The Philosophical Optimist

              As we come to the close of yet another year, we have just passed through the Christmas season; and so, it is an appropriate time to reflect upon the man whose birth is celebrated by that season: Jesus of Nazareth, son of David, son of Abraham.   What do we know of him, and how?   Such questions would take entire libraries to explore fully, but this is a mere essay, and in it, I wish simply to explore a few thoughts that might help all of us think about these questions more clearly, without having to delve into the mountainous minutiae of ancient history.             The first thing to recall is that Jesus is a figure of history, and so we should ask: what are our historical sources for learning about him?   For many, especially Christians, the first thing that comes to mind is the set of four biographies of Jesus which begin the New Testamen...

              Of all the things I learned from watching the complete dramatic works of Shakespeare, no doubt one of the most interesting has been my realization that Shakespeare made a distinction in his use of language that we have since forgotten how to use, to the massive impoverishment of our capacities as both thinkers and speakers.   If you watch much of Shakespeare, it will eventually become obvious to you—even if you are a slow learner like me—that in Shakespeare’s language, “who is he?” and “what is he?” are completely separate and quite different questions.   The first is simply the request, “Please point out which of these men bears this name.”   The second requests a description of the man and his qualities.   For us, today, poor, benighted souls that we are, this distinction is lost, and we often use “Who is he?” for both of these inquiries, or for the second alone.   If we wish specifica...