The Measure of Things : Humanism, Humility, and Mystery

David Cooper explores and defends the view that a reality independent of human perspectives is necessarily indescribable, a "mystery." Other views are shown to be hubristic. Humanists, for whom "man is the measure" of reality, exaggerate our capacity to live without the sense of an independent measure. Absolutists, who proclaim our capacity to know an independent reality, exaggerate our cognitive powers. In this highly original book Cooper restores to philosophy a proper appreciation of mystery-that is what provides a measure of our beliefs and conduct. "Philosophers, both western and eastern, have long been divided between 'humanists', for whom 'man is the measure of things', and their opponents, who claim that there is a way, in principle knowable and describable, that the world anyway is, independent of human perspectives and interests. The early chapters of The Measure of Things chart the development of humanism from medieval times, through the Renaissance, Enlightenment and Romantic periods, to its most sophisticated, twentieth-century form, 'existential humanism'. Cooper does not identify this final position with that of any particular philosopher, though it is closely related to those of Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty and the later Wittgenstein. Among the earlier figures discussed are William of Ockham, Kant, Herder, Nietzsche and William James. Having rejected attempts by contemporary advocates of modest or non-metaphysical realism to dissolve the opposition between humanism and its 'absolutist' rival, Cooper moves on to an adjudication of that rivality. Prompted by the pervasive rhetoric of hubris that the rivals direct against one another, he argues, in an original manner, that the rival positions are indeed guilty of lack of humility. Absolutists - whether defenders of 'The Given' or scientific realists - exaggerate our capacity to ascend out of our 'engaged' perspectives to an objective account of the world. Humanists, conversely, exaggerate our capacity to live without a sense of our subjection to a measure independent of our own perspectives. The only escape, Cooper maintains, from the impasse reached when humanism and absolutism are both rejected, lies in a doctrine of mystery. There is a reality independent of 'the human contribution', but it is necessarily ineffable. Drawing in a novel way upon the Buddhist conception of 'emptiness' and Heidegger's later writings, the final chapters defend the notion of mystery, distinguish the doctrine advanced from that of transcendental idealism, and propose that it is only through appreciation of mystery that measure and warrant may be provided for our beliefs and conduct."--Publisher's description Outlines The History Of Humanism From Medieval Times To The Present Discussing Prominent Philosophers From The Past, And Settles The Rivalry Between Humanism And Absolutism By Arguing That Both Sides Are Guilty Of A Lack Of Humility. The Author Further Maintains That There Is A Doctrine Of Mystery That Draws Upon The Buddhist Conception Of Emptiness And The Writings Of Heidegger And That Must Be Considered When Discussing Human Beliefs And Conduct. 1. Introduction -- 2. 'self-assertion': From 'ockhamism' To Renaissance Humanism -- 3. Reason And Agency: Enlightenment, Kant, And Romanticism -- 4. Prometheanism: Marx, Nietzsche, Pragmatism, And 'reactionary Modernism' -- 5. Existential Humanism -- 6. Interlude: Rival Humanisms -- 7. Humility -- 8. The Hubris Of Absolutism -- 9. The Hubris Of Humanism (1) -- 10. The Hubris Of Humanism (2) -- 11. Mystery -- 12. Emptiness -- 13. Mystery, Measure, And Humility. David E. Cooper. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. David Cooper explores and defends the view that a reality independent of human perspectives is necessarily indescribable, a 'mystery'. Other views are shown to be incompatible with our human condition. Cooper restores to philosophy a proper appreciation of mystery - that is what provides a measure of our beliefs and conduct. - ;Philosophers, both western and eastern, have long been divided between 'humanists', for whom 'man is the measure of things', and their opponents, who claim that there is a way, in principle knowable and describable, that the world anyway is, independent of human perspec David Cooper explores and defends the view that a reality independent of human perspectives is necessarily indescribable, a 'mystery'. Other views are shown to be hubristic. Humanists, for whom 'man is the measure' of reality, exaggerate our capacity to live without the sense of an independent measure. Absolutists, who proclaim our capacity to know an independent reality, exaggerate our cognitive powers. In this highly original book Cooper restores to philosophy a properappreciation of mystery - that is what provides a measure of our beliefs and There is an ancient tension, still with us, over the relationship between human beings and a world which, to borrow from Kant, they can 'discursively' encounter-a world, that is, which they can bring under concepts, articulate, and describe.