Philosophy: Life, Death, and the Human Condition
Philosophizing: Learning and Studying Philosophy
Basic philosophical questions and the answers given reflect the history of philosophy and studying philosophy. Philosophical reflection on the basic questions is what it means to study philosophy. A review of philosophy and knowledge will help us find answers to the problems of our time.
The Origin and the Result of Consultation
Philosophy is always generated from life experience, from wonder (harriduratik), doubt, and suspicion (susmotik).
When we search for an answer, research and reflection are the processes of implementation.
When we learn to have our own philosophy, but if you want to learn to philosophize, we must stress the importance of “philosophical dialogue”, this is to learn to think with others.
The Content of Philosophical Questions
Philosophical questions are fundamental (errotikoak) and, therefore, have led to a dialogue with criticisms. Thanks to philosophical questions, we turn our curiosity towards what we have, and self-knowledge leads us.
Classification of Philosophical Questions
To classify philosophical questions, we need to separate theoretical and practical philosophy:
- Theoretical philosophy will ask questions like: What is reality? What is happiness?
- Practical philosophy will ask questions like: What actions have meaning? What is our aim?
Asking Questions About the Sense of Existence
Sense of the Term
The term “sense” (zetzu) has many meanings. But the most important are:
- Objective sense: To express the sense, the term indicates direction (norazkoa). Meaning in human action must be the motive. An action will not have any sense if its value does not achieve the desired goal (elburua).
- Sense, as meaning: In this case, the term “sense” refers to the union of language. According to some philosophers, words are signs, but they can also be symbols, not just signals (seinuak).
- Sense as value (baliogisa): It is worth it, but it does not make sense to reason about the existence of the surface of the case, and whether life is worth what gives life meaning.
Asking About Death
Life is Defined in Relation to Death (Lotuta Definitzen)
We say that the end of life is death, life and activities are suspended, and these activities will not be returned. Behind this negative definition of death is a way of understanding life.
Life: Philosophical Concepts
Thinkers in ancient Greece used the concept of life not only to express physical activity but also as a way for human beings, that is, moral or practical life.
In the 19th century, life became of particular importance, and philosophy’s main focus. Ortega y Gasset said that philosophy is a state of being surrounded by things. In his opinion, the essential element of human life is that intense activity is ongoing and is being done.
Death: The Human Phenomenon
Death is something that happens to all creatures of nature. But the man is still alive only to realize that, and for this reason, only man knows how to deal with death. Philosophy has many opinions about death.
Death and Philosophy
Some philosophers believe that philosophy prepares us for death; the existence of human beings in our lives helps us completely. The fuller (beteago) we live life, the more humanely (gizatasun) we will deal with death.
Death Experience
Death is a result of all of us, something, but we cannot live in our own death, that is, we will never have direct experience (inioiz ezperientziarik) of our death.
Death as a Definition of Human?
According to existentialism, the essence of humans is not vital, but existence.
Heidegger said that at some point we are creatures, we do not have the ability to do everything, that is, after taking into account the time limits we have, death is a human being.
Jean-Paul Sartre said that we are not immortal (hilezkorrak), we are finite, and the freedom we get when we die.
Death and Transcendence
There are two different attitudes to death:
- Monism: This position is not held by any human composition.