{"id":9493,"date":"2025-08-06T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=9493"},"modified":"2025-05-04T20:05:05","modified_gmt":"2025-05-04T20:05:05","slug":"looking-at-slavoj-zizeks-book-2024-christian-atheism-part-26-of-33","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=9493","title":{"rendered":"Looking at Slavoj Zizek’s Book (2024) “Christian Atheism” (Part 26 of 33)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

0278 Once again, the title of chapter five<\/em> concerns the status of something not human, not divine and not natural<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, that must be artificial intelligence (AI).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0279 If I posed to AI the following two nested forms, and asked, “Please choose the more rational of the two, which would the AI daemon select?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

0280 Is the answer obvious?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The AI program will select the one that I want it to choose, since its desire is for my engagement.  Then, AI will give a rationalization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0281 But, the question remains.  Which is more rational?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does “rational” imply “sensible”?  Does “sensible” imply “existence”?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Has the question become, “Which does not exist?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The apparently material actualities2c<\/sub><\/em> appear identical.  They are also ontological<\/em>.  The apparently immaterial normal contexts3c<\/sub> and potentials1c<\/sub><\/em> are not the same.  They are also transcendentals<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0282 Can transcendentals alter,<\/em> even destroy then reconstruct,<\/em> ontologies?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why does Zizek start a chapter that seems to be about AI<\/em> with “the cosmion” as a case of pagan Christianity.  Cosmion-oriented Christianity<\/em> is not really pagan, but alien, from a Western point of view<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zizek suggests that the Russian Orthodox tradition<\/em> poses the superior nested form,<\/em> because it does not rip the actuality2c<\/sub> apart, then reconstitute it as a monster.  The northern European Enlightenment tradition poses the inferior nested form<\/em> and yields a monster that threatens all civilizations four centuries later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0283 This is an extraordinary claim, and Zizek does not develop the argument in the same way as this examiner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Say what?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have completely independent way to make Zizek’s case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What follows<\/em> parallels points 0050 to 0076 in Looking at Hugh Ross’s Book (2023) “Rescuing Inerrancy”,<\/em> appearing in Razie Mah’s blog for the month of July, 2025.  Then, what follows<\/em> lifts off in a trajectory of its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0284 Peirce’s category of secondness<\/em> consists of two contiguous real elements<\/em>.  For Aristotle’s hylomorphe,<\/em> these real elements are matter and form<\/em>.  The contiguity is placed in brackets for good notation.  I select the the term, “substance” to label the [contiguity].  Aristotle’s hylomorphe<\/em> is matter [substance] form<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Russian Orthodox tradition<\/em> remains true to Aristotle.  The terms of “matter” and “form” do not label things themselves<\/em>.  They label real elements<\/em> of a holistic thing<\/em>.  The distinction is subtle, yet crucial.  If matter and form<\/em> are regarded as distinct and separate things,<\/em> then the distinction and separation<\/em> become actual<\/em> and the things<\/em>… er… the matter and the form<\/em> become normal contexts and potentials<\/em>.  Matter and form<\/em> no longer belong to the category of secondness<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is precisely what the western Enlightenment<\/em> does to the hylomorphe of a perspective level actuality,<\/em> but not to Aristotle’s hylomorphe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, maybe the Enlightenment does the same to Aristotle’s hylomorphe, <\/em>but that is another story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0285 Here is the dyad for a thing<\/em> and a cosmion2c<\/sub>, as a perspective level actuality<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

0286 Modern English language is tricky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, I can say that [substance] is the contiguity between matter and form.  Then, as soon as I start talking about substance, [it] becomes like… a thing itself<\/em>… when it is really a contiguity between two real elements that constitute a thing of event<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don’t know how Russian is different from English. But, my examination of Zizek’s digression indicates that somehow… the Russian Orthodox way of talking<\/em> may not reify “substance” in the same way that English tends to<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0287 Now, all the languages entangled with the so-called “Western Enlightenment”<\/em> have similar issues.<\/em>  At first, [substance] is not a thing, it is a contiguity between two real elements<\/em>.  Yet, as soon as one utters the spoken word, “substance”, an implication<\/em> is ready-at-hand<\/em> in the Western mind<\/em>.  A spoken word<\/em> images and indicates an actual referent<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, can anyone picture or point to the actual referent of the term,<\/em> “substance”?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0288 Look at the way the word is used<\/em> in the English lexicon.  Who knows what to picture or point to?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

0289 If someone says to me, “I stepped on a substance<\/em> on the way to work.”, then I think, “I hope you wiped it <\/em>off your shoes before coming into the building.  Who knows what you stepped in<\/em>.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event, walking [substance on] shoe,<\/em> or walking [step on substance now on] shoe,<\/em> is an encounter2<\/sub>, an actuality2<\/sub>.  In order to be understood, one must ascertain its normal context3<\/sub> and potential1<\/sub>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, wait a moment.  Haven’t I already reified (converted a contiguity<\/em> into a thing<\/em>) the term, “substance”.   Oh, come to think of it, someone<\/em> has already reified the term<\/em> for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0290 Apply that word usage to [the contiguity] between the thesis that will constellate into “capitalism”<\/em> and the anti-thesis that will constellate into “socialism”<\/em>, portrayed above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is a picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The indivisible substance,<\/em> [wealth and power], reifies into a declaration that we all agree that wealth and power are distinct and separate<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, one indivisible substance<\/em> turns into two independent things<\/em>.  The actuality2c<\/sub><\/em> is no longer a single thing,<\/em> it is two things<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0291 A judgment ensues, because the declaration brings what is<\/em> (of capital & acquisition) and what ought to be<\/em> (of social & exercise of order) into relation<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Say what?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealth associates to what is, <\/em>one of the three elements of judgment.  “Wealth” goes with capital, acquisition and thesis<\/em>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Power associates to what ought to be,<\/em> one of the three elements of judgment.  “Power” goes with social, exercise of order and antithesis.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The remaining element of judgment, relation,<\/em> characterizes an agreement,<\/em> reifying and separating wealth and power<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

0278 Once again, the title of chapter five concerns the status of something not human, not divine and not natural. Yes, that must be artificial intelligence (AI). 0279 If I posed to AI the following two nested forms, and asked, “Please choose the more rational of the two, which would the AI daemon select?” 0280 Is the answer […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[417],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9493","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-review"],"yoast_head":"\nLooking at Slavoj Zizek's Book (2024) "Christian Atheism" (Part 26 of 33) - An Archaeology of the Fall<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=9493\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Looking at Slavoj Zizek's Book (2024) "Christian Atheism" (Part 26 of 33) - An Archaeology of the Fall\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"0278 Once again, the title of chapter five concerns the status of something not human, not divine and not natural. 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