5 Philosophers You Need To Study

Philosophers You Need To study

5 Philosophers You Need To Study

‘Study the masters and save the world from your ignorance’ – Michael Tsarion

Philosophy is the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence.

Below are 5 philosophers you need to study who you might not have heard of:-

 

Martin Heidegger

One of the most important philosophers ever.

He was born in Germany in the year 1889, and spent most of his life in the Black Forest, in the south-western region of the country.

His best known book, “Being and Time”, although notoriously difficult, is generally considered to be one of the most important philosophical works of the 20th Century.

Read his magnum opus – `Being and Time’ here.

 

Owen Barfield

Arthur Owen Barfield was a British philosopher (born in London), author, poet, critic, and member of the Inklings. He was also a member of the Anthroposophical Society

Perhaps not as well known as the other names on the list, but someone whose work is critical to understand history and the importance of language.  In his work Saving the Appearances – A Study In Idolatry’ , Barfield explores the development of human consciousness across some three thousand years of history. Barfield argues that the evolution of nature is inseparable from the evolution of consciousness – something I completely agree with and share in my work.

Barfield was also a huge influence on JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis both incredible writers in their own regard.

Read his work here.

 

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was born in Stuttgart in 1770. His philosophy of history emphasises the development of freedom and the consciousness of freedom over the course of world history.

His philosophy could be summed up as follows – “the rational alone is real”, which means that all reality is capable of being expressed in rational categories. Idealism for Hegel meant that the finite world is a reflection of mind, which alone is truly real.

Read his main work – Phenomenology Of Spirit here.

 

Friedrich Schelling

Schelling is one of the great German philosophers of the late 18th and early 19th Century. His work was essentially a metaphysical system based on the philosophy of nature.

Schelling is the first philosopher to term the phrase ‘unconscious’.  Hegel perhaps gained prominence over Schelling in philosophical circles, but Schelling has gained more popularity in recent years.

Read his work here

 

Maurice Merleau-Ponty

Merleau-Ponty is not as well known as he should be. He is best known for his contributions to phenomenology, particularly his approach to the body, perception, and consciousness.

For most of his career, Merleau-Ponty focused on the problems of perception and embodiment as a starting point for clarifying the relation between the mind and the body, the objective world and the experienced world, expression in language and art, history, politics, and nature.

Read his work here.

 

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