The Philosophy of Romanticism: Self-Awareness

Posted for Vladimir Sitnikoff, #12. December 7, 2019

The philosophy of romanticism emphasizes on emotional self-awareness as a fundamental condition in improving the society and bettering human life. The philosophy identifies with subjectivity rather than objectivity. Science tries to describe the world objectively. In this regard, there is no viewpoint through which the world is understood. I identify with the philosophy of the Romantics. I content that viewing a particular aspect subjectively is more important than focusing on the objective viewpoint. In the modern economic environment, subjectivity is preferred to objectivity as it fosters innovation and entrepreneurship essential in promoting the growth of economies. For example, if three people, a farmer, property developer, and artist look at a particular landscape, each of them would see it from a particular viewpoint. For instance, the property developer would see the potential of developing real estate apartments, a farmer would see the chance of practicing agriculture and the artist would see subtleties of form and color. In this context, each individual sees the landscape from a particular (subjective) viewpoint rather than an objective viewpoint. Whenever I look at something, I look at it from a perspective that could be able to make economic sense. In this regard, I prefer subjective evaluation to objective evaluation because it is bound to make sense out of a particular concept rather than just viewing it.


I believe that an individual should be allowed to lead a life that promotes independent self-determination, self-expression, and self-realization. In this regard, the nature of a person should not be defined by either the political or societal factors. The romanticism philosophy further emphasizes on these aspects. According to Wordsworth, one of the influential philosophers in the romantic period, ‘an individual could directly understand nature without the need for social and society artifice.' He further contends that salvation is a solitary individual choice and should not be in any way influenced by political movements. On a personal level, it attaches most importance to independence in decision making. Since the humans are created with ‘super' cognitive abilities, an individual should be allowed to make independent decisions rather than being coerced to accept a position that conflict with his values and aspirations.





The position goes hand in hand with Jean-Jacques Rousseau's ‘Noble Savage' idea that rejects corruption by society and artifice. Rosseau believes that ‘man was born, and he is everywhere in chains.' In this context, civilization is thought to seduce ‘man' and fill him with unnatural wants which drive him from his original freedom and true nature. Rosseau concludes that an individual should be ‘forced to be free' if he does not want to subscribe to a particular notion. I find this position an important element that should guide the modern societies. People should be given their original freedom to allow them to exhibit their true nature rather than imposing societal rules that restrict individual freedom. In this case, the current government systems are a perfect example. Most of these systems are defined by dictatorial and autocratic tendencies that define the nature of freedom and self-expression in the society. In such systems, the people are forced to subscribe to particular notions contrary to their aspirations. In response to the oppression from the government and other instruments of power, I contend that a ‘people' should come to terms with reality and fight for their original freedom to enable the expression of the true self. People would only rise to fight for a common purpose when they become aware of the existing realities and their implication on the society. A similar position is propagated by Hegel, a German Idealist philosopher. In one of his most famous statements, Hegel indicates that ‘The Real is the Rational and the Rational is the Real.' The statement regards the mind not just as a passive absorber but an active organizer of the real world. On the same note, the mind is considered not to know things-in-themselves resulting in the Geist (mind, spirit or soul) becoming real. People can only be free when the Geist becomes real. During this time, people can be able to understand reality thereby making free judgments based on a constructive thought process that has taken into consideration the consequences related to such decisions. I am a realist. I see and speak about things as they are. In the same regard, I think that people should be aware of the happenings in the real world and react appropriately rather than being passive observers. For example, I happened to witness an unfortunate happening when I lived in Indiana some years back. There were increased cases of domestic violence and few people gave a thought about. Most of the unaffected people thought that as long as it doesn't affect me, then it doesn't matter. One particular individual that headed a ministry in charge of handling such cases lost his daughter to domestic violence. That's when it hit him hard. He then decided to spearhead reform in the sector to fast-track investigations and aid justice. People should be in contact with reality and make appropriate decisions as regards to the situation. These sentiments are further echoed in the philosophy of the Romantics. In the end, a person does not have to be self-aware to enjoy life, but I believe the process of stepping back and becoming aware of your own thoughts and surroundings could lead to a way of life that is more fulfilling and curious than the next person.