Edward DeLia is a philosopher and social scientist who holds graduate degrees from both Hofstra and Fordham Universities. He believes great writing must inspire one to discuss philosophical issues and motivate in a clear, enlightened manner, a cathedral of illumination.
What excites you about philosophy?
Philosophy defines the significant. The intensive study of philosophy acquaints one with the most significant questions or issues enveloping the human experience. Questions of truth, beauty, wisdom, art, freedom, equality, ideal government, goodness, and the sublime, among others. These queries have a noble and illuminating capacity to lift one to a higher level of conceptual understanding. To a degree, they negate the trivial or the inconsequential through which the world is darkened.
“When foolishness becomes the mainstay of society, wisdom is banished.”
What is the favorite thing that you have written?
Definitely the ‘Philosophical Discourses‘ published earlier this year. The purpose of this work is to analyze the meaning of philosophy in addition to providing a creative interpretation of the nature of the field. The book contends that the meaning one gives to philosophy determines the methodology by which philosophical problems are analyzed. The book calls for a reexamination of the role of reason in philosophy, the primacy of metaphysics, and a call for first-person affirmations by the thinker. As an existential affirmation, I was born not long after the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. I was part of the first generation to face the possibility of total destruction. Yet, millions retained their idealism in the face of doom. So far from fear, so close to death. Hail to you the first post-Hiroshima generation!
What is your favorite quote?
Shakespeare! “Cowards die many times before their deaths, the valiant never taste of death but once.” (Julius Caesar)
Fear has motivated many philosophies such as Hobbes, yet fear in itself is not a philosophy.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I believe that the worth of a person depends on how they operate their mind. To engage in the great ideas is to make a contribution to your own creative destiny. I read not only philosophy, but also fiction, and listen often to quality music and enjoy the transcendence of art. Remember, in a non-verbal, almost transcendent manner, music and art touch the inner nature of our being or uniqueness. Music transcends the subject-predicate structure of language, which can at times serve as a barrier to grasping the true nature of our being. Music connects feelings with ideas beyond the tyranny of language. You may write about the horrors of World War 2, but Shostakovich’s ‘String Quartet No. 3 in F Major’ conveys the horror to its zenith, especially in its fifth movement. You feel the pain and the weight and sorrow directly here. Of course, art in a visual manager transcends the structure of language also.
If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life or future, what would you want to know?
Nothing! I would say the same as Banquo said to the evil sisters in Macbeth. “If you can look into the seeds of time and say which grain will grow and which will not, speak then to me who neither begs nor fears your favors or your hate.” As an existential affirmation, I will determine my future within the limits of truth and honor as directed by the great ideas. In this manner, I and millions of others will make a relatively self-determined contribution to our own creative destiny.
Who do you regard as the most significant philosopher and why?
Despite the animosity toward him by analytic philosophers, I would choose Martin Heidegger due to the fact that he opened the door again to the original study of being as conceived by the pre-Socratic philosophers. Truth is ontological, not merely an epistemological concern. Truth does not lie in propositions but is embodied in ‘my being’. Without corresponding to being, ideas are only an empty shadow, not a cathedral of illumination. This is what Plato meant when he wrote that ideas participate in the eternal Forms, which are ontological. This is what Christ meant when he said I am the truth. This is what Heidegger meant when he asserted that truth is the uncovering of being. This is what Anselm was referring to in the ontological argument. The reason modern philosophers often cast doubt on these assertions is that they disconnect ideas from being. My research attempts to reconnect the two in continuation with this mode of thought.
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.
Jessica Castellani
Jessica Castellani had a unique high school experience attending Toledo School for the Arts, where she played in a percussion ensemble and steel drum band for six years. She earned her dual Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and religious studies from the University of Toledo. Her primary focus was “the Self” and the mystical experience of losing it. She earned her Master of Arts in philosophy from The University of Toledo as well, with a specialization in comparative philosophy, Eastern studies, and continental philosophy. She has taught World Religions and Introduction to Philosophy at The University of Toledo both in person and virtually. She is a member of the Buddhist Temple of Toledo, tutors students, and has worked in the service industry for over a decade. In her free time, she likes to spend time outside and with her pets, friends, and family.
