Thinking Being: Introduction to Metaphysics in the Classical Tradition

by Eric D. Perl

In Thinking Being, Perl articulates central arguments and ideas regarding the nature of reality in Parmenides, Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, and Thomas Aquinas, thematizing the indissoluble togetherness of thought and being, and focusing on continuity rather than opposition within this tradition.

Genres: Philosophy, Metaphysics, History, Religion, Nonfiction, Christianity

228 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Rex]

This is an excellent introduction to classical or Platonic metaphysics. Perl examines five philosophers: Parmenides, Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, and Thomas Aquinas. He is interested chiefly in continuities, and so instead of creating a genealogy/history of classical metaphysics, or tracing watersheds, he moves from philosopher to philosopher as along a string of pearls, allowing their insights (and occasional disagreements) to illuminate one another. Thinking Being is the rare book that explains Platonic forms in a way that does not baffle or alienate, but even persuades. Perl as he appears here is not an especially demotic author, but his concision and clarity, along with his quiet enthusiasm, ensure a read that is not merely highly informative, but engrossing.

[Nāfiʿ]

Brilliant exposition to different strands of thought, but rather than pitting Aristotle, Plato, Plotinus, and Aquinas against one another, this works intends to draw bridges to show the similitudes between their ideas.

[Sebos]

Very good introduction into NeoPlatonic tradition. Highly recommend.

[Paul Spencer]

A clear and probably as concise as you can get overview of the classical tradition of metaphysics, a review of the questions "What is being?" and "Why is there being instead of nothing?"

Tracking the thematic developments and consistencies between titanic philosophers, Perl makes a strong case for the absolute union between "thinking" and "being." It is improper thusly to bifurcate the essential and existential in this formula. What happy chance to have read this right after Tillich's 'The Courage to Be,' as this lends essential heft to Tillich's existential prognoses.

Can't give this one 5 stars, though. If you're going to charge $150 for an academic book, it better be airtight and errorless. There are more than a handful of simple proofreading misses within these pages, which is kind of infuriating for something written at such a high level.

Came to this book from Vervaeke's 'Awakening from the Meaning Crisis.' Not disappointed by his recommendation.

[Christian Barrett]

While less than 300 pages this is an incredibly long and at times difficult read. Nonetheless, Perl offers a clear teaching of Perminides, Aristotle, Plato, Plotinus, and Aquinas concerning the very essence of “being.” By looking at these five thinkers, Perl is able to trace the history of thought on the subject matter and is able to articulate how the points from philosopher to philosopher connect and where they disconnect. A helpful read in the area metaphysics.

[William Kuevogah]

Dr. Perl is a wonderful guide, a lucid writer. The breadth of his learning is impressive; I'm enthralled. I've been introduced to some other awesome philosphers and books and I'll be following up on those soon.
This is my second reading of the book but I'm sure I'll come back to it. It's that good.

[Jamie]

The central problem in Eric D. Perl’s Thinking Being is how thought can genuinely know reality. If thinking is something occurring within a subjective mind while being exists independently “outside” it, how can we know that our thoughts actually correspond to reality?

Perl’s Platonic answer is that this division between thought and being is ultimately mistaken.

Plato:

For Plato, reality is intelligible. The Forms explain why particular things can be understood at all.

We encounter many beautiful things, for example, but our ability to recognize them as beautiful points toward Beauty itself. The Form is therefore not merely a concept constructed by the mind; it is an intelligible reality that particular things participate in.

This allows Perl to solve the problem of the one and the many: many particular things can possess a common intelligible nature because they participate in the same Form.

Plotinus:

Plotinus takes Plato further by asking where the Forms themselves come from.

His answer is Nous (Intellect). In Nous, thinking and being are not separate. The Forms are both what Intellect thinks and what Intellect is. Thus, reality is intelligible because intelligibility belongs to being itself.

The hierarchy becomes:

The One → Nous → Forms → particular beings

The One is beyond even being and thought. It is not an object that the intellect can simply comprehend. Rather, it is the source of both being and intellect.

Perl’s overall argument:

Perl therefore reverses the modern philosophical starting point. Instead of asking:

“How does a subjective mind reach an external reality?”

he asks:

“What is reality such that thinking it is possible?”

His Platonic answer is that being is inherently intelligible. His Plotinian development is that Being and Thinking are united in Nous, while both ultimately originate from the transcendent One.

The book is fundamentally an attempt to overcome the modern separation of subject and object, thought and reality, by returning to the Platonic idea that thinking and being belong to the same intelligible order.

[Nick Collins]

Perl provides a nice overview of several pivotal ancient Greek (and one 11th c Christian) philosophers, who are united in his analysis by their affirmation of Being as wholeness, as well as of the close, erotic, relationship between thinking and Being. He covers Parmenides, Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, and Aquinas, and charts their similar, yet not totally identical, treatment of the concept of Being, its relationship to divinity and transcendence (the One, God, etc.), and to individual beings. I did get the sense that, at least up until Aquinas (and in him only very partially), there is a devaluation of individual beings in favor of their unified, integrated existence as Being itself (or as God, etc.), which I think would contrast with several strains of Indian religious philosophy (particularly tantric schools which affirm the ultimate value of the individual), though perhaps be consistent with others (Shankara's Advaita Vedanta for instance, or certain schools of Buddhism). Aquinas seems to want to make God the source of all individualized particularity as well as integrated totality, but this idea isn't well developed in Perl's analysis. Perl has succeeded in making me reconsider the Axial Age breakthrough in Greece in terms of Being/Universality rather than (only) transcendence (Forms, One, etc.).

[JC]

Amazing introduction and "geneology" of the metaphysical tradition. Subject matter is difficult to grasp however it is very worth it. You see and think about the world in a new way.

[Tyler]

Fantastic overview of classical metaphysics!

[Delmar King]

God bless you Eric Perl

[Iman xodafard]

شاهکار!