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- Title
The Philosopher Is Somehow a Lover of Metaphors.
- Authors
Martínez, Enrique
- Abstract
The aim of this article is to explain the approach of Saint Thomas Aquinas in relation to the language that man uses to speak of God, in particular metaphorical language. Thus, it is a question of responding in this way to the apophatic problem. It begins with the claim of Aquinas, commenting on Aristotle’s Metaphysics: “The philosopher is, in a sense, a philo-myth, i.e., a lover of myth.” Aristotle’s position regarding myth is explained first; then I discuss the place of metaphor in the epistemological doctrine of Saint Thomas, following the perspective of the Thomistic School of Barcelona. I conclude that human language, including metaphorical language, can really express divine perfections, but without reaching the knowledge of the essence of God. Finally, I explain how God helped the cognitive weakness of man through Revelation, using metaphors to adapt to man’s way of knowing, which reaches the intelligible through the sensible.
- Subjects
THOMAS, Aquinas, Saint, ca. 1225-1274; NEGATIVE theology; METAPHOR; COGNITION; GOD
- Publication
Value Inquiry Book Series, 2021, Vol 364, p56
- ISSN
0929-8436
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1163/9789004448674_005