Philosophy and the Role of Experience in Hesychast Practice



• Philosophy and the Role of Experience in Hesychast Practice

  Type	Journal Article
  Author	Dan Chițoiu
  Rights	© 2017 Aletheia - Associação Científica e Cultural | © 2017 Revista Portuguesa de Filosofia
  Volume	73
  Issue	2
  Pages	805-816
  Publication	Revista Portuguesa de Filosofia
  ISSN	0870-5283; 2183-461X
  Date	2017
  DOI	10.17990/rpf/2017_73_2_0805
  Language	English
  Abstract	In the hesychast controversy was disputed the hypothesis that the access to the ultimate reality would be only an act mediated by the hierarchy of the beings. That is why there appears the syntagm ‘uncreated energies’ (but the possibility of a total access to essence, to the absolute on the rational way is rejected). Gregory Palamas sustained that experimentality is decisive, the truth criterion being provided by the ‘appeal to experience’. The hesychasm differs from other Cristian spiritual practices by the fact that it emphasizes the experience in the shape of the experiment: it`s supposed the existence of a method, of a verifiability criterion, and validation: henceforth the interest for the Personal Ultimate Reality or, in the hesychast language, for the uncreated energies. The hesychast meaning for philosophizing implies the making of a constant ‘appeal to experience’ and not producing theoretical speculations on God. This because of the decisive role gave to senses by the hesychast anthropology.
  Date Added	21/06/2017, 11:00:16
  Modified	14/07/2017, 09:59:55

  Tags:

  • experience
  • hesychast practice
  • knowledge of God
  • philosophizing

  Notes:

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    Meyendorff, John, A Study of Gregory Palamas. Crestwood: St. Vladimir`s Seminary Press, 1998.
    Meyendorff, John, Les debuts de la controverse hesychaste, Byzantion XXIII, Brussels, 1953, in `Byzantine Hesychasm: historical, theological and social problems. Collected Studies`. Variorum Reprints: London, 1974.
    Palamas, Grégoire, Défense des saints hésychastes, Introduction, text critique, traduction, et notes par Jean Meyendorff. Spicilegium sacrum lovaniense: Louvain.1959.
    Palamas, Gregory, The Triads. Trans. Nicholas Gendle, Paulist Press: New York, 1983.
    Zizioulas, Ioannis, Being as Communion: Studies in Personhood and the Church. New York: St. Vladimir`s Seminary Press, 1985.