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April 6, 2008
the bizarre being
Philosophy’s tonality is also tragic, because the bizarre being, the ‘philosopher,” is tortured and torn by the desire to attain this wisdom which escapes him, yet which he loves. Like Kierkegaard, the Christian who wanted to be a Christian but knew that only Christ is a Christian, the philosopher knows that he cannot reach his model and will never be entirely that which he desires. Plato thus establishes an insurmountable distance between philosophy and wisdom. Philosophy is defined by what it lacks-that is, by a transcendent norm which escapes it, yet which it nevertheless possess within itself in some way, as in the famous, and very platonic, words of Pascal: “You would not seek if you had not already found me.”
Pierre Hadot - What Is Ancient Philosophy?
Posted by amin at April 6, 2008 4:31 PM