The 9th Candle of Chanukah - Professor Joe Levinson
Like the Shamash, the "Ninth Candle" which gives light to the others, certain philosophies dominate the world at certain times in history. Professor Levinson speaks about Chanukah as being against Greek philosophy and metaphysics, which dominated the world until Descartes and became dissolved entirely starting with Heidegger. With this dissolution emerges a "performative" view of language and thinking, and a "life-energy" orientation, which is much more in line with the pre-Greek world of Moshe Rabbeinu, and more compatible with the modern scientific world. That is the new Ninth Candle, the light to the future. Recorded November 29, 2012, Jerusalem
Like the Shamash, the "Ninth Candle" which gives light to the others, certain philosophies dominate the world at certain times in history. Professor Levinson speaks about Chanukah as being against Greek philosophy and metaphysics, which dominated the world until Descartes and became dissolved entirely starting with Heidegger. With this dissolution emerges a "performative" view of language and thinking, and a "life-energy" orientation, which is much more in line with the pre-Greek world of Moshe Rabbeinu, and more compatible with the modern scientific world. That is the new Ninth Candle, the light to the future. Recorded November 29, 2012, Jerusalem