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AboutaContemporaryThomisticMetaphysics
TowakepeopleupYouhavetowakepeopleuptolooknotjustatthe
factofexistence,buttheactofexistence.Towakethemuptothe
wonderofexistence.
P.Mazanka:Let’stalkaboutyourworkwithstudents,asyouhave
spent67yearsamongthem.Areyoucontentwithyourworkandwith
whatyouhaveaccomplished?Whatwouldbeyouradvicetotheyoung
teachersofphilosophy?
Prof.Clarke:Yes,Iamverycontent.Withreferencetotheyoung
teachersofphilosophy,Ithinkitisimportanttogetveryquicklytothe
greatcentralpositionsinphilosophy.Forexample,whenIanswer
aquestion:whatmetaphysicsis?Let’sputitthisway.Tosituateit
insidephilosophyasawhole,Iwouldliketodescribephilosophy,at
leastmyphilosophy,asthesystematicefforttoillumineourexperience
indepthandtosituateitinavisionofthewhole.It’snotaddingnew
facts,butithasgonedownandilluminatingindepththefactsthatyou
dohave,theexperiencethatyoudohave,andsettingitinavisionof
thewhole.That’sphilosophyingeneral.
Nowthemetaphysicsistryingtounderstandbeingrealityasawhole.
That’sspecificallythatparttoseteverythinginavisionofthewhole.
That’sthespecificpartofmetaphysics.Thenotherbranchesofphi-
losophylikephilosophyofman,philosophyofnature,etc.,thentake
apartofreality,butalsosituateitinthewhole.Butmetaphysicsis
preciselylookingfortheoverallframework.Theharmony,thevision
oftheuniverseasawhole,asaunityinitsdifferences,andwithsome
kindofharmony,thegreatlawsandprinciplesthatgovernallofbeing
initsunity.ThereforeIthinkthephilosophy,especiallymetaphysics,
thatisabsolutelybasicintheuniversityisthatwhichsituatesallthe
particulardisciplinesintotheunityofthewhole.Wehavethepursuit
ofthepart,somehavecalleditthefascinationofthepart,asopposed
tothevisionofthewhole,andwe’vegoneinforthepiecemealspe-
cializationinthepart.Sopeopleareinpieces.Theygotallaboutthe
parts,buthowdoesitallfittogetherintoawhole?Nobodyisgoingto
tellthem.Somephilosopherssay,“Wedon’tdothatkindofbigvision
anymore.Wedocarefulpiecemealwork.”Butassomebodysaid,
