more from this thinker     |     more from this text


Single Idea 1595

[filed under theme 1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 5. Aims of Philosophy / b. Philosophy as transcendent ]

Full Idea

Philosophy, the attempt to articulate the vision of beauty itself, is the attempt to satisfy the highest human desire.

Gist of Idea

Philosophy aims to satisfy the chief human desire - the articulation of beauty itself

Source

David Roochnik (The Tragedy of Reason [1990], p.120)

Book Ref

Roochnik,David: 'The Tragedy of Reason: the Platonic logos' [Routledge 1990], p.120


A Reaction

A million miles away from modern philosophy, but still an ideal to be taken seriously.


The 12 ideas with the same theme [philosophy takes us beyond ordinary life]:

Philosophy is a purification of the soul ready for the afterlife [Plato]
We should come to philosophy free from any taint of culture [Epicurus]
Philosophy has its own mode of death, by separating soul from body [Porphyry]
True philosophy aims at absolute unity, while our understanding sees only separation [Hegel]
Philosophy aims to reveal the necessity and rationality of the categories of nature and spirit [Hegel, by Houlgate]
Only that which can be an object of religion is an object of philosophy [Feuerbach]
When philosophy makes itself intelligible, it commits suicide [Heidegger]
Later Heidegger sees philosophy as more like poetry than like science [Heidegger, by Polt]
Philosophy aims to change the soul, not to accumulate knowledge [Weil]
It seems mad, but the aim of philosophy is to climb outside of our own minds [Nagel]
Philosophy aims to satisfy the chief human desire - the articulation of beauty itself [Roochnik]
Philosophy is transcendental questioning (not supporting science or constructing ontology) [Zizek]