This reading was especially hard for me to get through.
Why? I'm not exactly sure, actually. It wasn't a matter of density of the text, but rather the content itself. What I love about philosophy is that it expresses a deeper thought and wonder about the world than just everyday perception, and I'm used to seeing philosophy being used to think about dark and uncomfortable topics before.
This was different. I don't know why Empedocles struck such a sensitive nerve with me, but he did. The way he goes about thinking and the language he uses is just so utterly depressing that I had to take breaks reading him. I can see where he gets his ideas about the senses and human knowledge, but his language is vicious.
The way he talks about his own race as hopeless and miserable is very disturbing. He talks about human beings being born among moaning and misery, and it was kind of hard to see the bigger picture of his philosophy through this.
Empedocles. Dude. Lighten up.
Well, there are periods of strife and gloom but also periods of happiness. It is interesting to see how differently you and Cassidy responded to him.
ReplyDeleteI think what makes Empedocles so depressing to read is that he accurately captures the strife present within the world and human existence. The world is a pretty brutal place. Fortunately, as Dr, Schultz points out, Empedocles also recognizes the love (unity, beauty) in it as well.
ReplyDelete