Through Wonder

About
About Through Wonder
Through Wonder is a blog exploring themes in philosophy and other related disciplines. The
Greek phrase

(dia to thaumazein) comes from a quote from Aristotle:

.
Throughwondermenbegantophilosophize,bothnowandinthebeginning.
Aristotle,Metaphysics,Book1,982b
Socrates also describes the relationship between wonder and philosophy:
,
:

,.
Forthisisanexperiencewhichischaracteristicofaphilosopher,thiswondering:thisis

wherephilosophybeginsandnowhereelse.AndthemanwhomadeIristhechildof
Thaumaswasperhapsnobadgenealogist.
SocratesinthePlatonicDialogueTheaetetus,155d
Wonder is the beginning of philosophy. As we gaze at the world around us, we wonder
about the workings of nature and the workings of humans. Through wonder, we begin to
ask questions in search of wisdom. Philosophy, as the love of wisdom, springs from the
pursuit of these questions. This blog does not pretend to provide the answers but hopes to
offer musings which will direct us toward wisdom.[1

The banner image is a picture taken on the authors trip to the Volcano National Park on
The Big Island in Hawaii. The owers are from the hia lehua tree which are able to grow
despite the volcanic ash around them. These bright red owers seem to offer hope in the
face of the black and lifeless environment caused by the destruction of a volcanic eruption.
Wisdom is like this red ower: rare, hard to nd, durable, and bright, in the face of darkness.
About the Author
Hannah Lyn Venable is an Adjunct Instructor of Philosophy at the University of Dallas. She is
also pursuing her PhD in philosophy there. Her undergraduate work was done at the
University of Texas where she received degrees in Philosophy and Music (piano). She went
on to study theology and philosophy at Reformed Theological Seminary where she received
a Master of Arts in Christian Thought. She also received a Master of Arts in Philosophy at
the University of Auckland where she wrote her thesis on Existential Aesthetics. Her
interests are in existentialism, philosophy of religion, phenomenology, post-modernism,
aesthetics and the human.
She recently published her rst article in Philosophy & Theology entitled Situating
Melancholy in Kierkegaards The Concept of Anxiety.[2

She lives in Irving, Texas with her husband and three little girls.
Disclosures
All opinions expressed on this blog are the opinion of the author. The opinions do not
represent any institution or community. The author receives no goods or services for the
recommendation or condemnation of any particular viewpoint.
All images on the blog are either the authors own images or images found from the internet
via a google search. If anyone would like an image removed, please contact the author.

[1] However, Platos use of wonder and Aristotles use of wonder most

likely have different connotations. Aristotles notion of wonder implies a

scientic curiosity which will only be satised when the answer is found.
But Plato has a broader notion of wonder: it is not a problem to be solved,
but a mystery to be enjoyed. The further we pursue philosophy the more
we will discover such mysteries in which we can take great delight.

[2] See this blog post for more information on how to get a copy.

4 THOUGHTS ON ABOUT

Renee Boelsche
on December 29, 2012 at 10:31 am said:

Looking forward to following! I had forgotten about your blog:( So glad you
mentioned it!

Pingback: Reections on Wonder (with Reference to Marcel) | Through Wonder

Matt Boulter
on May 10, 2013 at 9:23 pm said:

Really cool blog!

Thanks!

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