InternetInfidels

05/22/2026

I think I finally got all the typos in my last blog post, lol! We were thinking about fourfold rubrics of criteria used to teach, assess/evaluate. In the history of Metaphysics from Plato to Heidegger, you have the basic idea that the really real is not the “present” thing in front of you (me on ... Have a Great and Reflective Summer!

Have a Great and Reflective Summer! John MacDonald | May 22, 2026 I think I finally got all the typos in my last blog post, lol! We were thinking about fourfold rubrics of criteria used to teach, assess/evaluate. In the history of Metaphysics from Plato to Heidegger, you have the basic idea that the...

05/21/2026

The Fourfold Cord vs The Threefold Cord “And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken. (Eccl 4:12) I talked a little the last few times about the threefold cord (I might have misspelled as “chord” a few times, but that’s okay I’m musical, lol), and ... (Part 6) The Fourfold Cord vs The Threefold Cord: My thoughts on Derrida’s “Interpretations at War Kant, the Jew, the German”

(Part 6) The Fourfold Cord vs The Threefold Cord: My thoughts on Derrida’s “Interpretations at War Kant, the Jew, the German” John MacDonald | May 21, 2026 The Fourfold Cord vs The Threefold Cord “And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not q...

05/20/2026

I keep coming back to the example / exemplar of houseness and threefold appearing “as” (mansion as houseness incarnate, houseness being merely present in the average house, and deficient in the dilapidated shack). Moreover, there is the twofold deconstructive reversal where the mansion may appear gawdy to the next person, or the shack quaint/rustic. But ... (Part 5) My thoughts on Derrida’s “Interpretations at War Kant, the Jew, the German”

(Part 5) My thoughts on Derrida’s “Interpretations at War Kant, the Jew, the German” John MacDonald | May 20, 2026 I keep coming back to the example / exemplar of houseness and threefold appearing “as” (mansion as houseness incarnate, houseness being merely present in the average house, an...

05/19/2026

We are trying to determine with Derrida what it means that Cohen was an exemplar of the Jewish-German spirit incarnated in the figure of Kant. In order to think this let’s go back a little to the Apostle Paul. Debating the dates and authenticity of the Pauline letters is very difficult. Seven are generally considered ... (Part 4) My thoughts on Derrida’s “Interpretations at War Kant, the Jew, the German”

(Part 4) My thoughts on Derrida’s “Interpretations at War Kant, the Jew, the German” John MacDonald | May 19, 2026 We are trying to determine with Derrida what it means that Cohen was an exemplar of the Jewish-German spirit incarnated in the figure of Kant.  In order to think this let’s go ...

05/18/2026

We’ve been thinking with Derrida about examples and exemplars, where traditionally the exemplar is the really real (e.g., true friend), while the example is deficient in relation to it (just a friend). Thought holistically, the missing third term here is a “bad friend.” The error that Derrida notes is our tendency to see the exemplar/example ... (Part 3) Threes and My thoughts on Derrida’s “Interpretations at War Kant, the Jew, the German”

(Part 3) Threes and My thoughts on Derrida’s “Interpretations at War Kant, the Jew, the German” John MacDonald | May 18, 2026 We’ve been thinking with Derrida about examples and exemplars, where traditionally the exemplar is the really real (e.g., true friend), while the example is deficient...

05/17/2026

I’ve been writing a lot about threes, like how the threefold degrees of houseness (mansion, average house, dilapidated shack) gives us a clear picture of the concept In that vein of threes, we might also see how the “threefold cord” is a metaphor for strength through unity and partnership. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says “And though one ... (Part 2) Threes and My thoughts on Derrida’s “Interpretations at War Kant, the Jew, the German”

(Part 2) Threes and My thoughts on Derrida’s “Interpretations at War Kant, the Jew, the German” John MacDonald | May 16, 2026 I’ve been writing a lot about threes, like how the threefold degrees of houseness (mansion, average house, dilapidated shack) gives us a clear picture of the concept ...

05/15/2026

“In order to understand, Heidegger says, one must see phenomenologically. He thus invites us to the first exercise of phenomenological “kindergarten.” To tear apart [zer-reissen] means: to tear into two parts, to separate: to make two out of one. If a sock is torn, then the sock is no longer present-at-hand—but note: precisely not as ... (Part 1) My thoughts on Derrida’s “Interpretations at War Kant, the Jew, the German”

(Part 1) My thoughts on Derrida’s “Interpretations at War Kant, the Jew, the German” John MacDonald | May 15, 2026 “In order to understand, Heidegger says, one must see phenomenologically. He thus invites us to the first exercise of phenomenological “kindergarten.” To tear apart [zer-rei...

05/14/2026

1 Philosophy and Mysticism There is a profound connection between Heidegger and Christian mysticism. Heidegger stresses the passivity and receptivity of thought with the “Es gibt.” For example, we may struggle in futility all night when suddenly the solution “comes to us.” Likewise, we may struggle for days trying to remember a favorite song when ... My Thoughts on Derrida’s Des Tours de Babel (In French, 1980; in English, 1985)

My Thoughts on Derrida’s Des Tours de Babel (In French, 1980; in English, 1985) John MacDonald | May 13, 2026 1 Philosophy and Mysticism There is a profound connection between Heidegger and Christian mysticism. Heidegger stresses the passivity and receptivity of thought with the “Es gibt.” For...

05/13/2026

Added the one hundred third The Freethinker Podcast YouTube Interview with Richard Carrier on Original Sin & Free Will to The Freethinker Podcast page under Resources on the Secular Web. Join host Edouard Tahmizian for three-quarters of an hour in his follow-up interview with Richard Carrier on the metaphysical impossibility of libertarian free will. Jesus, […]

05/12/2026

If Heidegger is playful, creating puzzles for his readers such as introducing concepts that are not clarified until hundreds of pages later or in other texts entirely, Derrida is one of the most tangential, deferential writers you will meet. I imagine the late Derrida reincarnated as a watchdog distracted and chasing a squirrel into a ... My Thoughts on Derrida’s Faith and Knowledge The Two Sources of “Religion” at the Limits of Reason Alone

My Thoughts on Derrida’s Faith and Knowledge The Two Sources of “Religion” at the Limits of Reason Alone John MacDonald | May 12, 2026 If Heidegger is playful, creating puzzles for his readers such as introducing concepts that are not clarified until hundreds of pages later or in other texts e...