Edited by Deborah Savage and Robert Fastiggi
Reviewed by Francis Etheredge Profiles in Catholicism
In what is clearly a substantial study of subjectivity, a group of authors have come together to give a philosophical account of the basis of lived experience, which more than illustrates the possibility of an objectification of human consciousness. The initial, philosophical overview of our subjectivity, is an attractive, well written account, which can act as a summary of the major work of Pope St. John Paul II, both from his earliest and later works. And, therefore, if the reader is not very well acquainted with this development of the personal subject to which St. Thomas Aquinas referred, but did not explicitly develop, then it is both an overview and an introduction which, one hopes, will stimulate the reader's further reflection and study. Thus, the turn to the subject, characteristic of modern philosophy, has been grounded in its integration with a philosophy of being.
In brief, our consciousness has an intentionality about it, which is to say that we are not just aware of ourselves, other people and our surroundings, but that there is a direction to it; indeed, depending on what we are doing, we can say that the intention which becomes us is to communicate the truth of what we experience. Truth, however, is about the subject, as well as the content of consciousness. In other words, in recognizing that we are turning to the subjective experience of the human person, we are not just declaring any kind of subjectivity; rather, we are drawing upon a person who has come to know the deep, metaphysical roots of personal being wherein there is an interior witness, as it were, to being conscious that the body is an expression of the soul; and, together, body and soul constitute the human person. Thus the human person is sexed; we are either male or female. Indeed, if we choose a symbol, the symbol of the heart, we can say that the heart is the "place" of an interior dialogue with what, in reality, we feel, think, and do, whether or not it accords with our human reality as a man or a woman. Thus, the search for the true, loved healing of the human heart, entails being open to our full history and, if necessary, addressing the rupture that painful sufferings may have rent in the very heart of our personhood, whether it was an offence we suffered, an experience of infertility, or any number of bioethical concerns which, very often, are not always addressed from the wholesome reality of both faith and reason. Where appropriate, there are chapters which articulate a path of personal experience which passes, not without difficulties, obstacles, prayers, research and setbacks, from uncovering wounds to a more embracing recognition of the natural sexuality of a person, whether it be that of a woman or a man. These accounts are a delight to read because of the honesty and integrity of the authors; and, therefore, the hope they offer is a hope that will not disappoint. In addition, these authors show that the search for a wholesome identity is both challenging and possible, drawing on what is good and true in human understanding and what is of God and helpful in ways that complement and go beyond what is possible to unaided reason. Further, whether by discussing the harm of contraception and abortion, or the reality of being a mother or a father, the suffering and loving answer to infertility, such as adoption, there is a continuous, convincing introduction, to the realism of the complementary difference of the Creator's gift of man, male and female, made in the image and likeness of God. Many accurate references, such as a person's sex being determined, as fertilization unfolds, by the chromosomes from both the man's sperm and the woman's ovum or egg, make it clear that sex is not determined at birth but at the very beginning of human personhood, revealing the injustice to the human embryonic person of beginning life in a glass dish, undergoing "quality checks" and being altogether uncertain as to whether or not he or she will be welcomed in a woman's womb, discarded, or experimented upon.
Naturally, such a long and varied text can also raise questions; and, therefore, one such question is this: Is it possible that Jesus Christ, true man and true God, is so intimately acquainted with our heart and all its movements that, when we come to meet Him, there will not be the slightest shade of any passing moment, imperfection, or grace, that will escape Him?
Going beyond both the philosophy of being and personal experience, there are contributions which range across our society which show, very clearly, how institutions, language and money have been misused in advancing subjectivism, which is uncritically held and imposed in innumerable ways throughout our society, both at the national and the international levels. Whether you are new to the field of the philosophy of human experience or not, there are excellent chapters, vivid accounts of personal experience, and a wealth of references to both begin to equip you to understand what is going on in society today as well as to amply foster further reading. All in all, everything is approached from the point of view of philosophy, psychology, science, theology, the teachings of the Magisterium of the Church, pastoral care, and the persevering prayer of the Christian.
Reviewed by Francis Etheredge, catholic married layman, father of 11, 3 of whom are in heaven, and an author; his next, forthcoming book, is "Transgenderism: A Question of Identity": https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/transgenderism/.