G.R. TOMAINI
Poet, Philosopher, Artist, Editor, Theologian, & Playwright
G.R. Tomaini is a First-Generation LGBTQ Federal McNair Scholar and author of ten books who recently graduated from Union Theological Seminary in Manhattan; thus far, seven works of his have been published across six volumes. He has written seven books of Poetry and one Philosophical Encyclopedia that functions as a Critique of the Western Philosophical Canon. His Encyclopedia of American Idealism: Toward a Novel Method and System of Philosophy arguably contains within its pages the United States's first Philosophical System ever written on the continent, in the style of the Western Tradition; the Encyclopedia was prefaced by Cornel West and positively reviewed by Slavoj Žižek. Additionally, his Master's Thesis, the Tractatus Perfectio-Philosophicus: Or, Discourses On The Dharma of Civilization And Its Odyssey Toward International Harmony was strongly reviewed by Cornel West, Slavoj Žižek, and Gary Dorrien (a student of John Rawls), and is forthcoming from Manticore Press in Australia; his fifth book of poetry, The Psalms of Babylon: Or, 112 Flowers Of Malaise was published by Indigo Dragon Press in Australia, and was warmly reviewed by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak.
Photo of Dr. Cornel West reading from his Preface to G.R. Tomaini's Encyclopedia of American Idealism.
April 3rd, 2023.
Praise For G.R. Tomaini's Tractatus Perfectio-Philosophicus: or, Discourses on the Dharna of Civilization & Its Odyssey Toward International Harmony: A Treatise on Intercosmopolitan Realpolitik Grounded by the Logical Necessity of Civilizationism (Manticore Press, 2024):
“G.R. Tomaini synthesizes the ethical thought of Immanuel Kant, G.W.F. Hegel, and John Rawls toward the aspiration of constructing a formidable Leibnizian Theory of Justice as Harmony, itself.”
– Dr. Slavoj Žižek
Abstract & Grade of the Tractatus Perfectio-Philosophicus
Abstract:
This groundbreaking exploration intertwines the enigmatic realms of consciousness and civilization. Authored by G.R. Tomaini, this compelling philosophical treatise invites readers to delve into the depths of the human psyche, unveiling the profound connections between individual awareness and the evolution of society.
Tomaini deploys the term Tractatus (Latin for “treatise”) to evoke images of prominent philosophical works such as Ludwig Wittgenstein’s Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. Tractatus Perfectio-Philosophicus (Treatise on Philosophical Perfection) demonstrates its philosophical lineage by adopting a similar title, aspiring towards the goal of a philosophical framework that lays the foundations for the betterment of civilization.
Following on from G.R. Tomaini’s Encyclopedia of American Idealism and influenced by renowned academics such Cornel West, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Slavoj Žižek, and Gary Dorrien — a student of John Rawls — Tractatus Perfectio-Philosophicus invites the reader to undertake an exploration of civilization’s journey towards harmony.
Building upon Derek Parfit’s groundbreaking insights, Tomaini delves into the ethical thought of Kant, Hegel, Rawls, and Parfit, offering a transformative vision of Leibnizian dialectical harmonism that transcends dialectical materialism.
At the heart of this thought-provoking narrative lies a bold proposition: the shaping of consciousness through philosophy can catalyze a paradigm shift in the zeitgeist, leading to the emergence of a genuinely ethical civilization. Delving into the philosophical currents that have shaped our understanding of existence, the book skillfully navigates the interplay between individual awareness and the collective consciousness that defines civilization. Furthermore, the phenomenologies of John Keats, the Marquis de Sade, and Lord Byron are psychoanalyzed to yield a theory of the fashionable consciousness, shedding light on civilization’s odyssey towards international harmony and its eventual embrace of the democratic consciousness.
However, the zeitgeist does not automatically lead to the benefic consciousness required for an optimal civilization. The concept of benefic consciousness (similar to the Greek notion of eudaimonia) reveals the democratic consciousness, understood as the summation of ethical rights embodied by a single modality of consciousness. From this, a new ethical civilization emerges revolving around core principles of morality.
Tractatus Perfectio-Philosophicus beckons scholars, philosophers, and seekers alike to reevaluate their perceptions of consciousness urging them to recognize the pivotal role philosophy plays in sculpting the collective ethos. In a world yearning for ethical guidance, this book stands as a beacon, illuminating the path toward a moral civilization that beckons us all. Prepare to be captivated, enlightened, and inspired to embark on a profound journey of self-discovery and societal transformation.
Grade:
“Greg, congratulations on completing your astute, high-flying, encyclopedic, and in the end, very Leibnizian thesis on the science of love, exploring what is perfect to know, what is perfect to do, and what is perfect to aspire to. You make a splendid and persuasive case for Martin Luther King Jr. as the knight of faith and paragon of love who passed Kierkegaardian tests for both. You register a valid caveat about the odd lack of a strategic calculus in the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” which launches a Grand Tour in your signature fashion of Kant, Kohlberg, Hegel, Goldman, Sosa, Rawls, West, Nussbaum, and Fukuyama on what is perfect to know. Your succeeding reflection on civilization, social justice, Leibnizian harmony, Kantian subjectivity, and God covers a mighty waterfront on what is perfect to do, and splendidly prepares the reader for the Leibnizian dialectical harmony you espouse, a vision of reconciliation transcending the dialectical materialism of Marx and, as you contend, Hegel. You have scoured the landscape of Western philosophy to develop a just world theory that draws cogently upon Kant’s world federalist vision of perpetual peace, the dialectical “harmonism” that you take from Leibniz, and an appreciative word for a contemporary with a similarly synoptic vision, Jürgen Habermas. You have a pronounced tendency to feed thinkers into a blender that some resist, but you recognize that some thinkers you otherwise admire, such as Marx and Rosa Luxembourg, cannot be so blended. For you, the utopian impulse is not to be denigrated, including utopian speculation about the destiny of the human race. Congrats on completing your ambitious teleological genealogy of international harmony, a construct even more ambitiously deduced from your calculation of need—Marx’s test of a worthwhile endeavor, and in your case, a thesis deserving Credit with Distinction."
With all good wishes,
Dr. Gary Dorrien
The Reinhold Niebuhr Chair
Union Theological Seminary
Excerpt from the Preface of the Encyclopedia of American Idealism: Toward a Novel Method and System of Philosophy
"G.R. Tomaini is a highly ambitious poet-philosopher obsessed with encyclopedic scope yet mindful of how contingency and incongruity undercuts any grand system in philosophy."
Dr. Cornel West
Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair
Union Theological Seminary
Abstract of the Encyclopedia of American Idealism:
Toward a Novel Method and System of Philosophy
The Encyclopedia of American Idealism was accepted by three academic publishers who all expected to make the book masquerade itself as an academic monograph. “But here’s the real story” — it is actually America’s First Philosophical System in the Style of the Western Philosophical Tradition. Undoubtedly, Native Americans had, have, and have always had, Philosophy, but a kind separate and historically distinct from the Western Philosophical Tradition. What groups, then, may contend for the laurel of having produced America’s First Western-Style Philosophical System? Relevantly, the American Transcendentalists and American Pragmatists were actually both Anti-Systematic, and even the infamous Pragmatist Richard Rorty said no “good Pragmatist believes in systems,” meaning that those two camps of Philosophers never came close to a formal System of Philosophy. The closest the Pragmatists got to Systematicity was in the writings of Charles Sanders Peirce, but he was chiefly a Methodologist rather than a Systemizer. Therefore the Encyclopedia of American Idealism upon its recent publication became America’s First Philosophical System. The Encyclopedia, too, presents a novel Philosophical Method: Reconstruction, built atop Jacques Derrida’s Deconstruction. Likewise, the Encyclopedia also arguably entails a Checkmate as to the viability of Hegelianism, whose legendary Dialectical Method the Encyclopedia arguably dislodges, replaces, and subsumes into its own Method of Reconstruction, effectively playing the Hegel card on G.W.F. Hegel himself.
The Psalms of Babylon: Or, 112 Flowers of Malaise
Enter the dark and twisted world of G.R. Tomaini, a contemporary Poet, Philosopher, Systematic Theologian, and author of ten books who explores the depths of human depravity, despair, and decadence. In The Psalms of Babylon, you will find 112 Flowers of Malaise that will shock, disturb, and fascinate you. You will encounter seductive sirens, hungry hogs, unholy grins, and laughing gas. You will visit opium dens, woodchippers, bathtubs, and tombs. You will witness sin, surf, seance, and soliloquy. You will experience asphyxiation, jouissance, Ragnarok, and metanoia.
If you love Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Baudelaire, Franz Kafka, Sylvia Plath, or Allen Ginsberg, then you will love The Psalms of Babylon. If you want something new, original, and daring, then you will love The Psalms of Babylon. Lastly, If you are ready to embark on a journey into Oblivion itself, you will love The Psalms of Babylon.
Reviews
"These poems are criminally energetic in their ecstasy and despair. What we have is a mash-up of Christianity and The Flowers of Evil. Jesus makes his cameo appearances, but Baudelaire is always around. The poems move fast! Because G.R. Tomaini has a wide-ranging intellect, he can stand at his own personal pinball table with forty balls in play at the same time among the crazy flippers of sin, grace, failure, sex, death, bitterness, and love. No matter where they end up, the balls all bounce off the boards of Malaise and Joy. The poems, many of them haikus, look to heaven as they channel the great, syphilitic French transgressor but also point to Emily Dickinson in their frantic departures from regular syntax and punctuation. G.R. Tomaini's collection is startling, strange, passionate, and unpredictable. He is a poet to watch in the years ahead." - John Foy, Morningside Poetry Series Coordinator, New York City
"These sharp poems can be read as psycho-philosophical lessons, for the practice of change." - Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, translator of Songs for Kali
"In the enigmatic realm of contemporary verse, G.R. Tomaini stands as an American Goethe, weaving the tapestry of modern life with poetic finesse." - Cody Sexton, Managing Editor at A Thin Slice of Anxiety and founder of Anxiety Press
THE RAINBOW CANTOS: TWO ATTEMPTS AT QUEERING THE CANON
Review:
"G.R. Tomaini's The Rainbow Cantos is a wild and exuberant romp through the annals of literature from the distant to the recent past, where characters and stories from classics are brought out of the shadows of history and queered in the light of this new sun."
Christopher Barzak,
author of the Stonewall Honor winning novel, Wonders of the Invisible World