Assignment On Continental Philosophy

Continental philosophy is a term created to describe the philosophical traditions that were influenced by many 19th and 20th century philosophers (2007). To better understand this we will look at continental philosophy and its development. We will do this by looking at Hegelian idealism. In response to Hegel’s view that the world is organized Existentialism and Phenomenology came about.To understand Hegelian idealism we much look at Georg Hegel (1770-1831). Hegel lived during a time when everything was well organized. Hegel view was that the objective world is an unfolding or expression of infinite thought, and the individual mind in the vehicle of infinite thought reflecting on its ...view middle of the document...

If I was looking at thing falling apart around me if would seem that irrationality would be the best way to see thing. The rationality of thing would heart too much to want to stand by and watch so to turn to the invisible for support would help to understand what is around you. But in the same Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) looked at things by determined by the will-to-power. Nietzsche rejected Hegel’s idealism and all similar rationalist metaphysics (2005). As with Kierkegaard the world around him was devoid of joy and grandeur. Nietzsche said that the visible world and the invisible world are irrational, so only a superman can make it through and escape from the triviality of society. From the way I see Nietzsche’s thoughts is that we are enslaved in our understanding and cannot be happy unless we are the superman that can embrace the will-to-power and overthrow society. I don’t agree with this that the visible world and the invisible world are irrational. This is like saying that life is irrational an only the best of man can make it through life and the rest of will just fall.During this time Phenomenology also came about. Phenomenology is only what you can observe is what you can interpret, rather than making predictions as to organization. To better understand we will look at the first great phenomenologist, Edmund Husserl (1859-1938). Husserl looked at things from the objective world. Husserl said you should study visible phenomena without preconceived ideas and everything is physical, as opposed to a world view of dualism, which is visible and invisible existence. What I took from this is that you step back and exclude what you know and only believe in what you see to be true. We then turn to Martin Heideg...