Part 5 - Galileo, Descartes, and Giordano Bruno - Technical and Magical Dominion over Nature
Conclusion
The analysis we have conducted in comparing the Galilean and Brunian conceptions of the relationship between humans and nature makes us aware that even today, in a world that believes it knows what science is and what its applications can be in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, zoology, and human life, and that thinks it has widely surpassed and ridiculed the ancient claims of magic, the allure of magic continues to fuel our desire for omnipotence. We remain seduced by the promises of the ancient serpent, despite the daily experience of the limitations and shortcomings of our most advanced and sophisticated technical and operational apparatuses. This is evident in the triennial tragedy of the pandemic that has affected all of humanity, serving as a divine call to humility before God—a humility that many still refuse to practice, despite this terrible divine lesson intended to lead us to repentance and an acknowledgment of our limits, urging us to return to obedience to divine laws in regulating our moral conduct and our dominion over nature.
We have seen how the Cartesian approach to dominion over nature while aligning with the Galilean method in providing a vision of nature and human operation by the will of God, assigns an overwhelmingly ambitious task to our ego in the foundation of science and reality. As my studies on Descartes over the past 40 years have shown, the Cartesian "cogito" ultimately places upon the shoulders of the self the entire responsibility for the very origin of reality. And the weight is so great that, as demonstrated by the radical explanations of the meaning of "cogito" from Kant to Fichte to Hegel to Marx to Gentile to Husserl to Heidegger to Nietzsche - although Descartes himself was undoubtedly a Catholic - on the shoulders of this ego comes, at the end of this clarification dictated by the inexorable laws of logic, to burden all the responsibility for the very origin of reality."
But this is a responsibility that belongs to God and not to humanity. The result of this operation, spanning three centuries, has, by the explicit declaration of its authors, led to the substitution of man for God, resulting in atheism or the equalization and identification of man with God, leading to pantheism.
In 1737, the work of the Jesuit Jean Hardouin, accusing Descartes of crypto-atheism, was indeed placed on the Index [1]. Certainly, atheism is not directly derived from Descartes and is not immediately concealed in his theology, which admits the existence of God, strives to provide proof (though insufficient), and expounds on the divine attributes and God's power over man and nature.
However, to the discerning eye that does not let itself be deceived by outward appearances—sharp and astute, as were the German idealists—there was no overlooking the boundless openings offered by the Cartesian ego. Thus, step by step, passing the baton to one another with the tenacity, typical consistency, and logical consequentiality of the Germans, throughout the last century, especially with Giovanni Gentile and Martin Heidegger, they brought to light the extreme consequences of the Cartesian ego.
At the same time, all the aspirations of ancient pantheism, ancient Gnosticism, ancient materialism, and ancient magic were reborn for the first time, as if the infinite tragedies of history had taught nothing about the disastrous consequences of applying those ideas.
And here we are today. Therefore, if we do not want humanity to perish in a colossal nuclear conflict, with weapons that are the application of the Galilean method combined with Cartesian hubris, we must abandon every dream and delusion of omnipotence based on magic. We must continue with the Galilean method, not, however, combined with the Cartesian ego, but with Aristotelian philosophy elevated and corrected by St. Thomas Aquinas, the "Doctor Communis Ecclesiae" recommended by the Second Vatican Council.
This is the way out. This is the "exit door" (A remarkable literary work by Ignazio Silone, published in 1965. It will be precisely this work that guarantees success for Silone in Italy, which had been denied to him until then for ideological reasons, unlike other Western countries where he was already widely appreciated (Cf. WIKI). Silone describes the journey of his life, starting from the challenging childhood in his hometown of Pescina (AQ), disrupted by the disastrous earthquake of Marsica in 1908, and, among other things, the wonderful encounter with San Luigi Orione (Ed.)). These are the authentic prospects for humanity. This is true progress. This is the real promise for the future of humanity. This is the beginning of the reign of God. This is the true greatness of man. This is a foretaste of the eternal glory of the children of God in the heavenly Jerusalem.
Fr. Giovanni Cavalcoli OP
Fontanellato, May 10, 2023
source:
https://padrecavalcoli.blogspot.com/p/galileo-cartesio-e-giordano-bruno_0.html
I would now like to propose some excerpts, taken from the internet.
Documents
Note on the Metaverse (from Wikipedia)
The concept of the metaverse is a complex one. The term does not yet refer to a specific technology but, rather, to a different way of interacting with various technologies in the process of development.
For many, the metaverse is a collection of interconnected 3D virtual worlds. These worlds function as an immersive cyberspace, experienced by users through the use of virtual reality (VR) headsets or augmented reality (AR) technologies.
The term "metaverse" was coined by the writer Neal Stephenson in his 1992 science fiction novel, Snow Crash. The author combines the words "meta" and "universe," envisioning an immersive virtual world that exists parallel to the real world.
"The definition of the metaverse continues to change for various reasons. Firstly, because it does not yet exist so that everyone can give their interpretation," says Benjamin Bertram Goldman, executive producer of Ethic and a consultant for the metaverse at various companies. Goldman also believes that as the metaverse becomes something concrete and understandable, more people will try to capitalize on this opportunity by placing their projects, activities, or products under the "metaverse" umbrella.
This is why many giants in the technology world are trying to leverage the idea of the "metaverse." Goldman describes this trend as "not so different from other gold rushes."
Note on Transhumanism (from Wikipedia)
The meaning of the term "transhumanism" was systematically outlined by Julian Huxley (Brother of Aldous, the author of the famous science fiction novel, Brave New World, he was a secular – agnostic - humanist and a prominent member of the British Eugenics Society (Ed.) in 1957 in the text "New Bottles for New Wine," after borrowing it from his friend Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, who had coined the term in 1949. In Huxley's original sense, transhumanism refers to "man remaining human but transcending himself, realizing the new potentialities of his human nature, for his human nature," placing it in a scenario of humanity's emancipation where humanity consciously takes on the task of guiding the general evolutionary process.
The term was later used in the United States in the 1980s with a different meaning, less tied to social goals and more oriented towards greater individualism, especially by FM-2030 (Fereidoun M. Esfandiary) and Natasha Vita-More. A frequently used definition today is the one proposed by Max More, who conceives transhumanism as "a class of philosophies that seek to guide us towards a posthuman condition." "Transhumanism shares many elements with humanism, including respect for reason and the sciences, a commitment to progress, and valuing human (or transhuman) existence in this life. [...] Transhumanism differs from humanism in recognizing and anticipating radical changes and alterations in both the nature and possibilities of our lives, which will be the result of progress in various sciences and technologies [...]."
Other definitions have also been suggested, such as Anders Sandberg's ("Transhumanism is the philosophy that we can and should develop to higher levels, physically, mentally, and socially, using rational methods") or Robin Hanson's ("Transhumanism is the idea that new technologies will probably change the world in the next century or two to the extent that our descendants will not be 'human' in many aspects").
Transhumanism is thus:
1. Support for the improvement of the human condition through life-enhancing technologies, such as the elimination of aging and the enhancement of intellectual, physical, or physiological capabilities of humans, as advocated by the biochemist Aubrey de Grey and Larry Page, co-founder of Google.
2. Study of the benefits, dangers, and ethical and political aspects of the implementation of these technologies.
Despite different definitions, based on Julian Huxley's original approach, there is a widespread consensus in identifying the central idea of transhumanism as "self-directed evolution," i.e., asserting that human intelligence can replace natural logic.
Transhumanism and Technology
Transhumanists advocate for the use of emerging technologies, including many currently considered controversial, such as genetic engineering on humans, cryonics, and advanced uses of computers and communications. They believe that artificial intelligence will one day surpass human intelligence, achieving technological singularity.
Some argue that the rapidly growing pace of technological development suggests radical and significant technological advances in the next 50 years. According to transhumanists, this development is desirable, and humans can and should become "more than human" through the application of technological innovations such as genetic engineering, nanotechnology, neuropharmacology, artificial prosthetics, and interfaces between the mind and machines, blending biology, computing, nanotechnology, and cognitive sciences.
In English, the most relevant transhumanist technologies are often defined as GRIN (Genetics, Robotics, Information technology, Nanotechnology) or with the expression "bio-info-nano-cogno" (biology, information technology, nanotechnology, cognitive sciences).
Humanistic and Enlightenment Roots
Among the precursors of transhumanism, transhumanists tend to include various thinkers and philosophers, such as Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, Roger Bacon, Francis Bacon, Lev Trotsky, and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.
Following the philosophical traditions of Renaissance Humanism, it places human beings at the "center" of the moral universe and argues that there are no supernatural forces guiding humanity. It also tends to prefer rational discussions and empirical observations of natural phenomena and therefore promotes science and reason.
Following the scientific, moral, and philosophical tradition of the 19th century, influenced by Enlightenment and positivism, transhumanism aims to use global knowledge as a means of individual and civil improvement.
The goal is to apply reason, science, and technology to reduce poverty, disease, disability, malnutrition, and existing oppressive governments worldwide, ensuring that the material reality of the human condition fulfills promises of equity, legal and political justice, and self-improvement, eliminating congenital mental and physical barriers. Concerning this goal, many transhumanists view the future potential of technology and innovative social systems positively for improving the quality of life.
According to transhumanists, there is an ethical imperative for humans to strive for progress and self-transcendence (perfectionism). Humanity should enter a post-Darwinian phase of existence, in which humans control evolution, and random mutations should be replaced by changes guided by self-determination and rationality.
Transhumanists are interested in various fields of science, philosophy, economics, and natural and social history to understand and evaluate the possibilities of overcoming biological limitations.
Transhumanism adopts an anti-speciesist view, recognizing the right to well-being for all sentient beings.
Transhumanist Spirituality
Transhumanism has an eminently secular character, and many transhumanists declare themselves agnostic or atheist. Some, however, follow Eastern philosophical traditions, while others integrate their transhumanist beliefs with traditional religions such as Christianity, Mormonism, European neopaganism, or Hinduism.
Most transhumanists do not believe in a transcendent human soul but trust in the compatibility of human minds with computer hardware, with the theoretical implication that individual consciousness could one day be transferred or emulated on digital media; this technique is called "mind uploading."
[1] I derive the information from the "Dictionnaire de théologie catholique" under the entry HARDOUIN.
An Anonymous reader comments:
“In these 5 parts, all the errors of the arrogant revolutionaries who currently control the world are summarized. They think of themselves as gods, but at the right moment, the Lord will humble them; the Lamb has already defeated Satan on the Cross and will definitively condemn all the antichrists in the Universal Judgment.
"Whoever believes will be saved, whoever does not believe will be condemned."
Response from Father Cavalcoli:
You have captured very well the picture that I paint of the great spiritual forces at play today in humanity, opposing the disciples of Christ. This clash is described in grand and dramatic tones by the Apocalypse, and the current situation makes us think that we are almost approaching the times foreseen by Saint John.
Each of us is called to make a choice, either for Christ or for the Antichrist, but deep down, we all know that the final victory will be Christ's, some to rejoice, others to be enraged. In this sense, the old Simeon, contemplating the Baby Jesus, defines Him as a sign of contradiction, so that the secrets of many hearts may be revealed.