Romanticism

Kayla Morton - H02

SOCRATES
"It has been said that Socrates' greatest contribution to philosophy was to move intellectual pursuits away from the focus on `physical science' and into the abstract realm of ethics and morality."

Socrates is known to be the father of western philosophy. The basic difference between western and eastern philosophy is that western philosophy focuses more on pieces (fragmentary) while eastern philosophy focuses more on the whole (holistic). As best as I can understand, when Socrates brought about "Socratic method" teaching, he opened up the idea of the individual philosophy, figuring out who you are and what you believe, as opposed to the idea of the universe and approaches to life, which is what the eastern philosophy teaches. You can read more about Socrates in my midterm report ("Socratic Seminar"). From Socrates on, there is now the idea of ethics and morality and emotions being determined by the individual as he or she ventures to find their true selves. Where you get ideas such as Rationalism and Romanticism is from humans throughout time trying to validate ways in which to find themselves and answer questions brought about by the new western idea of philosophy as societal norms continue changing. 

WESTERN PHILOSOPHY
"It is difficult to determine whether any common element can be found within this diversity and whether any core meaning can serve as a universal and all-inclusive definition. But a first attempt in this direction might be to define philosophy either as “a reflection upon the varieties of human experience” or as “the rational, methodical, and systematic consideration of those topics that are of greatest concern to humankind.” Vague and indefinite as such definitions are, they do suggest two important facts about philosophizing: (1) that it is a reflective, or meditative, activity and (2) that it has no explicitly designated subject matter of its own but is a method or type of mental operation (like science or history) that can take any area or subject matter or type of experience as its object. Thus, although there are a few single-term divisions of philosophy of long standing—such as logic, ethics, epistemology, or metaphysics—its divisions are probably best expressed by phrases that contain the preposition of—such as philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, philosophy of law, and philosophy of arts (aesthetics).

Part of what makes it difficult to find a consensus among philosophers about the definition of their discipline is precisely that they have frequently come to it from different fields, with different interests and concerns, and that they therefore have different areas of experience upon which they find it especially necessary or meaningful to reflect."

More on Western Philosophy

RATIONALISM VS ROMANTICISM
Rationalism and Romanticism are two opposing philosophical ideologies. 

Learn more about individual philosophers as well as find the answers to the quiz questions here! 
Quiz Answers

Here is a power point that may help more than what I have added below! 
Romanticism vs. Rationalism

"Rationalism, in Western philosophy, the view that regards reason as the chief source and test of knowledge. Holding that reality itself has an inherently logical structure, the rationalist asserts that a class of truths exists that the intellect can grasp directly. There are, according to the rationalists, certain rational principles—especially in logic and mathematics, and even in ethics and metaphysics—that are so fundamental that to deny them is to fall into contradiction. The rationalists’ confidence in reason and proof tends, therefore, to detract from their respect for other ways of knowing."
In simplistic terms, Rationalism is based upon logic and reason.
More on Rationalism

"Romanticism is the attitude or intellectual orientation that characterized many works of literature, painting, music, architecture, and criticism in Western civilization over a period from the late 18th to the mid-19th century. It was also to some extent a reaction against the Enlightenment and against 18th-century rationalism and physical materialism in general. Briefly, the Enlightenment was a period of the modern era or philosophy in the 18th Century where it was essentially a continuation of the process of rationalism begun in the Age or Reason of the 17th Century, but also to some extent a reaction against it. The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement which advocated freedom, democracy, and reason as the primary values of society. Romanticism emphasized the individual, the subjective, the irrational, the imaginative, the personal, the spontaneous, the emotional, the visionary, and the transcendental. Among the characteristic attitudes of Romanticism were the following: a deepened appreciation of the beauties of nature; a general exaltation of emotion over reason and of the senses over intellect; a turning in upon the self and a heightened examination of human personality and its moods and mental potentialities; a preoccupation with the genius, the hero, and the exceptional figure in general, and a focus on his passions and inner struggles; a new view of the artist as a supremely individual creator, whose creative spirit is more important than strict adherence to formal rules and traditional procedures; an emphasis upon imagination as a gateway to transcendent experience and spiritual truth; an obsessive interest in folk culture national and ethnic cultural origins, and the medieval era; and a predilection for the exotic, the remote, the mysterious, the weird, the occult, the monstrous, the diseased, and even the satanic."
In simplistic terms, Romanticism is based upon self reflection and emotion. 
More on Romanticism

Now that I have taken excerpts from various websites to give you a small idea about what my topic entails, and please feel free to click the links to find further information, let me leave you with my opinions on the subject. In my personal opinion, I think it is important to allow yourself to become a "cherry picker" philosopher. In other words, try not to limit yourself to one philosophy, because as complex organisms, it takes complex answers to the deeper questions we ask ourselves. I do not think that one can simply be a Romantic or simply be a Rationalist. I think everyone is a bit of both, whether you intend to be or not. Some questions are best answered logically, while others are best answered emotionally. And quite honestly, to be a master of yourself, you have to learn when to use your emotions and when it is best that they not get in the way. On the flip side, you also have to be able to make logical decisions and then know when to let them slide. Life is a balance of delicately made decisions, and I believe that you should have as many tools in your belt as you can to help you make the best ones. Now, with all of that being said, no one will make the best decision one hundred percent of the time, so don't get too caught up in what I am saying. Continue to educate yourself, continue to have "Socratic seminars" inside and outside of the classroom, and you will become one step closer to finding your true self.

As you work to figure out who you are, look into personality tests. There are a lot out there to explore. See if you think personality tests are accurate or if you even agree with them to begin with. Who knows? But if all else fails, you'll know one more thing about yourself.


Quiz Questions:

1. Romanticism is a philosophical movement during the Age of Enlightenment which emphasizes      what?
2. Rationalism is any view appealing to what?
3. Romanticism was largely centered in which country during the late 18th and early 19th century?
4. The work of which two philosophers can be accredited for the roots of Philosophical Romanticism?

Discussion Questions:

1. Romanticism and Rationalism are two opposing philosophical ideologies; however, traits from these two ideas align with different personality traits such as logic and truth or values and relationships determined by tests such as Myers-Briggs. Do you think a person is born with these traits or develops them? Therefore, can a person decide their outlook on life or is it an innate personality trait?