Here is the translation of the given content into English: "Reading Comics Increases Wisdom - Comic Stories of Western Philosophical Masters (2)"

Author: Yan Yuqiang / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: The 14th to 16th centuries were the Renaissance period in European history. The Renaissance was a great transformation in the history of human civilization, an era that demanded giants and produced giants. During this period, the emerging bourgeoisie launched three major movements: the Humanism Movement, the Religious Reformation Movement, and the New Science Movement, which respectively formed the Humanist thought system, the new religious philosophy, and the new natural philosophy. The philosophy of the Renaissance was the theoretical expression of the worldview of the urban bourgeoisie, marking the beginning of a new historical period in philosophy—the emergence of modern bourgeois philosophy. The humanist philosophy, religious philosophy, and materialist philosophy of the modern bourgeoisie all originated from this historical period. Although the philosophy of the Renaissance showed clear transitional and pioneering characteristics in both content and form, its theme was very clear: to critique Christianity and scholasticism, to exalt human nature, to re-examine humanity and the world from a human perspective, and to construct a new worldview centered on humanity.
From the late 16th century to the 18th century was the era of bourgeois revolution in Europe. In line with the profound and significant changes in the social, economic, political, and scientific fields of advanced European countries, the philosophy that embodied the spirit of the times underwent a profound revolution during this period, giving rise to empiricism represented by figures such as Bacon, Hobbes, Locke, Berkeley, and Hume; rationalism represented by Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz; French Enlightenment represented by Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Rousseau; and French materialist philosophy represented by Lamettrie, Helvetius, and Diderot. Western philosophy thus entered another splendid era after ancient Greece. Despite the rise of various schools of thought, the diversity of views, and the varied styles during this period, there was a fundamental philosophical foundation and spirit that remained consistent: reason and enlightenment.
The philosophers of this period further developed the spirit of humanism and natural philosophy from the Renaissance, overcoming their transitional nature of being both new and old, and fundamentally transformed the object, tasks, functions, and purposes of philosophical research. They explicitly stated that the fundamental purpose of philosophical research was to promote the development of production, establish new social systems, liberate people from the rule of feudal theology, and enable them to live free and happy lives. Therefore, they regarded the understanding of nature and the understanding of humanity as their fundamental tasks. The question of humanity became, without exception, the core and destination of research in all schools of philosophy. They affirmed the existence and value of humanity and conducted multidimensional research on all aspects of human nature. Everything had to defend its right to exist before the court of reason or relinquish its right to exist. Reason became the sole measure and means of judging everything, as well as the guide to achieving ideal requirements. They used the weapons of reason to oppose religious dogma, dispel the fog of superstition, demolish outdated things and ignorant traditions, critique the alienation of humanity, and construct theories of an ideal society based on the principles of reason and freedom. It can be said that these schools of philosophy, which began with Bacon and Descartes and were further developed by French materialists such as Diderot, and were characterized by their admiration for human reason and their pursuit of human freedom, objectively achieved their philosophical goals and fulfilled their philosophical functions. They awakened the masses from the mists of ignorance, promoted a shift and transformation in the direction and methods of human thought, and played a role in enlightening and liberating minds throughout history.
German classical philosophy from Kant to Hegel (late 18th century to early 19th century) was a culmination of more than 2,000 years of Western philosophy since ancient Greece and the peak of modern European philosophy. After the mid-18th century, the dramatic changes in social life, the flood of new scientific discoveries, the fierce debates between empiricism and rationalism, and the sharp critique of religion and the full elaboration of human freedom and equality by the Enlightenment—all provided fertile ground for the emergence and development of German classical philosophy. The times demanded that philosophy provide a summary and conclusion. Faced with the challenges of the times posed by social history, reality, science, and culture, German classical philosophers explored the following philosophical themes using Germany's unique dialectical approach: 1. Affirming the status and value of humanity, promoting human reason and freedom, and highlighting human subjectivity. 2. Opposing feudal theology and advocating secular spirit, exalting the status of humanity. 3. The dialectical law of historical development, where dialectics was a major achievement of German classical idealist philosophy. In short, the question of humanity became the main topic of the great German classical philosophers in their theoretical and practical efforts to uphold reason and freedom, oppose religion and theology. Their understanding of humanity, that is, the transition from viewing humans as rational, spiritual, self-aware beings to viewing them as, created an inherent logical connection in the development of German classical philosophy. The French Revolution was almost intertwined with the hearts of the German classical philosophers, so although each had its own theoretical characteristics, they shared a common feature: fighting for freedom and calling for reason.
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