How Humans, as the Inventors of the Negative, Utilize the Negative in Their Search for Metaphysical Answers: A Comparative Study of Kenneth Burke and St. Thomas Aquinas
Open Access
- Author:
- Briselli, Julia
- Area of Honors:
- Communication Arts and Sciences
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Ekaterina Haskins, Thesis Supervisor
Mary High, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- Kenneth Burke
Thomas Aquinas
Rhetoric
Negativity
Naming
Transcendence
Kenneth Burke
Thomas Aquinas
Rhetoric
Negativity
Naming
Transcendence - Abstract:
- The intent of this thesis is to examine the work of Kenneth Burke and St. Thomas Aquinas to understand how the negative is used in the pursuit of metaphysical answers. I will do this by outlining the views of Burke and Aquinas about the negative, using the negative in naming, and metaphysical transcendence. I will consider how the two scholars would approach the views of the other and frame the thesis as the analysis of a “conversation” between Burke and Aquinas that could occur in Burke’s metaphoric parlor. I will include the insights of Aristotle and Plato to outline the Ancient philosophical thought that influenced both Burke and Aquinas. This will show how Burke and Aquinas built upon the scholarship of these ancient scholars, expanding upon some views while diverging from others. The comparison of Burke and Aquinas naturally leads to an assertion that it is important to embrace intellectual collaboration regardless of religious or non-religious affiliations. Whether someone is seeking God, seeking answers to the questions of life and purpose, or both, there is value in human connection. Burke’s scholarship exemplified the modern focus of rhetorical studies. As humans study rhetoric, we are led toward the question of the purpose of language which causes us to consider humanity’s motivations and purpose. Aquinas, in contrast, began with the question of human purpose. Along the way, he embraced the value of language in leading humans to this purpose. As it was beautifully articulated by Burke, “If nature gives birth to an animal that can talk, then by the same token nature becomes able to comment on itself” (Rhetoric of Religion 276). The comments become a conversation, and suddenly humans are faced with more questions but also more people searching for truth who are excited to share their discoveries and collaborate. There does not appear to be any scholarship that puts Burke and Aquinas directly in conversation with one another, yet much knowledge can be gained by considering their insights in tandem. This thesis offers readers the opportunity to learn about the negative, and the implications of the negative, from two experts that are rarely, if ever, referenced in the same work.