Benjamin Miller is an MA student in Eastern Philosophy at Yonsei University and an undergraduate alumnus of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He is currently writing his master’s thesis on re-interpreting Mencius as a classical natural law theorist (à la St. Thomas Aquinas) and the implications for East-West comparative philosophy.
What excites you about philosophy?
Philosophy is exciting because it can lead us to the truth about reality, human nature, and the meaning of life. As G.K. Chesterton once said, “The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.” To me, philosophy is not a mental exercise or high-brow endless daydreaming. Rather, I philosophize because it can lead me to Truth which satisfies the hunger of my mind.
What topic do you think is under explored in philosophy?
Although finally rising in prominence, the study of Eastern philosophy is still deeply underexplored in Western institutions. Western Philosophy departments do not yet fully appreciate the philosophical depth of the Eastern traditions which are often relegated to Religious Studies departments. Like the first Jesuit missionaries to China, I am constantly amazed at the similarities to be found between East and West. In the same way Aristotle inspired St. Thomas Aquinas to new heights in practical reasoning, Mencius, Zhu Xi, and the Korean philosopher Dasan inspire new ways of thinking in my own philosophical development.
What common philosophical dilemma do you think has a clear answer?
I believe the existence of God has been conclusively established through Aristotelian-Thomist metaphysics. Graham Oppy has commendably raised note-worthy objections to these arguments by appeal to metaphysical naturalism. However, I believe naturalism ultimately fails as a coherent ontological framework. Edward Feser’s Scholastic Metaphysics: A Contemporary Introduction and David Oderberg’s Real Essentialism convinced me of the supremacy of Thomistic realism, especially in light of modern physics. Sadly, many philosophers’ understanding of these arguments are mere caricatures from the Enlightenment Era. Hyper-specialization in academic philosophy has left many academics woefully ignorant of Thomistic metaphysics. Those who approach Thomistic arguments for the existence of God on Thomism’s own terms will undoubtedly find the strength and coherence of the Aristotelian-Thomistic metaphysical framework.
What’s your personal philosophy?
My personal philosophy is a double-edged sword of “caritas in veritate” and “Veritatem facientes in caritate.” A person cannot authentically love others outside the reality of Truth. Likewise, saying or doing anything in the name of Truth must always be done out of love for the other person. Without Truth, charity loses its meaning. Without charity, Truth loses its purpose. These two truths are inseparable and form a singular principle by which to live one’s life.
Who is your favorite philosopher and why?
My favorite philosophers are the professors who have helped me along my academic journey especially Professors James Messina and Paula Gottlieb (University of Wisconsin–Madison), Richard Kim (Loyola University Chicago), Seonhee Kim (Ewha Womans University), Fr. James Dominic Rooney, O.P. (Hong Kong Baptist University), and most of all my academic advisor Professor Myeongseok Kim (Yonsei University).
Who do you think is the most overrated / underrated philosopher?
The Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci deserves greater recognition, not merely as a philosopher, but as a virtuous man. Ricci was a living saint who embodied charitable cultural exchange. He opened the doors to the East and the study of Chinese philosophy. His approach to intercultural discovery inspired my own decision to study here in South Korea. Matteo Ricci is one of my greatest role models, not just for his intellectual thought, but also his impeccable virtue.
What cause or charity do you care about most?
Before graduate school, I briefly worked for the National Center on Sexual Exploitation in Washington, D.C. NCOSE exposes the ways in which all forms of sexual exploitation are interconnected. I saw firsthand how our pornified culture fuels objectification, sex trafficking, child sexual abuse, sexual violence, and a host of other issues. We can no longer ignore the ways in which these issues are connected and the damage they wreak on society. I am forever grateful forhaving the opportunity to raise awareness about these issues through NCOSE.
What’s your top tip or advice for APA members reading this?
The best way to do philosophy is with open ears and a humble heart.
This section of the APA Blog is designed to get to know our fellow philosophers a little better. We’re including profiles of APA members that spotlight what captures their interest not only inside the office, but also outside of it. We’d love for you to be a part of it, so please contact us via the interview nomination form here to nominate yourself or a friend.
Dr. Sabrina D. MisirHiralall is an editor at the Blog of the APA who currently teaches philosophy, religion, and education courses solely online for Montclair State University, Three Rivers Community College, and St. John’s University.
Miller writes, “Philosophy is exciting because it can lead us to the truth about reality, human nature, and the meaning of life. ”
Well, philosophy is a collection of symbols which very imperfectly point to the truth. Philosophy is like a street sign along the side of the highway which points to the town up ahead. Philosophers and other thinkers tend to be worshippers of street signs.
Philosophy, or rather thought more generally, is actually the primary obstacle to the truth. To the degree our attention is focused on the products of thought we are experiencing symbols, and not the reality they point to. An example might be, to the degree my attention is aimed at Facebook I’m experiencing symbols which point to real human beings, and not the real human beings themselves.
Philosophy is a key obstacle to truth, because philosophy is made of thought, and thought operates by dividing the single unified reality, that which is real, in to conceptual parts. Philosophy inherits an extreme bias for division from the medium it is made of, which puts it at odds with the unified single truth which it is attempting to point to.
The noun is a good example of this problem. Nouns lure us in to assuming that things, boundaries and separation are real, an illusion which is a product of the inherently divisive nature of thought, that which we are made of psychologically.
A simple experiment can reveal the profound illusion generated by the noun “me”. Hold your breath until you no longer can. In thought “me” seems like a unique separate thing divided from all else, but in reality “me” can only survive a few minutes without it’s intimate connection to everything else.
This illusion of division can’t be solved by adopting a different philosophy, because every philosophy is made of thought, that which is the source of the division illusion. Understanding this simple fact can revolutionize one’s relationship with philosophy.
All that said, Miller can be right in his statement too. It is possible to use philosophy to uncover the bankrupt emptiness of philosophy, and having seen that, we may then set thought aside, freeing our minds to experience truth. Not understand truth, not speak the truth, experience the truth.
One can spend decades trying to reach the experience of truth through philosophy, a tool so poorly suited for the job. Or, one can be rational and practical, set aside that which is the source of the illusion of division, and experience the single unified truth now.