Philosophical chapters

The main and most famous work of St. John of Damascus is the trilogy “The Source of Knowledge” (Πηγὴ γνώσεως), dedicated to his half-brother St. Cosmas Maiumsky. Researchers attribute its creation to the first half of the 8th century, most likely to the period between 730 and 743. The work “Philosophical Chapters” (or “Dialectics”) is the first and introductory part of this monumental work. The purpose of writing an essay, according to St. John, “is to begin with philosophy and briefly outline in this book, as far as possible, all kinds of knowledge.” The author believed that philosophy is necessary for the precise and clear expression of Christian truths, as well as for refuting errors. “Philosophical Chapters” is a fundamental propaedeutic work that systematized ancient philosophy for Christian needs, defined the methodology and terminology of Orthodox theology, making it clear, logical and internally consistent. St. John of Damascus systematically sets out the foundations of logic and metaphysics, borrowed mainly from ancient philosophy, especially from Aristotle and the Neoplatonic tradition (mainly through Porphyry). It is rather a collection of the most important and useful philosophical concepts for theology. The 68 chapters of the essay can be divided into several parts: - chapters 9-14, 18-28: discussion of 5 terms identified by Porphyry from the Aristotelian categories “genus”, “difference”, “species”, “property” and “accident”; - chapters 31-38, 46-62: discussion of Aristotle’s 10 categories, which are ways of comprehending being (essence, quantity, quality, relation, place, time, position, possession, action, suffering); - Chapters 15-17, 29-30, 39-45, 63-68: various questions related to categories. Philosophical terms interpreted by St. John of Damascus, are of great importance in presenting the Trinitarian and Christological teachings of the Orthodox Church. Thus, the essay examines in detail the terms “nature” and “hypostasis.” The treatise “Philosophical Chapters” laid the terminological and conceptual basis for all subsequent Orthodox dogma. The author showed how elements of ancient philosophy can be used to serve Christian truth without diminishing its Divine origin. Work of St. John of Damascus became a kind of encyclopedia for Byzantine theology, and his method of using philosophy as a tool for theology had enormous influence in both the East and the West, where he contributed to the emergence of scholasticism. * Title of the work in Greek: Κεφάλαια Φιλοσοφικά. * Title of the work in Latin: Dialectica. An accurate exposition of the Orthodox faith - St. John of Damascus (translated by A.I. Sagarda, V.A. Belyaev, S.M. Zarin, N.M. Malakhov) An accurate exposition of the Orthodox faith - St. John of Damascus (translated by D.E. Afinogenov, A.A. Bronzov, A.I. Sagarda, N.I. Sagarda) About one hundred heresies in brief St. John of Damascus You might be interested in: