Instruction
Prompt: The goal of this essay is to understand and explicate, in your own words, what Gilson has to say in the first chapter. This essay should explain the argument that Gilson makes and comment on the significance of his analysis. In your essay you will be expected to touch on the following three problems:
1. What does Gilson mean by the "existential neutrality" of our conceptual knowledge? How does this frame the problem that Gilson intends to study in "Being and some Philosophers"?
2. What is Parmenides' answer to the question, "what is being"? How is Plato the heir and continuator of Parmenides?
3. How does plato give rise to the Neo-Platonic "metaphysics of the One"? What problems does such a metaphysics pose for a Christian thinker?
Specifications: This essay should be 6-8 pages (double spaced), 12 point in the "Times New Roman" font, with one inch margins, plagiarism free, and proofread.
Helpful Tip: Gilson's book is a philosophical analysis of the ways that various philosophers have understood the meaning of being in the Platonic tradition. His goal is to present not a history of metaphysics, but rather a thinking through of the views of several historical philosophers. Enjoy!