Abstract:
In the text entitled On man’s need of metaphysics, Schopenhauer makes important remarks on his immanent metaphysics and, trying to explain why men philosophize, joins a long tradition of thinkers who see in admiration (thaumázein) man’s real metaphysical impulse (Anstoß). He reinterprets then the two most famous statements on this subject (those of Plato and Aristotle) in accordance with the tone of his philosophy. The origin of philosophy becomes the result of phenomena such as the separation between will and intellect and the perception that this world, which currently is, could just as well not be. The contemplation of the world’s misfortunes and the consciousness of human finitude (death) is also dealt with. Metaphysical and religious systems emerge from these factors. This paper discusses in detail these ideas and analyzes their relationship with the ancient philosophers and the five tópoi. It also seeks to discover the originality of Schopenhauer’s conception, which is based on the reinterpretation of the first topos.
Keywords:
Schopenhauer; Admiration; Metaphysics; Plato; Aristotle