Q: Is there anything more to life? A: You Kant possibly know
Immanuel Kant was one of the most influential philosophers in the history of Western philosophy. His contributions to metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics have had a profound impact on almost every philosophical movement that followed him. A large part of Kant’s work addresses the question “What can we know?” The answer, if it can be stated simply, is that our knowledge is constrained to mathematics and the science of the natural, empirical world. It is impossible, Kant argues, to extend knowledge to the supersensible realm of speculative metaphysics. The reason that knowledge has these constraints, Kant argues, is that the mind plays an active role in constituting the features of experience and limiting the mind’s access only to the empirical realm of space and time.
Kant responded to his predecessors by arguing against the Empiricists that the mind is not a blank slate that is written upon by the empirical world, and by rejecting the Rationalists’ notion that pure, “a priori” knowledge of a mind-independent world was possible. Reason itself is structured with forms of experience and categories that give a phenomenal and logical structure to any possible object of empirical experience. Kant’s philosophy is dense to say the least. He attempts, like most other philosophers, to explain the world around him as well as how humans live and interpret it.
My writing is similar to that of Kant in intent, content, and format. I only write what I think is pertinent to the work as a whole, and as a result my writing tends to be somewhat concise and lacking in length. While many people struggle to whittle their points down to a more manageable and direct length, I struggle to do just the opposite. What I produce can often come off as too reminiscent of a philosopher or researcher. This quality may be in part due to my tendency to conduct heavy research of the topic before I begin writing, so that I may more truly understand the forces at work. As a result, a large portion of that research reemerges in the text and in key concepts. Examples can be seen in my later two essays about comedian Chris Farley and composer John Williams, respectively, and are each in the expository style. In an attempt to shy away from this philosophical style, I made a point of basing my essays and theses on a provocative claim which would add more human interest and life to an otherwise rigid essay. In my first essay this came in the form of concluding the convicted murderer in the story is actually the most humane of them all, in the second as stating Chris Farley’s comedy preyed on his own insecurities, and in the third as revealing John Williams as much less original than his fans and critics claim.
Yet, beyond my style and format, there is still something more basic that brings me back to Kant and his contemporaries; a focus on human issues. Surprisingly, such a focus was unintentional, especially because I rarely think I’m someone who would end up writing about people and emotions. What?!? That’s quite an interesting revelation for a Biological Engineering major that is best at science and math. Looking deeper in to the human theme, I realized that it is much more specific than just humanity; it was specifically the inescapability of the human condition. Whatever it comes down to, we will never rise above nor drop below our essence as humans. Everything boils down to that fact. But what exactly is meant by this inescapability? After a good bit of research and reading on popular development theories, in particular “tabula rasa,” I decided this meant that we as humans are born with certain qualities i.e. the existence of Human Nature. This argument is the oldest in philosophical history, with its existence constantly being challenged. As you will see later, every single concluding paragraph of all three essays brings closure to the story by bringing in omnipresence of the human condition with a tone similar to “look, isn’t that cool?” in a serious yet excited attitude.
In all the ways I am similar to Kant, there is still one key concept that I write about the he completely disagrees with. This is the existence of a metaphysical realm, specifically concerning the, yes, inescapability of the human condition. As stated earlier, Kant believes it is impossible to extend knowledge to the supersensible realm of speculative metaphysics; everything must be based on the empirical and natural. My writing and conclusions rely on the existence of such a force. For example, take the last two sentences of my essay on Chris Farley. “Now he comes unbidden from the shadows, perhaps from some metaphysical plane, and still provokes astonishment and delight. Loftier art forms lack that kind of telepathic power.” Again, I am employing an optimistic yet serious tone as well as a provoking claim that I intended to give life and color to the essay.
In terms of technical writing, I used much more mixed media than I ever have in the past. The last two essays use both video and audio based references. As a result I think the reader is given instant gratification in terms of relevant criticism. In this manner it is more direct and the subject matter in the text is more relatable and thus more significant. It also makes for a much more interesting, stimulating, and multidimensional work. I try not to make the videos the focus of the essays. Instead they were to act like supporting paragraphs who only needed brief introductions and examinations. The option and ability to include these kinds of references allowed for me to delve in to topics that would have otherwise been stale. But, with the correct approach they had great potential. Non-text references also allowed me to write about topics that interested me, which we all know lends to a more thoughtful and enjoyable essay. That is one thing that I think I have gained the most about this semester in English class. I now know that it is possible for me to actually enjoy writing. I write now with a sense of purpose and interest. This class and my professor have allowed me to explore my abilities by letting me pursue topics other than, say, a character analysis of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, although who knows what kind of great videos are out there! So perhaps it is no coincidence that a student who compared his writing style to that of an eighteenth century philosopher would discover that the underlying themes of his essays to be the inescapability of the human condition and the ever elusive Human Nature. By writing about people and their essence I have come to learn more about my place in the scheme of things; a process which I hope you are able to detect in my succession of essays and revisions.
reedertheman 