philosophy
Simin Esfandiari
Abstract
IntroductionIn various philosophical perspectives, the concept of the essence and being of the universe is one of the issues that has always led to discussions and reflections among renowned philosophers such as Plato and Arthur Schopenhauer. Plato, focusing on the concept of ideas and the world of ...
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IntroductionIn various philosophical perspectives, the concept of the essence and being of the universe is one of the issues that has always led to discussions and reflections among renowned philosophers such as Plato and Arthur Schopenhauer. Plato, focusing on the concept of ideas and the world of thought, and Schopenhauer, emphasizing the will and the concept of the "thing in itself," have created various views on truth and existence, each influenced by different philosophical and historical backgrounds. This article seeks to provide a deeper insight into the concept of the essence or "being" of the universe and the epistemological function of art within it through the study and analysis of the perspectives of Plato and Schopenhauer. By examining these concepts, the role and importance of art as a means of understanding and cognizing the universe are explored. On one hand, a look into Plato's philosophy and the concept of ideas and forms is presented to understand how art relates to truth and being, and on the other hand, Schopenhauer's perspective on will and the "thing in itself" and the role of art in understanding and visualizing these concepts are examined. Given that each of these perspectives is rooted in rich and sometimes complex philosophical thoughts, the writing of this article is dedicated to a detailed analysis of the concepts and a review of various sources related to these topics. It is hoped that these analyses can present the perspectives of Plato and Schopenhauer in the context of art and knowledge to the readers in the best possible way, aiding in a clearer understanding and enlightenment of our perception of the world and art. Literature ReviewIn the articles "Aesthetics and Art in Plato's Philosophy" by Abolhasan Ghaffari (2015) and "The Role of Art in Schopenhauer's Thought" by Mohammad Javad Safaian and Amini (2009), Plato's view on art and its levels, as well as Schopenhauer's view on the role of art in alleviating pain and suffering, have been explained. However, the comparison between these two thoughts, especially the epistemic function of art in understanding the essence of the world or the thing-in-itself, is a new approach addressed in this article. Methodology This article attempts a descriptive-analytical approach. After explaining the phenomenal world and the essence from Schopenhauer's perspective, the importance and position of art, the levels of art, and its epistemic function in Schopenhauer's thought are discussed by contemplating Plato's philosophy and his view on the relationship between art and understanding the truth of the world.. ConclusionSchopenhauer, like Plato, regards this world as a manifestation wherein the essence is manifested; because behind the sensible, there is an inner and mysterious truth, the visible world is entirely subsidiary and dependent on it, and there is no intrinsic difference between this visible world and the essence for Schopenhauer, just as for Plato, there is no intrinsic difference between the natural world and the world of forms. Considering the degrees of existence and corresponding degrees and levels of knowledge, this world is a shadow of that world, and knowledge of this world is a degree of levels of cognition, and during the example, it is considered as the highest example. The essence or the being of the world for Schopenhauer is the will, but the will is not the same as the Platonic example because from Schopenhauer's perspective, the Platonic example, which is rational, is an intermediary between will as the essence and the visible. Whereas, Schopenhauer's will be not accessible to reason. This is where the role and position of art in Schopenhauer's philosophy become clear; because Schopenhauer, like Plato, believes in the epistemic function of art; because art for Schopenhauer is not the expression of emotions and feelings; rather, art is a particular understanding of reality. Art is directly and immediately, not with general and abstract concepts, seeks to reach the essence and being of the world, and with art as the power of inner thought, knowledge of the essence and will, namely, the inner and true reality of the world, is attainable. Therefore, Schopenhauer considers true art as the observation of the general and will. Furthermore, art can create a kind of deep thought in humans to free the mind from the captivity of desires and, as a result, transcend suffering and hardships in the superior world. Plato, considering the relationship between epistemology and ontology in art, like Schopenhauer, seeks to give authenticity to art. Plato, by raising the criterion of knowledge for the artist in creating an artistic work, shows that the arts, as it were, in different directions, are reflective of knowledge of truth and untruth. Therefore, for Plato, knowledge is the most important component in imitation; if imitation is based on ignorance and lack of knowledge, it has a reprehensible meaning, and imitation based on knowledge is desirable and preferred. Plato in the Republic considers imitation as a formative authority that can be multi-layered; that is, it can be close to the truth or far from it, and while being imitative, believes that to imitate well, one must know the truth. The closer an art is to the truth, the more valuable it is; therefore, any art indifferent to the truth is considered worthless.
philosophy
fatemeh bakhtiari; sima safari; Abbas Haj Zein Alabedini
Abstract
Asceticism has been one of the most important concepts in Arthur Schopenhauer’s philosophy, especially in his theory of salvation. He has defined salvation as releasing from pain and suffering and achieving long-term tranquility. According to him, such tranquility may be achieved by the way of ...
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Asceticism has been one of the most important concepts in Arthur Schopenhauer’s philosophy, especially in his theory of salvation. He has defined salvation as releasing from pain and suffering and achieving long-term tranquility. According to him, such tranquility may be achieved by the way of asceticism. Life is suffering according to him. Hence, a way of relief must be sought. Thus, he has thought that the source of all suffering is will. He has actually considered suffering as a phenomenon of will and an essential part of human life. Therefore, will has to be denied, surpassed, and dumbed if relief and peace are required. Denying and ignoring the appetites and wishes makes the relief possible. Thus, he paid special attention to the concept of Asceticism and declared it as the only way of true salvation. This essay tried to explain the concepts of Asceticism and salvation and then show how Asceticism may soothe human beings' sufferings and lead to salvation according to Schopenhauer.
hamid talebzadeh
Volume 10, Issue 39 , October 2014, , Pages 9-26
Abstract
Abstract
Kant, aware of the difficulty of the epistemological rational of religion which brings about religious experience, followed a new path in philosophy and, instead of beginning from the method of obtaining certain knowledge, started from the possibility of certain knowledge. He was deterred by ...
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Abstract
Kant, aware of the difficulty of the epistemological rational of religion which brings about religious experience, followed a new path in philosophy and, instead of beginning from the method of obtaining certain knowledge, started from the possibility of certain knowledge. He was deterred by research in the method of certain knowledge, which was the destination of rational religion, and therefore went beyond the epistemological limits. Instead, he went on a search for a foundation regarding epistemology and achieved this feat via a transcendental method. The transcendental method, which in general considers as its axis investigating the possibility of a priori certain epistemology, though it resolved the lacks of epistemology, had its own weaknesses which brought about the protest of Kant followers who, though loyal, breached their promise and though close, put distance between themselves and Kant. Fichte transformed the transcendental method by dialectic, and Schopenhauer, by returning to Barkley, ruined Kant’s transcendental method. The present paper reviews Schopenhauer’s passage through Kant’s method and shows that Schopenhauer, though he accepts Kant’s transcendental conditions, he opposes Kant’s transcendental reasoning, which Kant claims to have derived from purely transcendental sources. He also challenges the self-proclaimed object and the exemplification object and, eventually, chooses Barkley’s direct method in experimental idealism.
Mohammadreza Abdulahnezhad
Abstract
The concept of ‘free will’ is central in both Kant’s and Schopenhauer’s moral philosophy. In the Kantian moral system, ‘free will’ is only regarded as moral when it dutifully follows reason and its a priori, absolute rules. Schopenhauer, on the other hand, holds that ...
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The concept of ‘free will’ is central in both Kant’s and Schopenhauer’s moral philosophy. In the Kantian moral system, ‘free will’ is only regarded as moral when it dutifully follows reason and its a priori, absolute rules. Schopenhauer, on the other hand, holds that since human will is a priori to his reason, reason cannot engage will into any action. Instead of reason, he regards human motivations and stimulations as the main sources which shape any action, including moral actions. The important point is that he identifies three types of stimulations, namely ‘compassion’, ‘egoism’ and ‘pessimism’, among which he finds only ‘compassion’ to be the true stimulation for moral action and the basis of moral acts, and he dismisses the other two as immoral stimulations. He criticises foundations of the Kantian moral philosophy with the help of three following arguments: first, he questions the Kantian moral formalism and his a priori claims; second, he criticises the conceptual flaw in Kant’s moral philosophy (which is the result of an inconsistency between his claim that morality should be based on reason and his inner appreciation of verbal morality); third, he accuses Kant’s moral system of being one based on egoism. The present paper aims to explain the main status and characteristic of Schopenhauer’s moral system by way of explaining his criticism of Kant’s moral system.
abdollah amini; mohammad javad safian
Abstract
The principle of sufficient reason is one of the most significant philosophical principles. Arthur Schopenhauer, the well-known German philosopher, has emphasized on this principle and taken it as the entrance key element to his philosophical system. He tries to characterize the limits and conditions ...
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The principle of sufficient reason is one of the most significant philosophical principles. Arthur Schopenhauer, the well-known German philosopher, has emphasized on this principle and taken it as the entrance key element to his philosophical system. He tries to characterize the limits and conditions of application of this principle, and to avoid the inappropriate use of this principle outside the phenomenal reality domain. In his philosophical system, this principle governs the relations between phenomena and objects. Furthermore, the mentioned principle is not equal to the principle of causality, but it is more general than that. For the principle of causality is only one of the four forms of the principle of sufficient reason. This paper tries to discuss the content, application domain and importance of this principle in Schopenhauer׳s philosophy.
