overview

Historically, the human race has had access to few identities. As science progresses, we not only come up with new language to classify (stereotype) we are exposed to more identities than generations before us> This confuses some and paralyzes others. This piece is part historical, part introspection as I work though known identities – classified as a collection of beliefs – and come to terms which which I best align. My hope is that you find some value in the summary and it may help guide you on this journey.

the ancients

While oversimplified, the purpose of this list if to summarize the teachings of many of the great philosophers.

  • Heidegger – realize your finality to appreciate the complex unity of life; seek the authentic self
  • Schopenhauer – pessimist; the primary force, our animalistic will to live, is blind and dumb; humans are animals and are driven primarily through the sexual desire to reproduce “balanced” children; love is an illusion
  • Kant – deontological moral theory–according to these theories, the rightness or wrongness of actions does not depend on their consequences but on whether they fulfill our duty; believed there was a supreme principle of morality, and he referred to it as The Categorical Imperative; we must ask (1) can I rationally will that everyone act as I propose to act? and (2) does my action respect the goals of human beings rather than merely using them for my own purposes? if the answer is no to either, then we must not perform those actions.
  • Foucault – history is not to be read for the purpose of relating events to one another, history is meant to give one ideas on how to improve today; power is all around us;
  • Rorty – pragmatist; rejects the idea that language or beliefs are “true” or “false”, merely useful or successful in a broad social practice, does not believe in absolute truth lrole of philosophy is to conduct an intellectual “conversation” between contrasting but equally valid forms of intellectual inquiry—including science, literature, politics, religion, and many others—with the aim of achieving mutual understanding and resolving conflicts
  • Dewey – strong believer in the democratic system, in order for societies to progress, students need to learn, not just the sciences, but art (ability to express one’s self) as well; a strong education system is the bedrock of all democratic societies
  • Deleuze – conceived of philosophy as the production of concepts; characterized himself as a “pure metaphysician.”; tries to develop a metaphysics adequate to contemporary mathematics and science
  • Descartes – rationalist; values specific definitions, sound arguments and clarity of thought; I think therefore I am, introspection leads to all the knowledge one would need to navigate the world; through this introspection, identification of passions and emotions with the hope that one might better control outcomes in their own life by better rationalizing existence
  • Derrida – deconstruction philosophy; aporia; logocentrism; breakdown one’s idea and find the truths that lie in its opposite; to “privilege”, or to assign the label of good and/or evil, is to put one at a disadvantage as one should converse about qualities surrounding the topic; e.g. “equality is always better than inequality is false” fails to giver merit to the teacher and pupil, parent and child;
  • Schmitt – one of the most important critics of liberalism, parliamentary democracy, and liberal cosmopolitanism; views of sovereignty and emergency powers are often seen as the intellectual basis of contemporary calls for a strong executive power unhampered by constraints of legality
  • Strauss – politics and philosophy necessarily intertwined; advocated a return to a broader classical understanding of human nature and a tentative return to political philosophy;
  • Hayek –
  • Hegel –
  • Nietzsche – “what doesn’t kill me makes me stronger”; self-overcoming; own up to envy so long as you use it as a guide and face your true desires; live dangerously and fight against complacency; culture should replace scripture; nihlist
  • Hume – skeptic; humans are more influenced by their feelings than facts; persuasions come from sympathy, re-assurance, encouragement, example and “art”; no such thing as a “core self” as we are a collection of perceptions in constant flux; re-influence the development and recognition of feeling
  • Wittgenstein – humans communicate by triggering image recollection in one another; speak with intent; understanding the intent of others is key
  • Pascal – dualist; mathematician that invented probability theory; humans sad, pitiful creatures, slaves to their desires pessimism driven by his desire to convert readers of his work to Christianity
  • Kierkegaard – death; challenges that life has purpose and meaning, that identity can be found in work or status, the grass is always greener, coined the phrase “angst”; life can only be understood backwards, but must be lived forwards; faith is to lose your mind

conclusions

I find the historical overview valuable because, in creating and reading the summaries, you (I) get a feel for which statements resonate with you personally. It is about recognizing then rationalizing your emotional responses to things and then accepting or rejecting it on the basis of your ideal future self (should you have one). I suppose that means I am a fan of Hume…