In Search Of Essence

Armed only with his poetic sensibility, Petr Král sets out to explore our relationship with the places that we inhabit, and with the apparently unremarkable everyday objects which often inform and enrich our lives. Král bears witness to Flaubert's observation that "in order for something to become interesting, we simply have to look at it for a long time". He reveals, not only the inner life-the very essence-of mundane objects and places, but also simple yet profound truths about ourselves.

This book was born of a refusal, the refusal of the very philosophy from which it has sprung. After the war, when it had become apparent that the classical tradition, and particularly neo-Kantianism, was breathing its last, French thought looked to Germany for its inspiration and renewal. Jean Hyppolite and Kojeve reintroduced Hegel and the "existentialists" and phenomenologists drew the attention of a curious public to the fundamental investigations of Husserl and Heidegger. If only by being understood as a phenomenological ontology, this books speaks eloquently enough of the debt it owes to these thinkers of genius. The conceptual material which it uses, particn1arly in chapters 1 to 44, outlines the Husserlian and Heideggerian horizon of the investigations. However, it is precisely this horizon which is questioned. In spite of its profundity and achievements, I wanted to show that contemporary ontology pushes to the absolute the presuppositions and the limits of the philosophy of consciousness since Descartes and even of all Western philosophy since the Greeks. An 'External' critique, viz. the opposing of one thesis to another, wonld have no sense whatever. Rather, it is interior to these presuppositions whose insufficiency had to be shown that we placed ourselves; the very concepts which were rejected were also the ones which guided the problem initially.

A groundbreaking exposition of Islamic mysticism The Essence of Reality was written over the course of just three days in 514/1120, by a scholar who was just twenty-four. The text, like its author ʿAyn al-Quḍāt, is remarkable for many reasons, not least of which that it is in all likelihood the earliest philosophical exposition of mysticism in the Islamic intellectual tradition. This important work would go on to exert significant influence on both classical Islamic philosophy and philosophical mysticism. Written in a terse yet beautiful style, The Essence of Reality consists of one hundred brief chapters interspersed with Qurʾanic verses, prophetic sayings, Sufi maxims, and poetry. In conversation with the work of the philosophers Avicenna and al-Ghazālī, the book takes readers on a philosophical journey, with lucid expositions of questions including the problem of the eternity of the world; the nature of God’s essence and attributes; the concepts of “before” and “after”; and the soul’s relationship to the body. All these discussions are seamlessly tied into ʿAyn al-Quḍāt’s foundational argument—that mystical knowledge lies beyond the realm of the intellect.

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Socrates was a very strange child. His lonely existence as a child translated directly to a solitary life as an adult. His only chance at a meaningful existence was to create and enter a cyber utopia. To make his cyber utopia feel real he discovered a way to capture human essences and insert them into this world. Upon entering his cyber world he became trapped and was destined to an eternity in a cyber hell of his creation.

Welcome to a transformative journey through the pages of this book, where art and science intertwine to unravel the mysteries of essentialist life. Here, in each chapter, we will explore the deep foundations that support the pursuit of simplicity, mental clarity, mindfulness, and resilience - essential elements for forging a life filled with meaning and lasting purpose. Over the course of 27 chapters, we will delve into the scientific definitions that outline the essence of what really matters in our lives. We will deconstruct deep-rooted assumptions that often obscure our understanding of the essential, shedding light on fundamental truths that can transform our approach to existence. The in-depth anamnesis in each chapter invites you, the intrepid reader, to explore your own journey, reflect on your experiences, and incorporate practices grounded in the latest scientific discoveries. This is not just a book; it is an invitation to a personal revolution. A revolution that challenges excess, embraces simplicity and cultivates resilience in the face of adversity.

Philosophies of essence provides a critical evaluation of the concept of 'essence' from the Pre-Socratics to the present, as well as indicating the social roots of the various developments. Further, it shows the fruitfulness the concept still has for a scientific materialistic outlook. In addition, a new dual formulation of the concept is given.--Preface.