

The Modern Turn to the Subject
14 snips Mar 10, 2025
Elliot Polsky, a philosophy instructor at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary, and Pater Edmund Waldstein, a lecturer in moral theology and member of the Sacra Doctrina Project, dive deep into the modern shift towards the individual in philosophy and theology. They discuss how contemporary challenges, such as transgender ideology, reshape traditional views on gender within Catholic teachings. The conversation also highlights the historical skepticism towards authority and its implications for faith, urging a thoughtful balance between individuality and community in spirituality.
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Skepticism's Shift
- Modern philosophy shifted from medieval metaphysics to epistemology.
- Descartes' skepticism started philosophy inside the individual's head.
Influence of Montaigne
- Descartes' skepticism was influenced by Montaigne's distrust of theological certainty.
- Philosophy's starting point shifted from the external world to inner thoughts.
Subjectivism's Rise
- Hume's critique of causality led Kant to focus on appearances, not reality.
- Post-Kant, reality became subjective, leading to a subjective God in liberal Protestantism.