Skip to main content

This week we will consider the conditions that accompany each (re)birth of philosophy. Among these conditions are necessary conditions such as “taking distance from the already established with common sense and reason” and “love for criticism and independent reasoning,” which bring philosophy and art closer together. Other conditions include “thinking with concepts / creating concepts,” giving philosophy its autonomy and specificity in the face of other forces of thought. In this respect, we will talk about distinguishing philosophy from science and art while distinguishing it from the “ethos” and the specific “wisdom” of an era and a locale, determined by the community’s general beliefs and forms of knowledge. The birth of philosophy in ancient Greece will be our specific problem that will accompany this week’s discussion.

What is Philosophy?