These questions, however, could be understood as more complex than has just been described above. The mainstream tradition of Western philosophy from the Pre-Socratics to Derrida and after, enjoys prestige that ensures it is the system in terms of which the educational system is organised-agreeably a very loose statement. But I wonder how commonplace is the experience of people being expected to, being trained to, or actually reading Kant, Descartes, Aristotle or even Plato for inspiration, relaxation or for using their ideas as a means of exploring questions in or for directing their lives? And yet, these philosophers are discussing issues that touch on the very tissue of daily human existence but they have not been instutionalised in that way.
One major Western thinker who seems to be an exception is Freud on account of the massive impact he has had on how people conceive of the mind and of relationships. On the other hand, people in Europe and North America who are disposed to go great thinkers forideas relative to the business of living , it seems to me, are more likely to go to Asian and esoteric Western thought.
We have heard of Madonna's fascination with the Jewish mysticism of the Kabala, The Beatles' fascination with a particular school of Indian mediation, but I wonder if we shall ever hear of people's fascination with Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Hegel, Descartes, Wittgenstein etc, even though the Asian thinkers and the Kabala are much more counter intuitive, less close to conventional common sense than the Western philosophers?
One major Western thinker who seems to be an exception is Freud on account of the massive impact he has had on how people conceive of the mind and of relationships. On the other hand, people in Europe and North America who are disposed to go great thinkers forideas relative to the business of living , it seems to me, are more likely to go to Asian and esoteric Western thought.
We have heard of Madonna's fascination with the Jewish mysticism of the Kabala, The Beatles' fascination with a particular school of Indian mediation, but I wonder if we shall ever hear of people's fascination with Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Hegel, Descartes, Wittgenstein etc, even though the Asian thinkers and the Kabala are much more counter intuitive, less close to conventional common sense than the Western philosophers?
1 comment:
You raise very interesting points here, having studied Philosophy at undergraduate level I was always frustrated at the lack of emotive resonance in traditional “Western Canon” teaching, I studied Plato for 3 years, yet it was only more recently that I learnt of the more "esoteric" nature of his works, his influence on early Christianity etc.
I perceive a current, growing trend in Western Society for people to engage with the mysterious (from Dan Brown, to Lost to Harry Potter) people are re-engaging with the esoteric tradition. For so long the "New Age" movement has sought to find spiritual re-engagement with non-traditional (in the west at least) religions and philosophies. I have wondered for some time why so many people in the public eye feel they have to seek out spiritual, or esoteric traditions that are non-western. Western Esotericism (WE) to my mind offers the depth and breadth of esoteric "wonder" to satisfy multifarious needs. Why people from Western Society seek out the Kabala, before the Gnostic Gospels, poses interesting questions. How is it that Western Sufism succeeds where a neo-Pythagoreanism doesn’t? Why does Rumi outsell “The Nag Hamadi” Library” in the bookshops of Europe? A topic for serious investigation indeed. Popular works such as “The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail” and “Sophie’s Choice” point to a receptive audience. WE offers what one might term the “Alternative Western Canon”, where it differs is shown in the difference between a Question, and a Mystery, a question begs an answer, a Mystery must be “lived” to gain insight. I’m new to WE so apologies if the thinking seems disjointed or base J
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