ASTONISHMENT (PHILOSOPHY): ORIGIN, CONCEPT AND WHAT IT CONSISTS OF - PHILOSOPHY - 2024

The wonder in philosophy is the feeling that enlightens the mind, allowing humans out of the shadows with respect to its own existence, that of the environment and of the universe. Together with the observation and contemplation of what surrounds us, it is what allows us to find the answers to what puzzles the intellect of man.

Thus, true wisdom is reached. Plato considers that the astonishment is fundamental because thanks to this the investigation by the first principles appears, and thus the philosophical thought is born. This Platonic heritage was taken up by other later thinkers, such as Aristotle, and much closer in time, Heidegger.

The aforementioned are not the only ones who have applied this concept exclusively. It is also used by the philosopher and linguist Ludwig Wittgenstein, but calling it "perplexity." It is this perplexity that gives rise to every philosophical question.

Origin

The concept of wonder was born in Ancient Greece and has its foundations in two positions. The first is that of Plato, for whom astonishment is what allows the truth to be revealed. It is what dissipates the shadow by finding the original light; once found it becomes the meaning of existence.

The second position is that of Aristotle, through which he considers that astonishment is an awareness of the need to investigate. This leads to inquiries to resolve all the doubts that appear from reality.

For Plato

It is in the Theaetetus Dialogue where Plato, through Socrates, assures that the astonishment felt by Theetus is characteristic of the philosopher. It is a natural soul state that is experienced involuntarily.

In addition, he adds that the genealogy of Iris as the daughter of Taumante is correct. It should be remembered that Taumante is associated with the verb thaumazein (θαυμάζειν) in Greek, whose meaning is to be amazed, marvel.

On the other hand, Iris is a messenger of the gods and is the goddess of the rainbow. Thus, she is the daughter of the amazing and proclaims the pact that exists between gods and men. In this way, Plato makes it clear that the philosopher is the one who mediates between the heavenly and the earthly.

Likewise, from Socrates' dialogue with Glaucón in The Republic, other concepts appear, such as that the astonishment that is passive generates the action of love for wisdom. Only when the philosopher is amazed can he go from that passive state to the active state of love.

In short, for Plato amazement is the origin of knowledge. It is that skill or art that leads to investigate the first principles. Furthermore, it is prior to knowledge and prior to all wisdom, and it is necessary for it to appear in the soul for the ambition of knowledge to emerge.

For Aristotle

A disciple of Plato, Aristotle also deals with the subject of wonder. For him philosophy is not born from an impulse of the soul; on the contrary, things manifest themselves and become troublemakers, thus prompting man to investigate.

Aristotle calls the pressure exerted by these problems in his Metaphysics "the coercion of truth." It is this coercion that does not allow astonishment to remain in an answer, but is succeeded by another astonishment and yet another. So once it has started, it cannot be stopped.

That amazement, admiration or thaumazein has three levels, as specified in his Metaphysics:

1- The one that happens before the things that appear immediately between the strangers.

2- The amazement at major issues, such as the particularities of the Sun, the Moon and the stars.

3- The one that happens in front of the origin of everything.

He also maintains that man has in his nature the desire to know; it leads him towards the divine. However, for this force to lead to the truth, it must be done rationally. This is according to logical and linguistic rules.

Concept

It is from the conceptions of Plato and Aristotle that the German philosopher Martin Heidegger took up this theme in depth already in the 20th century.

Heideggerian wonder

For Heidegger, wonder in philosophy appears when the truth is found. However, this encounter does not occur in the supersensible, but it happens in this world; that is, it is related to the things themselves.

He maintains that all objects are covered in a fog that makes them indifferent or opaque to man. When there is a sudden manifestation or revelation of an object, a thing or some part of the world, amazement appears.

Encounter with the truth

So, astonishment is an experience that allows the encounter with the truth. This can range from looking at the ocean at sunset to seeing a cell under a microscope. Both facts are manifested in all their splendor when they are discovered to the senses.

In this way, Heidegger affirms that truth is about unhiding or uncovering the reality that is veiled. That is to say, a veil is drawn that allows one to reach enlightenment.

On the other hand, consider that the astonishment is spontaneous. However, it can appear from a long preparation, which can be done not only on reality, but on the human being himself.

This implies that astonishment in philosophy reveals, rather than the hidden reality, the own confusion in which man finds himself, specifically in the processes related to perception and individualization.

What does it consist of?

When we speak of amazement in everyday life, we refer to perplexity, to surprise at the irruption of the unpredictable.

It is associated with some object, situation or event, exterior or interior, that leaves the person mired in strangeness and, in some situations, even without the ability to respond.

It is in this sense that it can be linked to astonishment in philosophy, since it is through this feeling that the process of seeking truth is set in motion. This can be found since the beginning of man.

In every culture, both Eastern and Western, the human being has stopped before the inexplicable. He has been amazed at the universe, the stars and the stars, at life on Earth and at his own nature.

It is that astonishment that has led him to seek answers to understand himself and his surroundings, to find meaning in his existence and that of all the beings that accompany him.

References

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