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AboutaContemporaryThomisticMetaphysics
Andthenthethirdaspectisself-transcendence,goingbeyondone-
self,andfinallytakingonthegreatcenteroftheuniverseasone’sown
center,akindofde-centeringofself-centeredness.That’sthegreat
mysteryoftheultimatepersonaldevelopmentinallthegreatspiritual
traditions.
Sothat’sonethatIlikebecauseitgoesrightintotheapplications
tothepersonofthedynamismofexistence.Tobeapersonyoumust
communicateandsharewithothers.That’sthelawofbeing,ofevery
being.Youcanviolatethelawsoftraffic,butyoucan’tviolatethe
lawsofbeingwithoutgettingsortofcrushedyourself.Sothosetwo
–action,andhowthatappliestotheperson,thedynamicinterrelated
notionofperson,andeverythingasanimageofGodwhichisessen-
tiallyself-communicativelove.Sothosearetwoverycentralthings
thatgetfrommetaphysicsofbeingingeneraldowntotheperson.So
that’sverycentral.
P.Mazanka:Yourtwomostrecentlypublishedbooksdealwiththe
philosophyofSaintThomasAquinasinacontemporaryform:“The
OneandtheMany.AContemporaryThomisticMetaphysics”and
“ThePhilosophicalApproachtoGod.ANewThomisticPerspective”.
Wehearaccusationsbeingvoicesagainstthisphilosophy,inthatitis
nolongerregardedasbeingsuitableforthechangingrealityofthe
contemporaryworld.Howwouldyoureplytotheaccusations;inother
words,whyisitimportanttodoclassicalmetaphysicsoftheAristote-
lianandThomistickind?
Prof.Clarke:Thefundamentalstructureofbeingdoesnotchange.
Thekindsofbeingchange,butthebasicstructureofbeingthatis
actionandparticipation–thebasicstructuredoesnotchangebecause
nomatterhowmuchitchangesitisstillbeing.Ifit’sanythingatallit
maychangeinthekindofactionitexpressesbutitsbasicallyself-ex-
pressiveaction.That’saverybasickindofthing,thatdoesn’tchange.
Thebasicstructureofbeingdoesnotchange;itcannotchangebecause
it’sactiveself-expression.It’saninteractingwhole,theorderofbeing,
thatdoesn’tchange.It’sapermanentcommunityofinteractingchange,
thatdoesn’tchangewithaction,andbecauseoflimitation,participation
