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Why philosophers could be the ones to transform your 2020
Philosophy is Back In Fashion
Recent books in non-fiction points to a growing trend: 19th-century philosophy, once a specialized and highly challenging field, is now the inspiration and guiding torch behind many recent publications.
Be it Stoicism, existentialism, moral dilemmas, or theology, these new books introduce readers to old thinkers whose works were earlier considered obscure concepts, with no implications in the real world.
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Planet in Flux
The main reason for the rising interest in philosophical concepts of the 19th Century could be today's crisis-ridden world. People see that the world is in flux. There are financial, geopolitical, and climate issues throughout the planet.
Up till the year 2000, there was a sense of optimism and progress, but it vanished at the turn of the millennium.
Stoicism
The thought system that is thriving currently is Stoicism.
Stoicism puts forth acceptance and acknowledgment that one cannot control much of what is going on in life. It states that we are part of nature, and in order to lead a good life, we have to make internal changes, like developing the right character and the right state of mind. The stuff you own and what happens to you in the external world doesn't matter.
Existentialism
The philosophy of Existentialism can be understood by reading the works of Plato or Aristotle, while the works of Jean-Paul Sartre provide more complex interpretations.
The philosophical approach of Existentialism is about living life with passion, sincerity and courage in a world which has no meaning beyond what one gives to it.
'Philosophy Lite'
The new philosophy books summarizing the famous philosophers may be an attempted distillation of their works, turning it into 'Lite' versions of the main works.
The books may be dumbed-down versions of complex principles, as an attempt to make it palpable to a new audience.
SIMILAR ARTICLES & IDEAS:
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Nihilism
Nihilism means "nothing." It is the lack of belief in meaning or substance in an area of philosophy.
- Moral nihilism argues that moral facts cannot exist.
- Metaphysical nihilism ar...
Existentialism
Existentialism originates from Soren Kierkegaard and Nietzche. It focuses on the problems produced by existential nihilism. For instance:
- What is the point of living if life has no inherent purpose?
- How do we face the knowledge of our inevitable demise?
Existentialism emphasizes individual existence, freedom and choice.
Stoicism
Stoicism was popular in ancient Greece and Rome and is practiced by many in high-stress environments.
Stoicism focuses on how to live in a world where things don't go as planned. The idea is to accept all the things beyond your control and to focus on what you can control.
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How we perceive philosophy
When most people think of philosophy, they believe philosophers simply argue about arguing. Philosophy is viewed as impractical and irrelevant to current issues.
In...
Defining philosophy
Philosophy is examining our understanding of reality and knowledge. Philosophy consists of three major branches:
- Metaphysics - What is true about existence.
- Epistemology - How we can know that it is true. Epistemology has given us science, logic/reason, economics, psychology, and other theories of knowledge.
- Ethics - What actions we should take as a result of this knowledge. Ethics contains concepts such as democracy, human rights, the treatment of animals, and the environment.
When you order your thoughts into a coherent belief system, you are engaging in philosophy. To criticize philosophy, you must rely on philosophy.
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We don’t ask big questions
Big questions referring to is the meaning of life matter deeply because only with sound answers to them we can direct our energies meaningfully, but most of us get shy expressing them. -...
Philosophy = thinking for yourself
Philosophers are interested in asking whether an idea is logical–rather than simply assuming it must be right because it is popular and long-established. - Alain de Botton
Philosophers were the first therapists
Philosophers teach us to think about our emotions, rather than simply have them. By understanding and analysing our feelings, we learn to see how emotions impact on our behaviour in unexpected, counterintuitive and sometimes dangerous ways. - Alain de Botton
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