The Toughest Western Philosophers to Read, Grasp and Master?
- Burning ghost
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- Joined: February 27th, 2016, 3:10 am
Re: The Toughest Western Philosophers to Read, Grasp and Master?
The one I completely underestimated was Neitzsche. I assumed after reading Beyond Good and Evil I was ready for Thus Spake. I got a third through and realized I needed to start from scratch after reading some of his other stuff. Then I made a start on Birth of Tragedy and made it halfway with many interesting thoughts and notes before admitting I needed to take a huge step back and address Aristotle and Plato through a different lens.
Now I’ve read the Poetics pretty carefully and made a start of several other bits and pieces dealing with “aesthetics” I am slowing feeling like I am in a slightly better position to try again.
Husserl really does push to the limit. I just happened to find many parts of his work resonate with me (I think he was perhaps too cautious in his attempts?) Heidegger takes on part of what Husserl did, and from my perspective, pushes out way, way, way too far (not cautious enough!) - but did stumble across some interesting ground in the process; Wittgenstein seemed to mop up most of his mess about hermeneutics as some weird authority of meaningful unmeaningness of the meaning of meanings - that was my attempt at a piss take of Heidegger btw
2023/2024 Philosophy Books of the Month
Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless: Wisdom Behind the Incomparable Chicken Soup for the Soul
by Mitzi Perdue
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Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature: How Civilization Destroys Happiness
by Chet Shupe
March 2023