On Job's Scale: Schostakovich Collection: 2

Author: [Russian] Chestov
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: On Job's Scales (A Soul's Wanderings) is one of Chestov's important representative works. The book is divided into three parts. The first part is his commentary on the two great masters of Russian thought and literature, Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. Chestov points out that Dostoevsky possesses dual vision, namely "natural vision" and the "supernatural vision" bestowed upon him by angels. Natural vision perceives necessary existence, the self-evident, while supernatural vision sees freedom, aiming to overcome the self-evident. Therefore, when a person views life as life and death as death, it does not exclude the perspective that life is death and death is life. Chestov believes that when Tolstoy faced the moment of the Last Judgment, he had to abandon everything from his great past because he had come to realize that death is actually not frightening; what is frightening is living as if dead. The second part is a collection of fragments on daring to think and act versus submitting to fate. It discusses topics such as revelation, philosophical standards, the relationship between science and philosophy, the Last Judgment, the illusion of existence, the secret of existence, what is beauty, know thyself, the current task of philosophy, metaphysical truth, the path to truth, and the irony of death. Each section is clearly themed, concisely written, and profoundly meaningful. The third part is a collection of essays on famous philosophers such as Spinoza, Pascal, and Plotinus. Chestov argues that Spinoza inherited Descartes' ideas of "doubt everything" and "I think, therefore I am," believing that only substance and the mathematical method are the sole means of exploration. In reality, this amounts to denying the Bible and thus killing God. Pascal, on the other hand, differs from most philosophers in that he does not sing the praises of reason but explores in anguish, seeking truth in the Bible. Plotinus, while not denying reason, has lost faith in it and has become an enemy of reason. The last essay is Chestov's response to Professor Hering's critique, discussing the nature of truth, which is related to Husserl. Please read it together with Chestov's essays on Husserl. On Job's Scales (A Soul's Wanderings) is one of Chestov's important representative works. The book is divided into three parts. The first part is his commentary on the two great masters of Russian thought and literature, Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. Chestov points out that Dostoevsky possesses dual vision, namely "natural vision" and the "supernatural vision" bestowed upon him by angels. Natural vision perceives necessary existence, the self-evident, while supernatural vision sees freedom, aiming to overcome the self-evident. Therefore, when a person views life as life and death as death, it does not exclude the perspective that life is death and death is life. Chestov believes that when Tolstoy faced the moment of the Last Judgment, he had to abandon everything from his great past because he had come to realize that death is actually not frightening; what is frightening is living as if dead. The second part is a collection of fragments on daring to think and act versus submitting to fate. It discusses topics such as revelation, philosophical standards, the relationship between science and philosophy, the Last Judgment, the illusion of existence, the secret of existence, what is beauty, know thyself, the current task of philosophy, metaphysical truth, the path to truth, and the irony of death. Each section is clearly themed, concisely written, and profoundly meaningful. The third part is a collection of essays on famous philosophers such as Spinoza, Pascal, and Plotinus. Chestov argues that Spinoza inherited Descartes' ideas of "doubt everything" and "I think, therefore I am," believing that only substance and the mathematical method are the sole means of exploration. In reality, this amounts to denying the Bible and thus killing God. Pascal, on the other hand, differs from most philosophers in that he does not sing the praises of reason but explores in anguish, seeking truth in the Bible. Plotinus, while not denying reason, has lost faith in it and has become an enemy of reason. The last essay is Chestov's response to Professor Hering's critique, discussing the nature of truth, which is related to Husserl. Please read it together with Chestov's essays on Husserl.