, which serves as the foundation of materialist thought, is neither…
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Beyond Materialism and Idealism: The Search for the Real
For centuries, materialism has shaped the modern worldview. It presents itself as a sober, evidence-based approach to reality—asserting that all things, including thought and consciousness, emerge from material processes and ultimately vanish into nothingness. Yet beneath its claims of objectivity lies an unexamined assumption: that things come into being and cease to be. This belief…
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Identity 2: The Fragmentation of the Individual – Forces Dividing the Self in Contemporary Society
In the previous article, we uncovered identity as necessary (unchangeable and eternally true—it simply is) and eternal, hidden by misconceptions tied to time, nihilism, and cultural emphasis on becoming. Now, we turn to the fragmentation of the individual—how and why our true identity is obscured and divided in today’s world. Modern society, with its rapid…
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Identity 1: What Is Identity? Unveiling the Eternal Self
In our fast-paced world, identity often seems like a fluid concept—something we shape, redefine, or even reinvent over time. We hear phrases like “finding oneself,” “changing who I am,” or “reinventing my identity,” suggesting that identity is flexible, subject to personal choice and external circumstances. Yet, beneath these assumptions lies a deeper truth: identity is…
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Mind & Heart – 1: The Existential Crisis and the Collapse of Meaning
The Necessity of Nihilism’s Appearance The contemporary crisis in mental health is not merely a matter of personal struggles or biochemical imbalances. The rising prevalence of depression, anxiety, and despair coincides with the dissolution of once-dominant narratives of meaning. This is no accident but part of a necessary unfolding. The decline of religious, philosophical, and…
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The Illusion of Control and the Groundless World
We often think of the current world crisis as something political or economic, something triggered by wars, shifting alliances, the collapse of trust in leadership. And while all this is visible on the surface, something deeper and more enduring lies beneath. What we’re witnessing is not merely a Western crisis, nor a contest between old…
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The Naked Emperor and the Crisis of the West
When Power Loses Its Illusion, Truth Begins to Appear A World in Turmoil We are living through a period of increasing disorientation. The symptoms are everywhere: political instability, cultural fragmentation, ecological degradation, and the collapse of trust in institutions. Each crisis feels like a rupture, and yet taken together, they begin to form a single,…
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The Unfolding of Identity – Article 1: The Fragmentation of Identity and the Necessity of Contradiction
The modern world has seen an increasing crisis of identity. From the dissolution of traditional roles to the proliferation of self-definitions, identity has become a battleground of fluidity, self-construction, and deconstruction. Postmodernism, with its deep skepticism of fixed categories, has only accelerated this dissolution. Yet, rather than viewing this as a mere loss or an…
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The Unveiling of Being – Article 1: Philosophy and the Unavoidable Recognition of Being
From Parmenides to Severino Since the dawn of Western thought, philosophy has grappled with the nature of Being. Parmenides first articulated its fundamental necessity, rejecting the very possibility of nothingness. Being, he reasoned, is eternal, unchanging, and indestructible—an insight that has remained the foundation of true metaphysical thought. Yet, throughout history, numerous attempts have been…
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Beyond Left and Right – Article 4: The Cultural and Political Implications of an Indestructible Foundation
The recognition of an indestructible foundation—the Structure of Being—marks a profound turning point in human thought. While the collapse of Western meta-narratives has led to fragmentation, nihilism, and instability, the realization of an eternal and necessary foundation offers a way forward. This realization, however, is not an abstract philosophical conclusion; it carries deep implications for…
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Beyond Left and Right – Article 3: The Necessity of an Indestructible Foundation
The collapse of Western meta-narratives has left a profound void—a vacuum of meaning that has led to fragmentation, disillusionment, and an existential crisis. In the absence of a unifying foundation, society has oscillated between extremes, from the radical deconstructionism of the left to the nostalgic restorationism of the right. However, both positions are ultimately inadequate,…
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🗂️ Updated Glossary & Key Concepts
Understanding the Eternal Structure of Being in Light of Severino’s Thought This glossary introduces essential terms and distinctions for readers encountering the philosophy of Emanuele Severino and the paradigm of the eternal structure of Being. Each term is presented in accessible language, followed by clarifying analogies or diagrams where helpful. 1. Contraddizione C Definition: The…
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It Is What It Is 