John Micallef (1923–2003) was a Maltese
philosopher. Although his thoughts remained philosophically grounded in the Christian tradition, he was primarily interested in
Existentialism
Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and valu ...
.
Life
Micallef was born in
Victoria, Gozo
Victoria ( mt, Il-Belt Victoria, meaning "the city Victoria"), also known among the native Maltese as Rabat (which is the name of the old town centre) or by its title Città Victoria, is an administrative unit of Malta, the largest and most p ...
, one of Malta's subsidiary islands, in 1923. After completing his studies at the Lyceum in
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, he continued studying at the
Gregorian University of
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
. From Gregorian, he acquired a
Masters in Philosophy. He also studied philosophy at
Heythop College in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, England. From the
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...
he acquired a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...
in
Italian Language
Italian (''italiano'' or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. Together with Sardinian, Italian is the least divergent language from Latin. Spoken by about ...
, and another
Master’s degree in
Linguistics
Linguistics is the science, scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure ...
. He completed "3rd cycle" studies at
Laval University
Laval means ''The Valley'' in old French and is the name of:
People
* House of Laval, a French noble family originating from the town of Laval, Mayenne
* Laval (surname)
Places Belgium
* Laval, a village in the municipality of Sainte-Ode, Lux ...
in Quebec City, receiving a Doctorate in Philosophy. From the
University of Western Colorado in the
United States of America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
he acquired, in 1973, a second
Doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...
in Arts. In 1980, he also acquired a
Masters in Christian Studies from
Regent College
Regent College is an interdenominational evangelical Christian College of Christian studies, and an affiliated college of the University of British Columbia, located next to the university's campus in the University Endowment Lands west of V ...
of
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
, British Columbia, Canada. In addition to his prior studies, he pursued further coursework at the University of
Oña
Oña is a municipality and town located in the province of Burgos, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2011 census ( INE), the municipality has a population of 1,219 inhabitants.
Main sights
* Benedictine monastery of San Salvador de OÃ ...
, in Spain, and at the University of Innsbruck, in Austria.
During the fifties, Dr.John Micallef was a teacher of languages. He was elected and he served for some time as Member of the Malta Legislative Assembly before he emigrated from Malta to Canada in 1964. He eventually settled in
Nelson, British Columbia, and then in
Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
, United States. In
Nelson
Nelson may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey
* ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers
* ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
, he was Associate Professor of Philosophy at
Notre Dame University of Nelson. He was also Associate Professor of Philosophy at the
University of Portland
, mottoeng = The truth will set you free
, established = 1901
, type = Private university
, religious_affiliation = Catholic (Congregation of Holy Cross)
, endowment = $218 million
, president = Robert D. Kelly
, students = 3,731 (fall 20 ...
, and at
Mount Angel College, both in
Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
. Micallef died in 2003 in Vancouver, BC Canada.
Work
''Philosophy of Existence'',
[''Ibid.'', Vol. I, p. 155] was published in 1969 (Philosophical Library, New York, U.S.A.). As its title indicates, in this 225-page composition, Micallef reveals his thorough
Existentialist
Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and value ...
perspective. The book is basically divided into four parts, each one sub-divided into chapters.
The composition is a highly elaborate philosophical exercise into the nature of existence. Successively, Micallef deals with the affirmation of existence, the process of existence, the properties of existence, and the dialectics of existence.
Unfortunately, since the book was issued abroad, it has been seldom read in Malta. Consequently, its influence on the Maltese philosophical tradition has been relatively slight.
Additional publications by John Micallef are: "No Destination- A Travellers Way" - a collection of poems and "Joy is my Gift" a collection of poems.
Dr. Micallef was a prolific writer who produced numerous finished manuscripts and plays most of which remain unpublished to date.
References
Sources
* Mark Montebello, ''Il-Ktieb tal-Filosofija f’Malta'' (''A Source Book of Philosophy in Malta''), PIN Publications, Malta, 2001.
* Mark Montebello, ''Malta’s Philosophy & Philosophers'', PIN Publications, Malta, 2011.
See also
*
Philosophy in Malta
{{DEFAULTSORT:Micallef, John
20th-century Maltese philosophers
People from Victoria, Gozo
Pontifical Gregorian University alumni
Alumni of the University of London
University of Portland faculty
Mount Angel Seminary
1923 births
2003 deaths
Existentialists
Maltese emigrants to Canada
Maltese expatriates in Italy
Maltese expatriates in the United Kingdom