World Famous People Introduction 3: Philosophers Volume (French-Chinese Contrastive)

Author: Xu Sujuan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: In Alexandre Dumas's renowned novel The Count of Monte Cristo, there is the following plot: Young sailor Edmond Dantès is framed by villains and thrown into the pitch-black dungeon of If. Just as his spirit is on the verge of collapse, he coincidentally encounters Father Faria, also imprisoned in If. Faria not only comforts the helpless youth's lonely soul but also teaches him countless unheard-of knowledge. When Dantès learns that he can acquire all the elder's knowledge within two years, he is greatly astonished. At this point, Faria explains: "Certainly not their applications, but their principles and principles are what you can learn. Learning is not about knowing. The learned and the knowing are different. Memory creates the former, while philosophy creates the latter." He further explains: "Philosophy is unlearnable; it is a synthesis of the sciences, sought by geniuses who can skillfully apply science." As a devout follower of Epicurus, Alexandre Dumas was invincible in writing novels and dramas, but he was unlikely to be interested in studying the "mysterious" "gateway to the myriad mysteries." Nevertheless, these lines in the book are still quite apt. The origin of Western philosophy is ancient, and throughout centuries, its immense impact on human society has been recorded in history. Even in modern society, where technology develops at a breakneck pace, people can still talk with great enthusiasm about profound and enigmatic philosophical theories. The widespread popularity of Sartre's existentialist thought in France after World War II is a clear example. Perhaps out of admiration for the obscure and profound philosophical thoughts, people are often curious about philosophers—what kind of people are they? Do they spend their days in groups without meaning? Or do they behave strangely, living in isolation? Countless anecdotes and legends about them have emerged. Sometimes, those fictional tales are more well-known to the world than the philosophical theories painstakingly derived by philosophers. It is truly uncertain whether this is a blessing or a curse. In any case, there are still many philosophers from various eras known to the world today. This book selects several of them who are renowned and have had a profound impact on human society, compiles their brief histories, and presents them to the readers.