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Psychology & Clinical Psychiatry

Perspective Authors String Book Reviews - XI

BOOK REVIEW & ANSWER TO: Mind, Matter, & Nature--A Thomistic Proposal for the Philosophy of Mind

Samuel A Nigro M D

Retired, Assistant Clinical Professor Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, USA

Correspondence: Dr. Samuel A Nigro M.D., Retired, Assistant Clinical Professor Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2517 Guilford Road, Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118, USA, Tel 216 932-0575

Received: June 20, 2016 | Published: February 6, 2017

Citation: Nigro SA (2016) BOOK REVIEW & ANSWER TO: Mind, Matter, & Nature--A Thomistic Proposal for. J Psychol Clin Psychiatry 6(6): 00392. DOI: 10.15406/jpcpy.2017.06.00392

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Perspective

To understand the metaphysical nature of the mind, this book reviews all and concludes with Aristotelian-Thomistic hylomorphism, fascinating for us philosophy non-specialists.  Resolved are five major problems: 

(1) mind-body interaction;

(2) psycho-physical dependence;

(3) consciousness in non-human animals;

(4) the moral implications of conceiving of ourselves as souls occupying bodies; and
(5) the accommodation of both intellectual and moral agency.  

In other words, though the Aristotelian hylomorphist does not deny that human beings are embodied beings, subject to physiologically based desires and inclinations, the fact that human beings have a transcendent intellectual power that operates independently of any bodily organ in its proper activity undermines the concern that we are merely subjects of our environment and physiology...Thus, since the human being has powers that transcend the physical and the physical is receptive to the activity of these powers, there is no reason to doubt that some of our activities are explained not by causes acting upon us, but by our will to pursue certain goods. (Page 279-280).

The above follows chapters which discuss the alternatives to Aristotelian-hylomorphism such as naturalism, dualism, materialism, emergentism, and the philosophy of nature.  The "problems" of these alternatives are identified, discussed, and found not to be "problems" for St. Thomas' substantial form/prime matter compounds because:
...matter, form, and the matter-form compound cannot be defined except in terms of roles played in change.  The matter of a substance is whatever potency preexists and survives its generation (and will survive its corruption); form is whatever accounts for the difference between the matter and the actual substance whose generation or corruption we set out to explain, and the compound substance is whatever individual is subject to this process of change (Pages 282-283).

The author closes by acknowledging the "shocking" (page 284) impact on contemporary philosophers of Aristotelian hylomorphism and reminds that "truth" embraces that for which one has "compelling reasons" (page 285).  No brief review can even allude to the depth and comprehensiveness of this book--a real treat especially for us non-specialists.
I must impose my grandiose reaction to this book--which is that quite simply all issues in the book and "mind, matter, and nature" are solved by ANGELS (Readers are referred to these references 1, 2, 3,--I will try to attach one of the references).  In the Hebrew Tradition, the word for "creating" is the same as for "speaking"....and in Genesis, when God said X, there was X.  As St. Hildegard reflected on God's impact:  "Mine is the blast of the thundered word (my emphasis) by which all things were made."  And other "words are angels" equivalents as Psalm 91:12:  "For you, he has commanded angels to guard you in all your ways" (and are there any ways without words?).  And Psalm 85:11-12:  "Mercy and truth will meet; justice and peace will kiss.  Truth will spring from the earth; justice will look down from Heaven."  Finally, Hebrews 1:14 says:  "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?"  There are many more WORDS ARE ANGELS statements in and out of Scripture and just commonsense, once one begins to consider such (Just reflect on these pages). 

 So what does "Angels ARE words" have to do with "mind, matter and nature" and with the metaphysical nature of the mind?  I say everything!  To analyze my "Angels as the Word Spectrum" and "The Hierarchy of Angels" in which every word can be allocated, is to witness the matter/form of everything which has a word--from physical particles, to living beings, to conscious beings, to human beings, to spirit beings, to God.  One might even feel the God-given reality of the Big Bang explosion of the millions of word-angels creating the universe enabling life, sacrifice, virtue, love, humanity, peace, freedom, and death without fear, with potential return to the pre-BigBang Eternal Statimuum.  Only millions of "words"  can identify with the "millions of angels" God created.  To study the hylomorphism of WORDS is to witness the Big Bang from basic physics to transcendence and change.  And one finds, not compelling, but overwelming reason to live Aristotelian-Thomistic-hylomorphism.  Nothing else fits the world better than angelic words having their matter and form impacts.

ADDENDUM:  Words as "mind, matter, & nature....

LIVE THE LAST WORDS OF CHRIST---A POETIC EFFORT of sorts… These are the eight ensoulment “plays” to win the “game” of life by following the “rules” of life.  They constitute "LOVEOLUTION" (page 616)--the revolution/evolution brought by Jesus through the Church..  Sacramental living is to participate in the pre-Big Bang Eternity...the Statimuum with God and the Hierarchy of Angels which give matter/form. 
From Samuel A. Nigro, M.D.’s books "ANCIENT SECRETS", "SOUL OF THE     
                                                          EARTH" and "EVERYBODY FOR EVERYBODY": 

(One of the LAST WORDS OF CHRIST can apply to every activity…

Learn  ENSOULMENT  (the Anthropic Schema) of the basics of Christian living—            
Sacramental, universal,  scientific, virtuous,

 transcendental                                                                                                                                                                
{Therapeutic.
as existing in basic physics.    (Otherwise, it is entropy.)

[Mass Mantra: Life, Sacrifice, Virtue, Love, Humanity, 

Peace, Freedom, Death without Fear]                   
                   WORDS--ANGEL HIERARCHY: SERAPHIM-leadership, executive, matter/form, transcendentals
                                                                             (flames)

“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” 


 “Pater, dimitte illis, quia nesciunt, quid faciunt.”

Confess into a unity spectrum giving hope and identity…


{Selective Ignoring.


 “spectrum”-a splitting of energy into position-time 
                                       relationships.
[ Humanity]                                                               
                    THRONES-judiciary, free judgement, interrelating
                        (love in charge)

“This day thou shall be with me in Paradise.”


Hodie mecum eris in Paradiso.”


Holy Order into a dimension for Life (the Father) giving 


courage and being…


{Non-Reactive Listening.
                   “dimension”-space coordinates (length, width,height) and 
                                        time.
[ Virtue ]
 PRINCIPALITIES-nations, states, cities, communities, time-bound political social

  (politics)

“Woman, behold thy son.  World, behold your mother.”

Mulier, ecce filius tuus.   Omnes, ecce mulier tuus.”


Baptism into a dignity event giving faith and matter…


{Living Things are Precious.


“event” –a point in space-time of something certain that 
                                  happens.
[ Life ]
                    CHERUBIN-legislative, operational, wisdom, faith events
                       (illuminating)

“My God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
Deus meus, Deus meus, utquid dereliquisti me?”
Holy Communion into an integrity field giving charity and 
truth…
{Subdued Spontaneity Non-Self Excluded.                                     
“field” –a matrix existing throughout space and time.  
[ Sacrifice ]                       
                    DOMINIONS-theology, reason, all creation, perfection
                        (true freedom)

“I thirst.” 
Sitio.”
Matrimony into an uncertainty for Liberty (the Son) giving 
temperance and good…
{Personhood…Conscious of Consciousness (C2) for the 
Species.
“uncertainty” –accuracy of position is inverse to accuracy of 
                                            movement.
[Freedom ]
                   ARCHANGELS-family groups, individuals in groups linked in motion and position
                       (real family)

“It is finished.” 
Consummatum est.”
Extreme Unction into a spirit singularity giving justice and 
beauty…
{Detached Warmth and Gentleness.
“singularity” –a point of space-time curvature infinity at 
                                         gravitational collapse.
[Death without Fear ]
                 POWERS-medicine, safekeeping, protective functioning, spatial infinity closeness, justice
                     (all health)

“Into thy hands I commend my spirit.”
In manus tuas, Domine, commendo spiritum meum.” 
Confirm into an identity quantum giving prudence and 
oneness...
{Affect Assistance.
“quantum” –the indivisible unit of giving and receiving 
                                        energy.
[Peace ]
VIRTUES-law, ordering, operational order, spatial identities
                       (strength to overcome)

“The earthquake finale.”
Il Terremoto.” 
Grace into a force Pursuing the Transcendentals (the Holy 
Spirit giving holiness and being.
{Make that relationship count!  The Flag of Mankind and:
“I pledge to treat all humanely by caring for and respecting other’s bodies; by understanding other’s minds but being true to myself without disrespect; and by accepting the emotions of others as I control my own.  I will have mercy on others with gentle liberty and empathic justice for all.”  (Check out PeaceMercy.com)
“force” –that which affects matter particles—transcendental 
                                  strings between human particles.
[ Love ]
GUARDIAN ANGELS-self, individual guardians, genuine pursuit of happiness/transcendentals
(self/ego)

"FALLEN" ANGELS-DEMONS-
-Antiwords:  hateful, violent, manipulations, and suggestions to sin 
-Lies
-Astrology and television, movies, electronic-celluloid press language of the foul, demeaning and entropy      
-Fools with long words and large vocabularies not coinciding with transcendental existence
-willful entropy
-pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, sloth

Acknowledgments

None.

Conflicts of interest

None.

sFunding

None.

References

  1. Happy Ending, by Samuel A Nigro MD, chapter 2.
  2. Everybody For Everybody by Samuel A Nigro MD,  chapter 2.
  3. Soul of the Earth  by Samuel A. Nigro MD, chapter 2.
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