Literature and Philosophy

What is the relationship between literature and philosophy? It depends on how you understand each and, more broadly, on how you approach the matter of defining things. In his 2001 book "Philosophy's Literature", philosopher Andrew Benjamin explores, among other things, the way philosophy (or rather one of its dominant traditions - stemming from Plato and … Continue reading Literature and Philosophy

Philosophical Notes: Is Kant an Enlightenment Thinker?

There are different views about this question. Some scholars see the 18th-century German philosopher Immanuel Kant as one of the central Enlightenment thinkers, while others claim that in him we can already see the shift away from the self-confident optimism about the power of human reason that marked the Enlightenment age. However, any answer to … Continue reading Philosophical Notes: Is Kant an Enlightenment Thinker?

Rationality As The Effortful Way To Knowledge

Although we intuitively understand the meaning of such terms as 'reason' and 'rationality', these concepts are not unequivocal (e.g. this SEP article on bounded rationality lists at least 7 accounts of rationality and says that the list is not exhaustive). Moreover, these concepts often have a normative connotation where being rational and reasonable is considered good, valuable, … Continue reading Rationality As The Effortful Way To Knowledge

Experience vs Thought

If you had a free evening and were offered to read either Romeo and Juliet or a scientific research paper about neurochemical processes people refer to as love, which would you choose? Image from Pixabay It depends on your mood, I suppose, and on your priorities at that particular moment. But I believe I would … Continue reading Experience vs Thought