Philosophers are just like writers. While a good majority of the latter long for the day they shall write the grand novel -- the story to end all stories -- the former long for the day they will succeed in explaining the theory of all, the quintessential philosophy that shall put an end to the philosophic exploration altogether. Like every other person, however, philosophers are constrained by their own history, experiences, sensations, perceptions and circumstances.
For example, much of thinking of the mythic Lao Tzu is borne of the time and place in history he occupied -- the Warring States period of Chinese history. His treatise was written as a revulsion to all he saw wrong with his world.
This, of course, is not to suggest that his insights do not have a universal appeal or that they do not apply in our time and place. But understanding a bit of the history that spawned this school of thought is significant and important.
The political philosophy of Karl Marx cannot be understood fully without the realization of his repudiation of the alienation of the working classes during the Industrial Revolution in Europe, in general, and Britain, in particular. Had Marx lived in a different era and had he occupied a different strata of society, his philosophy would have been a far cry from what it was.
I don't know much about Blaise Pascal, but one of his famous quotes tells us a bit about his mindset.
Each of us possesses our own philosophy of life. This philosophy, while it may share traits with the philosophy of others, is unique unto itself. This uniqueness is borne of our own perceived uniqueness.
No two philosophies are the same.
For example, much of thinking of the mythic Lao Tzu is borne of the time and place in history he occupied -- the Warring States period of Chinese history. His treatise was written as a revulsion to all he saw wrong with his world.
This, of course, is not to suggest that his insights do not have a universal appeal or that they do not apply in our time and place. But understanding a bit of the history that spawned this school of thought is significant and important.
The political philosophy of Karl Marx cannot be understood fully without the realization of his repudiation of the alienation of the working classes during the Industrial Revolution in Europe, in general, and Britain, in particular. Had Marx lived in a different era and had he occupied a different strata of society, his philosophy would have been a far cry from what it was.
I don't know much about Blaise Pascal, but one of his famous quotes tells us a bit about his mindset.
Let us imagine a number of mean in chains and all condemned to death, where some men are killed each day in the sight of others, and those who remain see their own fate in that of their fellows and wait their turn, looking at others sorrowfully and without hope. It is an image of the human condition.Sounds to me like this bloke woke up on the wrong side of the bed!!
~ from Pensees ~
Each of us possesses our own philosophy of life. This philosophy, while it may share traits with the philosophy of others, is unique unto itself. This uniqueness is borne of our own perceived uniqueness.
No two philosophies are the same.
You said latter twice.
ReplyDeleteReally...a mathematician turned Catholic theologian:
ReplyDelete"For after all what is man in nature? A nothing in relation to infinity, all in relation to nothing, a central point between nothing and all and infinitely far from understanding either. The ends of things and their beginnings are impregnably concealed from him in an impenetrable secret. He is equally incapable of seeing the nothingness out of which he was drawn and the infinite in which he is engulfed."
This man could have used some internal alchemy....
Good catch, anon. That was a sure boner by me. I fixed it.
ReplyDelete