Sofar, no attempt has been made to give an overall analysis of Eckhart’s views on expression. The present paper explores the doctrinal richness of this notion, showing that it is a cornerstone of Eckhart’s thought. As a consequence, a full understanding of it must allow for a thorough insight into his philosophy, to which it is appropriate to refer also as the “metaphysics of expression”. Expression plays a pivotal role in Eckhart’s theology of the Trinity and creation. The Word («Verbum»), the only-begotten Son of God the Father, is the Image and expression of the Father; the Word of God the Creator is also the Paradigm according to Which every creature is made. Moreover, expression is fundamental to detachment, for only if man removes all the creatural images from his soul, can he rediscover in his deepest self («grunt») the image that God gave to him. Furthermore, every natural operation or artificial production may be understood in terms of a Neoplatonic emanation of a principiate from its source, an emanation that in fact reproduces the generation of the Word from God the Father. Since something expresses the origin from which it flows, expression is taken as a universal process and divine generation as the most perfect model of expression.
‘Effectus expressivus et repraesentativus semper est verbum sui principii’. Eckhart’s Metaphysics of the Expression / Palazzo, Alessandro. - STAMPA. - (2019), pp. 11-38.
‘Effectus expressivus et repraesentativus semper est verbum sui principii’. Eckhart’s Metaphysics of the Expression
palazzo, alessandro
2019-01-01
Abstract
Sofar, no attempt has been made to give an overall analysis of Eckhart’s views on expression. The present paper explores the doctrinal richness of this notion, showing that it is a cornerstone of Eckhart’s thought. As a consequence, a full understanding of it must allow for a thorough insight into his philosophy, to which it is appropriate to refer also as the “metaphysics of expression”. Expression plays a pivotal role in Eckhart’s theology of the Trinity and creation. The Word («Verbum»), the only-begotten Son of God the Father, is the Image and expression of the Father; the Word of God the Creator is also the Paradigm according to Which every creature is made. Moreover, expression is fundamental to detachment, for only if man removes all the creatural images from his soul, can he rediscover in his deepest self («grunt») the image that God gave to him. Furthermore, every natural operation or artificial production may be understood in terms of a Neoplatonic emanation of a principiate from its source, an emanation that in fact reproduces the generation of the Word from God the Father. Since something expresses the origin from which it flows, expression is taken as a universal process and divine generation as the most perfect model of expression.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione