Deep Calls to Deep | Poetry, Prophecy, Philosophy in Ibn Gabirol

Quick Overview

The discussion between John and Zebulon centers on redefining and understanding the relationship between poetry, prophecy, and philosophy, using the medieval thinker Ibn Gabirol as a primary example, proposing that poetry moves from the small world outward (poiesis) while prophecy opens the small world to the large world (telling forth), and philosophy cultivates wisdom by ensuring these two modes maintain a reciprocal flow, maintaining finite transcendence.

Key Points: The speakers aim to redefine core concepts, suggesting modern terms for poetry, prophecy, and philosophy have become too 'flat,' requiring a move toward wider conceptions. Poetry (poiesis) is proposed as the attempt, within a small world or paradigm, to create new meaning beyond that paradigm, either to return to it more deeply or provoke a new one. Prophecy is framed as the process where the large world breaks into the small world, revealing inadequacies, understood as 'telling forth' rather than fortune-telling, utilizing the imaginal sense. Philosophy functions as the cultivation of wisdom (Sophia/Phronesis), tasked with ensuring poetry and prophecy maintain a 'reciprocally flowing relationship,' preserving 'our finite transcendence.' Zebulon introduced a cognitive synergy where prophecy is auditory/verbal (deep listening to utter truth) while poetry is ocular/visual (intense looking), leading to a figure-ground reversal where hearing is like seeing all at once and seeing is itemized. Ibn Gabirol's own poetry reflects a tortured relationship with his prophetic voice, comparing himself to Moses (who suffered a speech impediment after choosing coal over gold) and Balaam (who blessed those he was hired to curse). Maimonides is cited, stating that a prophet who suppresses prophecy faces death by the divine court, highlighting the high-stakes necessity for the prophet to speak.

Context: The video is the third part of a series concerning the medieval Jewish philosopher Ibn Gabirol, featuring a dialogue between the host, John, and his friend, Zebulon. The conversation moves beyond establishing Gabirol as a philosopher to exploring the complex, sometimes strained relationship between philosophy, poetry, and prophecy, drawing parallels to historical figures like Plato, Maimonides, and Spinoza wrestling with the interplay between philosophical reasoning and divine revelation.