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The Tree of Life Significance
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- Reichu
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Re: The Tree of Life Significance
Let's get back on topic, shall we?
さらば、全てのEvaGeeks。
「滅びの運命は新生の喜びでもある」
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「滅びの運命は新生の喜びでもある」
Departure Message | The Arqa Apocrypha: An Evangelion Analysis Blog
- PenPen4life
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Re: The Tree of Life Significance
Even if Evangelion is not a religious work, its metaphysics are closely related to theology and psychology, as it has always been in antiquity (at least until Galilei). I would simply characterize Eva's conception of the world as "classical" as opposed to "modern western". The fact that the world(s) is (are) inner to phaenomenon (to experience), as well as the subject, moreover esablishes it as a phaenomenological position. This is not exclusive to German thinkers like Husserl, but has an Eastern ancient parallel in Yogacara Buddhism schools.
That said, what about the ToL is significant to metaphysics? I would say... almost everything. The ToL depicts a structure that is meant to be found everywhere in the world, a sort of blueprint of Creation itself; so, it is used to analyze all processes, from digestion to mystical experience. Is it possible to reconcile this use of the ToL with a phaenomenological point of view? Well, that's where the psychological aspects of the theory become psychoanalitic: Lacan's reading of Freud provides the bridge with phaenomenology. But I'm not going into the details here, it's not the right place. Let's just say that the Leibnizian doctrine of the monad is another important ingredient to the mix and go on.
My idea regarding the ToL significance in Eva is closely related to the nature of AT Fields, but to understand this one must first see how every AT Field is not just a subject, but a world. All attributes of the world are inner to the subject. Defining the outline, the... profile of the subject is defining the outline of not-subject at the same time. So we don't only have Shinji's Misato and Misato's Shinji, but also Shinji's NeoTokyo and Misato's NeoTokyo, Shinji's Japan and Misato's Japan, and so on. I'm not just saying that the subject uses the image of the Other to build itself (the so-called Mirror stage), but that the external surface of every individual is the point of individuation of that individual and of its world at the same time.
So, if we accept this interpretation of what an AT Field is (or, better: the interpretation of what a world is), it's easy to understand why they're interested in the ToL: making an AT Field is making a ToL, and viceversa.
That said, what about the ToL is significant to metaphysics? I would say... almost everything. The ToL depicts a structure that is meant to be found everywhere in the world, a sort of blueprint of Creation itself; so, it is used to analyze all processes, from digestion to mystical experience. Is it possible to reconcile this use of the ToL with a phaenomenological point of view? Well, that's where the psychological aspects of the theory become psychoanalitic: Lacan's reading of Freud provides the bridge with phaenomenology. But I'm not going into the details here, it's not the right place. Let's just say that the Leibnizian doctrine of the monad is another important ingredient to the mix and go on.
My idea regarding the ToL significance in Eva is closely related to the nature of AT Fields, but to understand this one must first see how every AT Field is not just a subject, but a world. All attributes of the world are inner to the subject. Defining the outline, the... profile of the subject is defining the outline of not-subject at the same time. So we don't only have Shinji's Misato and Misato's Shinji, but also Shinji's NeoTokyo and Misato's NeoTokyo, Shinji's Japan and Misato's Japan, and so on. I'm not just saying that the subject uses the image of the Other to build itself (the so-called Mirror stage), but that the external surface of every individual is the point of individuation of that individual and of its world at the same time.
So, if we accept this interpretation of what an AT Field is (or, better: the interpretation of what a world is), it's easy to understand why they're interested in the ToL: making an AT Field is making a ToL, and viceversa.
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