Transcript EEN WERELD VOL HYBRIDEN

TWENTIETH CENTURY PHILOSOPHY
An introduction to the lectures
1. MYTHOS AND LOGOS
What is philosophy?
2. JERUZALEM AND ATHENS
Where to localise philosophy?
3. THEORY AND PRACTICE
How do philosophers operate?
1. MYTHOS AND LOGOS
LOVE AND WISDOM
 Philosophy > love of wisdom (philo = love; sophia =
wisdom).
 Philosophers have predominantly an erotic and not an
instrumental relation to knowledge > the will to know.
 Instrumental > knowledge as means to attain a goal (for
instance to make one’s career).
 It is wrong to use knowledge solely as means to attain a
goal (contra the commodification of academia).
 The art of philosophy > to treat knowledge not as means to
control others or make money, but as an end in itself.
THE LONESOME MOTHER
Philosophers started to replace a mythological
narrative (mythos) by a scientific narrative (logos).
Metaphysics > (from the Greek metá (= beyond)
and physiká (physical)) the investigation of
principles of reality that transcend those of the
particular sciences.
Philosophy is often seen as the mother of the
sciences.
The relation to the sciences, religion and art is still
a point of discussion.
Focus on the truth, the good and the beauty.
PHILOSOPHICAL SUBDISCIPLINES
 There are many philosophical subdisciplines.
 This course will touch upon some of them:
- Ethics.
- Philosophy of Art.
- Philosophy of Mind.
- Philosophy of Religion.
- Political Philosophy.
- Philosophy of Law.
- Philosophy of Science.
- Social Philosophy.
- Philosophical Anthropology.
- Philosophy of Language.
2. JERUZALEM AND ATHENS
TEXTS AND CONTEXTS
In order to understand philosophers we have
to consider in which contexts they work(ed).
Philosophers have two interests:
1. Historical interest > the study of the
history of ideas.
2. Systematic interest > the study of specific
issues.
Philosophical theories transcend specific
contexts > reiteration is important.
TWO SOURCES OF WESTERN
THOUGHT
1. JERUZALEM > monotheism >
ontological discontinuity.
2. ATHENS > philosophy >
ontological continuity.
LOCALIZED KNOWLEDGE
JERUZALEM
ATHENS
STARTING
POINT
ONTOLOGY
Fear of the Lord
Amazement
No issue
Issue
MORALITY
The knowledge of
what is good and bad is
embodied by those
who believe in God.
The knowledge of
what is good and
bad is the outcome
of moral reasoning.
3. THEORY AND PRACTICE
FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE
Philosophers were a long time mainly
interested in theories.
Self-perception: the top-down dispersion of
theoretical knowledge.
For instance, in the work of Plato > the
philosopher as a king that is responsible for
the dispersion of ideas.
Ordinary practice should be guided by
independently maintained ideas.
FROM PRACTICE TO THEORY
The philosophical scene changed in the 19th and
20th century: from dispersion to translation.
Practice is the starting point of philosophical
reflection.
Four philosophical movements are responsible
for this radical change:
1. Marxism.
2. Existentialism.
3. Pragmatism.
4. Ordinary language philosophy.
A THREAD
 The thread of the course consists of three
elements: concepts of philosophy, philosophical
themes and the relation between theory and
practice.
 So, three questions have to be answered again
and again:
1.
What concept of philosophy do the
heroes of twentieth century philosophy
have?
2.
Which key themes do these heroes
discuss?
3.
How do they relate theory and practice?