Is Being a Reader Still Needed?

 

Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

 

 

As some other people do, I appreciate books and all the possible companionship they can provide. And this feeling only grew stronger as I started to consider what a trail of words printed on a piece of paper can represent. In my person, the facets of being a philosopher and of being a translator have something in common: both find in the organicity of words certain nutrients that stimulate the birth of new thoughts. The philosopher, backed up by his Skepticism, in a kind of promptitude, puts what can be questioned under suspicion. Skepticism offers important tools for the proper maintenance of lucidity, particularly on the days in which a heavy fog hangs over the atmosphere. The translator, backed up by his translation skills, always promoting the strict coexistence of at least two languages, makes communication possible. The translation offers important tools to amplify communication skills, particularly on the days in which the art of conversation has been too mistreated. In this sense, when it comes to the written words, the observer grasps the reading that simultaneously goes through philosopher and translator.

However, I would rather not talk about the facets of being a philosopher and of being a translator. I only wish to explore a bit more about the side that permeates both: the reading habit. Philosopher and translator are, too, and before of anything else, readers. The philosopher finds different currents of thought in the books that have been bequeathed throughout the history of philosophy. And each one of them intends to share different teachings. Nevertheless, the philosopher finds in the Skepticism the affinity of thought. The translator finds in his professional activity the opportunities to build different ordinary life ties. And all the opportunities represent the ways to put into practice different social virtues. Nevertheless, the translator finds in the technical translation the ways to put into practice some skills, and he also recognizes the influence of Wittgenstein's language reflections during his working routine. Thus, philosopher and translator find in the conviviality with words a formidable habit. On one hand, there is the critical reflection; on the other hand, the endless investigation searching for the meaning to get the best translation solution and make communication possible.

    The conviviality with books might be understood as a way to improve and dignify humankind. I am the kind of person who maintains a dubious relationship with words. Wait, I'll explain! I read for pleasure and for obligation as well. When I am reading for pleasure, I feel that kind of pleasant satisfaction due to the absence of all kinds of obligations: choosing an exemplar in the still modest library—building a library is a lifelong endeavor—is an enjoyable experience. Passing a few hours in the company of an author is a moment of encounter. The words written on paper offer the opportunity to initiate a certain kind of communication: author and reader experience in the words the meeting point. However, reading for obligation, during translation routines, does not necessarily imply the absence of pleasure. Working with different translation projects, with tight deadlines and all kinds of requirements, is something to be passionate about. Challenges, different texts, and information involved: all of that are different aspects that represent the opportunity to put into practice different translation skills. And the translator always learns something new in the activities, as his skills can be improved in different circumstances.

    Written words leave trails of thoughts on a blank piece of paper. Words, sentences, paragraphs, pages, chapters, and... voilà: there you have a book! By means of uncountable working hours, the pathway of an existential itinerary becomes intelligible by means of words. Hours and hours of working time; but what about all the living time itself? What about the maturing reflection time? With all the richness of the raw material, what will be the instruments employed to shape it? A piece of paper and a pen on the desk, a lamp to dissipate the dimness and a body disposable to think about… what to write. Though the computer is present in the daily basis, there are many people who still write like that. A word that blossoms in the most recondite corners, as an electric impulse, just as Nietzsche said, circulates throughout the entire body: from the head it goes down by the arms, follows through the hands and through the fingertips until it ends up in the wielded pen that dirties the paper with the colors of strangely drawn symbols and curiously decipherable by the attentive testimony of the eyes: I exist because the word that is in myself is in the world.

    Things were somewhat like that in the not-so-distant past. Writers accumulated large folio volumes of written papers in their offices. The original manuscripts are, as they are known to be, full of trails of thoughts. Thinking about it, in the more-distant past, this practice was even more complicated due to the obvious reasons. Incipient technological advances, lack of adequate material resources. For example, it was common to register the information in blocks of stones, boards, or papyrus in Antiquity. The paper was adopted, and a feather became the common resource to write the words. The working desk was rudimentary, as there was no electricity, so the light of a candle was responsible for dissipating the dimness and making the thought activity possible.

The emergence of writing represents a turning point for the civilization. The language became expressible and interpretable by means of a determined tongue in imaging symbols. The said drawing symbols. The communication theories show that, before the emergence of writing, the orality was the primordial transmission means that had been made possible the communication. Thus, the communication would be paved on the sounds, and, in this sense, under the point of view of bodily expression, orality and audition would have a primary role in the communication. It is curious to notice that the possibility of writing alphabetical systematization represented a new way of expressing and exploring the language. The communication extends itself to other body regions, such as arms, hands, and eyes, to make the tongue express itself by means of writing. If there is communication, it is because there are many body regions involved in the language expression. Thus, this gave rise to the possibility of basing written communication on a materially tangible medium, such as stone blocks, boards, or papyrus. By the way, was there communication before writing? Could the disordered sounds and body movements be characterized as a way of communication? What is communication? Are the non-human animals able to communicate? Suspicions aside, the fact is that writing emerged at a given moment.

In the current state of affairs, maybe these views are not important concerns for many people, since words always remain present in ordinary life in different ways. Nevertheless, maybe this notion is a bit too comfortable, since thinking about the origin of writing and its subsequent implications for culture can be time-consuming, particularly when one wishes to articulate a broader and deeper understanding of the subject. The language development is a civilizational conquest. Everyone benefits from more individuals being literate, both in their mother tongue and occasionally in other languages. For instance, a question seems particularly appropriate right now. What effect did the emergence of writing have on the culture of ancient times? Since the oral status quo had already been established, the novelty caused different reactions. However, it seems to make no sense exploring such a complex question in a blog post—indeed, this is not my intention. Even so, I deliberately bring up the question so that the reader can feel stimulated by the proposal of a possible reflection.

Two works of two Western culture authors are considered fundamental. I am talking about Homer and Hesiod. There are controversies surrounding both poets. Certain theories claim they existed, while others claim several other poets were unified in the characters of Homer and Hesiod; that is, the collective work of countless poets was unified, and the result of these works was credited solely to the names of these two poets. Homer is the author of the Iliad. And Hesiod is the author of The Works and the Days. The Homeric poems were transmitted orally, as were the Hesiodic poems. In Homer's work, the epic poems relate heroic accomplishments and legendary figures during the Trojan War, and in this sense, you have the ideal of aristocratic culture, where courage was emphasized as a capital value. In Hesiod's work, heroic accomplishments are also recounted, but Hesiod narrates them in the context of peasant life, involving the hard work done in the fields by people who painstakingly cultivated the land with the sweat of their faces to maintain their livelihoods. Arms, hands, and bodies. This is the value and importance of work.

That is, Archaic Greece has an eminently oral culture. The aoidos traveled to different places and recited their poems. People listened to those verses, and a whole imaginary thought was being little by little fecundated—it is important to bear in mind that, as the civilization becomes culturally diversified, many of those notions ended up being problematized. Originally, the poem is a kind of expression that privileges orality, since its entire metrical structure, poetic syllables, and entire rhythmic scheme of versification and oral intonation are intended to facilitate the memorization of verses and cause a pleasant sound effect to the ears. I mean, the work of poets had everything to do with memory work. The skills surrounding memory were extremely valuable, given that being able to remember different verses was not an easy endeavor. And no less complex were the skills surrounding the proper recitation of those poems, with all the oral expression work involved.

Thus, the oral culture had been transmitted to the others throughout generations. The communities and the different kinds of sociability became organized surrounding this notion. But with the emergence of polis, you have the appropriate conditions for the flourishing of philosophical, historical, and scientific thought, as well as literature, architecture, and Democracy itself. It was in this environment that writing began its spread. But the adoption of writing was not an event without major repercussions. On the contrary! Adopting writing at that time represented a deep change in the communication way or even in organizing sociability. Given that people were used to transmitting their cultural legacy orally, what were the likely implications for culture with the adoption of writing? If poets played an important role in the oral tradition, what could happen to them with the emergence of writing? If poets used their memories to transmit their verses, then memory played a key role in these practices, so what would be the likely impact on memory with the adoption of writing?

It is interesting to notice, for example, Plato's position at the time. According to the philosopher, the adoption of writing could generate serious implications for the culture. Plato considered that a written text could be a source of endless controversies. Differently from the oral recitation in which a person must be present to recite the poem, written words could circulate freely, without the need of a person's presence, since the existence of the text would become an autonomous and independent event. As a result, with the adoption of writing, author and text could both exist autonomously and independently, without their presence being necessary for the message to be understood. Besides all that, another issue raised by Plato considered the interpretation. How could an author explain their own ideas from the moment in which the reader would have direct access to the text without the need for their presence? An interpretation could be wrong, or even a reader could have doubts. If this was not enough, Plato considered the written text could represent an impact for the thought. If the words were written, then there would not be the need to resort to the memory, or even to the thought, to transmit the communication. Everything would be registered in another place. That is, there would be a decline in the use of memory and thought, and this could represent a major concern. Some of these impressions are shared in the book Textos básicos de linguagem de Platão a Foucault.

Plato introduced the problematics concerning the literate society. Using literacy to express oneself, promoting the culture, and maintaining the institutions imply spreading and teaching the acquisition of these skills among people. The writing was adopted, and the objections raised by that philosopher were important in the sense of problematizing and stimulating the debate about what represented a turning point in Antiquity. Numerous works were produced, and due to the adoption of this practice, now you have access to books with invaluable content. A word-registered text can be passed down from generation to generation as a legacy. Literature has the power to move beyond the passing moments and become a part of a cultural legacy. Nowadays, there is a variety of extraordinary books. The topics and titles are diverse. And, besides all that, you can have lovely times with the classics written by authors from other epochs. But do not think that there have been no traumatic events involving writing throughout history. For instance, how can you evaluate everything that was lost when the Library of Alexandria burned down and texts of exceptional human value were annihilated? Fahrenheit 451? If that was not enough, yet again in Antiquity, how can you measure the implications resulting from the official closure of philosophy schools for the free course of thought?

Thus, it is important to consider the role played by books and writing for civilizational value promotion. Different writers, styles, and literary genres. Some say that you find in each one of them a good opportunity to look at the mirror. Others say that you find in each one of them a good opportunity to know other personalities. Schopenhauer would say that style is the expression of one's own personality. As such, the reading experience can be thought-provoking, controversial, mocking, edifying, subversive, or even peaceful. Some say that good authors are those who are able to set passions in motion. For each reading layer, new affections, new impressions. There are books that can leave readers with tears in their eyes and a knot in their throat, as in the case of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. On the other hand, there are books that can take readers to a naively tender place while not neglecting at the same time the power of the message, as in the case of Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. And you cannot but notice the thought work of philosophical texts when a thinker intends to push the reflection to the limit.

In this sense, books are extremely fruitful source of reflection for promoting acts of benevolence. This social virtue walks hand in hand with books. For example, benevolence plays an important role in David Hume's philosophy. You can consider it as a kind of cement that concretes the link of good actions. Hume studied in France, and besides all that, he had les philosophes as his friends, among whom was Denis Diderot—jointly with D'Alembert, Diderot was the responsible editor for one of the greatest 18th-century editorial endeavors, l'Encyclopédie. The Scottish philosopher was always warmly welcomed every time he visited France, and this strongly indicates that Hume practiced and had great appreciation for sociability, in other words, a concrete trait of benevolence. It is also important to highlight that Hume was a philosopher simply passionate about literature. In addition to philosophy, Hume devoured other genres, such as history, essays, and the most diverse subjects. He was a true connoisseur of belles lettres, particularly the Latin classics. At a given point in his life, Hume also became a librarian, which gave him access to the endless number of books. His passion for books nourished his reflections, and this is noticeable when you read his texts. Thus, Hume's passion for belles lettres may be a source of encouragement for the blog's readers to follow their own paths through many different pages of a book.

Reserving some time of the day to cultivate the reading habit can be understood as a turning-point attitude. Reading is edifying—or not, as it depends on the point of view! Feeding the thought with new ideas is challenging. By means of readings, it is possible to enhance another extremely advantageous social virtue for the good of social conviviality, since the contact with words can polish humankind. And it is here that sympathy emerges, another philosophical component present in Hume. For there to be benevolence, it is necessary to recognize the importance and value of humankind. Human beings have feelings, and they can suffer. Then, sympathy can be considered a vector that guides benevolence. If benevolent actions can be considered as a kind of cement that concretes the link of good actions, it is because there is a human being who will be touched by benevolence during its propagation. Sympathy is born when you put yourself in someone's shoes, which means that you are inclined to be touched by the pain, anguish, and suffering felt by others. But sympathy is not simply restricted to human beings; it also extends to other animals and ways of life. They also have sensibility; they suffer, they think, although differently from us, and in this sense, they deserve respect. Thus, I cannot but remember the sympathy that dogs, for example, feel towards their tutors. That is the case for the cocker spaniel Flush, the central character in Virginia Woolf's novel of the same name, who did somersaults of happiness when he saw his tutor. By reading, you become familiar with different characters. How can one not sympathize with Fantine and Cosette's story? What about the Thénardiers? And what did they do to Cosette? After the "brain got dry," thanks to such a dedication not only for reading but also to the access to a large library, how could one not be touched when Don Quijote decided to become a knight and go out on adventures around the world with his comrade Sancho Panza? How can one not be perplexed by The Sufferings of Young Werther? That is why you also learn to be grateful to the writers for having been able to imagine such valuable stories and, generously, for having shared each one of them with us.

Then, as people sympathize with one another, the atmosphere becomes conducive to cultivating another social virtue. I am talking about generosity. Hume considers that, unlike other philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, human beings are not solely selfish. In addition to selfishness, that is, self-love and consideration of our own interests, we are also altruistic; that is, we consider the well-being and interests of others. We act with other people's welfare in mind in many of our daily interactions, including those with other animals. For instance, you will certainly not be selfish if someone with a few items approaches you in the grocery store line with a shopping cart and asks if you would mind giving them your spot so they may move forward. Or when a stray cat jumps over the wall of your house and settles in your backyard. Obviously, you will welcome that little animal, feed them, and give them water and affection. In these two examples, you have shown how altruism can promote selfless actions. In the first instance, it succeeded in generating an act of kindness. In the second instance, it succeeded in generating a welcoming attitude. But in addition to the human-animal relationship, it is equally critical to consider the human-nature relationship. And this relationship is above all philosophical. Our interests must also take nature into account. When human actions interfere with nature, natural phenomena tend to intensify, and so what was already strong tends to become even stronger. In this way, there will be an imbalance in the ratio of generosity to selfishness if we neglect nature's interests in favor of human interests alone. Therefore, to maintain equilibrium, nature must also be considered to prevent it from turning against humans, animals, and other living things.

However, there are times when it gets difficult or painful, and at times like these, being around books and all kinds of artistic expression, or even friends, becomes priceless. They are valuable resources for developing new viewpoints. You can visit authors and artists in the arts and belles lettres to keep your mind active. Belles lettres and the arts in general have all been said to play a major role in softening human traits. Thus, thinking together with other people, particularly with people who have important lessons to share, makes life lighter, and the feeling is that you are having a great time, to the detriment of the unpredictable blows of fortune. More than 2,500 years have passed since the beginning of the Western philosophical tradition, and many of the issues and topics philosophers have been considering continue to be stimulating. In particular, the skeptical "school," whose practice of suspension of judgment aims to achieve tranquility, always keeps dogmatic claims under suspicion. Above all, the words provide us with the vitality we need to support our thoughts. And so, the reading habit can become a life-changing experience. The art of conversation, on the other hand, promotes the most diverse intersubjective exchanges. This is what happens when we finish reading a book and start sharing our impressions of it with others.

Dear reader, I would like to finish with a warning. Please note that the arguments exposed throughout this essay have no pretension to reveal the nature of things. In comparison to the philosophical endeavor, the skeptical argumentation is less pretentious, as previously mentioned. For example, when you go to the doctor, you are likely to be requested to do certain tests to check for health conditions. Then, you receive the test results upon your return. So, depending on the kinds of tests, they can indicate certain needs, such as a lack of vitamins, the moment in which you will likely receive a prescription indicating the need for supplementation to fulfill it. Comparably, the absence of a reading habit reveals the long-term proof of the manifestation of certain needs, which are made clear by specific outward "symptoms." The reading recommendation would therefore have the straightforward goal of 1) meeting some of the needs resulting from the lack of a reading habit—obviously for those who do not cultivate the habit—and 2) reaffirming the encouragement for those who already do so, given that it is possible to determine the appropriate and balanced supplementation for the good preservation of intellectual needs by cultivating the words, diversifying the reading, and visiting different authors.

    Thank you very much for your attention, and I hope you enjoyed the reading. See you in the next post!

 

References:

 

BRADBURY. R. Fahrenheit 451. Trad. Cid Knipel. Rio de Janeiro: Biblioteca Azul, 2020.

CORDERO, N. L. A invenção da filosofia. Trad. Eduardo Wolf. São Paulo: Odysseus Editora, 2011.

GOETHE, J. W. Os sofrimentos do jovem Werther. Trad. Marion Fleischer. São Paulo: Martins Fontes, 2007.

HESÍODO. Os trabalhos e os dias. Trad. Luiz Otávio Mantovaneli. São Paulo: Odysseus Editora, 2011.

HOMERO. Ilíada. Trad. Frederico Lourenço. São Paulo: Penguin Classics Companhia das Letras, 2013.

HUGO, V. Os miseráveis. Trad. Frederico Ozanam Pessoa de Barros. São Paulo: Penguin Classics Companhia das Letras, 2017.

HUME, D. Investigações sobre o entendimento humano e sobre os princípios da moral. Trad. José Oscar de Almeida Marques. São Paulo: Editora Unesp, 2003.

MARCONDES, D. Textos básicos de filosofia da linguagem de Platão a Foucault. Rio de Janeiro: Jorge Zahar Ed., 2009.

NIETZSCHE, F. W. Sobre verdade e mentira. Trad. Fernando Moraes de Barros. São Paulo: Hedra, 2007.

PEREIRA, O. P. Rumo ao ceticismo. São Paulo: Editora Unesp, 2007.

SAAVEDRA, M. C. O engenhoso fidalgo D. Quixote de La Mancha. Trad. Sérgio Molina. São Paulo: Editora 34, 2016.

SAINT-EXUPÉRY, A. D. The Little Prince. Trans. Katherine Woods. Harcourt Brace & Company, 1995.

SCHOPENHAUER. A. O mundo como vontade e como representação (1º tomo). Trad. Apr. Notas e Índices: Jair Barboza. São Paulo: Editora Unesp, 2005.

SMITH, P. O que é ceticismo. São Paulo: Brasiliense, 1992.

______. O ceticismo de Hume. São Paulo: Loyola, 1995.

THOMAS, R. Letramento e oralidade na Grécia Clássica. Trad. Raul Filker. São Paulo: Odysseus Editora, 2005.

WILSON, A. M. Diderot. Trad. Bruna Torlay. São Paulo: Perspectiva, 2012.

WITTGENSTEIN, L. Investigações filosóficas. Trad. Marcos G. Nontagnoli. Rev. da Trad. e Apr.: Emmanuel Carneiro Leão, Petrópolis: Vozes, 2009.

WOOLF, V. Flush. Trad. Jorio Dauster. Pref. Anna Snaith. Ilustrações: Vanessa Bell, São Paulo: Penguin Classics Companhia das Letras, 2020.

About the painting:

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)

The Potato Eaters

Oil on canvas on panel

KM 109.982

Kröller Müller Museum

Aporetic Outline II

 

The consciousness of the finitude, the precarity of any condition in each passing moment, the transiency, the gratuitousness, the fullest indetermination of meaning, in short, the certainty that, thrown in the world, we’ll still play the last match of chess.

 

***

 

 The consciousness of the time flowing goes away, we haven’t even perceived it, and the notion itself fades away, even embodied in a suit of a human figure – flesh, blood, and bones – and suddenly we draw a silly smile on the face, a burst of laughter, that one in which we experience in the funniest situations, and in good humor we feel the lightness of a serene life.

About the painting:

Vincent Van Gogh (1853 – 1890)

Starry Night over the Rhone

1888

Oil on canvas

Musée d’Orsay

 

 

Brazilian Portuguese Translations, Brazilian Portuguese Translator #brazilianportuguesetranslations #brazilianportuguesetranslator

Philosophizing in the Skeptical Way: On the Mode of Animals and Investigation

 

On a Saturday morning, a torrent of thoughts came up spontaneously throughout the path for a Spanish class. It happened on the street as I walked along the sidewalk and as I watched the movement of the city. In fact, this kind of phenomenon is common for me, especially since the question "What is philosophy?" has emerged on the horizon of my existential itinerary. Well, I would say that it is not common! I would say that it occurs continuously. Receiving the question, starting to comprehend it, cultivating it, and finally trying to give it an answer might be a seductive, exciting, and challenging endeavor whose dividends might be accounted for in terms of satisfaction with the conquests coming from the gradual advancements. On the other hand, dealing with this endeavor is certainly full of challenges, questions, and concerns, particularly when we allow freely and genuinely the manifestation of thought. Thus, philosophizing might be a practice for the entire life. However, it is important to notice that the question is somewhat disconcerting, as we have already said in the "A Story of a Booklet 'Whose Pages Are Already Yellowed'", and, in this sense, it has everything to do with a singular thought way, that is, we are talking about philosophical thought.

A few days ago, I was reading the Outlines of Scepticism by doctor and philosopher Sextus Empiricus. One more rereading as I revisit this text quite often and from time to time. There are certain books that are part of our lives in a special way. It is impressive how each rereading can evince new nuances and layers of original subtitles – which had been ignored since then – when we are disposable to mature and deepen our knowledge in relation to a certain line of thought. Ignored not for neglecting or lacking attention, but simply because we are guided and nourished by the maturing of previous readings when we revisit the text; that is, we are guided by the maturing of our own reflections. But not only that! In my case, I am used to reading other thinkers. As it was said in other posts, I am intended to continue reading and studying other philosophies, as, according to my point of view, it is important to keep reading constantly. The Western tradition has produced many things, and it is never too late to amplify our philosophical horizons. And, particularly this year of 2024, I have dedicated part of my free time to read The World as Will and Representation by Arthur Schopenhauer – if the reader has been following our blog, you will notice in previous posts that this philosopher was already present here when I had the opportunity to appreciate his position regarding the translation. Reading this book was on my reading list for a long time. When it comes to philosophical studies, studying a new line of thought and trying to comprehend a new thinker is a favorable habit for our own philosophical maturation. And Schopenhauer’s book has a specific section focused on the critical approach of the Kantian philosophy, which made me feel happy as a reader of the texts from skeptic "school."

Digression aside, let us get back to Sextus Empiricus’ text. In the first part of the Outlines, Sextus Empiricus shows the most general aspects of Skepticism. In this case, we can notice that the doctor and philosopher bear in mind the Pyrronian Skepticism, whose founder was Phyrro of Elis. As Phyrro spread orally his teachings, he did not leave anything written; then Sextus Empiricus’ works were pivotal so that Phyrro’s thought could be known after having been left as a legacy to the posterity. That is, Sextus Empiricus’ texts rescue and show his views on Phyrronian Skepticism. Thus, in the first part, by means of an accessible text whose exposition is simple, but not least articulated, we find, as we previously mentioned, the general philosophical aspects. Differently from the other dogmatic schools, Skepticism would not pretentiously offer a philosophical system. For antient skeptics, the pretention regarding the philosophical endeavor was much more modest; that is, this pretention would not be intended to show to the world a hermetically systematized report on the nature of things, on the contrary! According to them, we could formulate a report much simpler, that is, something as a description of the apparent things. And differently from the dogmatic systems that articulated their respective philosophies, skeptics saw in each one of these systems different conflicting theorical conceptions among each other, and, in this sense, with multiple dissonant theories on the same question, it seemed unreasonable to place a full stop and consider as finished the development of the philosophical endeavor. However, from the fact that Sextus Empiricus has not offered a philosophical system it does not follows that his thought was incoherent or unrigorous. On the contrary! It is noticeable in Sextus Empiricus’ exposition how his thought is articulated and meticulous. Phyrro was of that kind of philosopher that was more worried about the practical side of his ideas; that is, he favored the ordinary and pragmatic aspects of his teachings. And it was those aspects Sextus Empiricus tried to rescue.

In this sense, the notion of philosophical knowledge becomes problematic if we are not able to report the nature of things. That is, it is not that skeptics did not care or did not give importance to the development of this kind of knowledge. Let us not get things mixed up! The possibility of philosophical knowledge development is a complex and intricate endeavor, that is, it is something full of challenges. It is necessary to be rigorous, and it is also necessary to take the philosophical investigations to the last consequences. In those circumstances, the best thing to be done would be to suspend the judgment to avoid the rashness and the formulation of theories that could become problematic later, and even more problematic if they were thoughtlessly followed by their adepts. So, had skeptical attitude everything to do with a sort of denunciation towards dogmatism? And what was the content of this denunciation? Dogmatism could generate disastrous effects on thought when, allegedly, their respective philosophies consider the development of philosophical endeavor as finished, impeding the possibility of new investigations, questions, the free exercise of the doubts, as well as the raising of new debates. In other words, when their respective philosophies considered as acquired the last stage of the reflexive itinerary.

On the other hand, besides the suspension of judgment and everything that philosophy could think about, debate, and reflect later, skeptics also considered equally important the investigation. And that to such an extent that it should incessantly occur. In this sense, skeptical thought is characterized by, among other things, the maintenance of the investigation when it analyzes the other philosophies. Thus, we have two important elements: On the one hand, the suspension of judgment allows the raising of the free-thinking activity, always on the move, free from dogmas; on the other hand, the investigation nourishes the thought with new philosophical elements that can be critically assessed. That is a quite simple landscape that we can find in the first part of the Outlines. I would like to explore these two aspects a little further.

I heard a bird singing as I walked along the sidewalk for a Spanish class that Saturday morning. I'm not very good at distinguishing birds' songs or even knowing who's who. There are several species, and each one expresses themselves in their own unique way, in addition to possessing particular characteristics. Even if our senses can notice the sounds, it is easy to make a mistake. But certain songs are unmistakable, as that one from "bem-te-vi", for example – “Bem-te-vi” is a bird who is present here in Brazil. However, though we are in the city, in the urban environment, with fewer trees and the prevalence of houses, buildings, concrete, and asphalt, the manifestation of these ways of life live with us, yet in a restricted way – unfortunately. I looked at the tree, and I immediately noticed the bird flying towards the power pole wire. Afterwards, they flew away for another place, following their way. On the other hand, for the ones with hearing disabilities, things might be different. When I faced this scene, Aenesidemus’ first mode, that is, the mode of animals, came to mind.

As I previously said, skeptics suspend judgment against the theoretical formulations that intend to reveal the nature of things. For doing so, they appeal to a series of modes, the modes of suspension, to be successful in their strategies. These modes are employed during the argumentation to produce the suspension of judgment. But this is not enough. What is under consideration here is the denunciation against the disastrous effects produced by dogmatism for the thinking activity. In the first part of Outlines, Sextus Empiricus shows Aenesidemus’ 10 modes (from older skeptics) and Agrippa’s 5 modes, besides the other 2 (from the more recent skeptics), with the aim to highlight how the dogmatic pretention regarding the development of the philosophical knowledge is much more problematic than we can imagine. That is a long exposition where Sextus Empiricus shows why we have good reasons to put under suspicion dogmatic claims. On the other hand, Sextus Empiricus prudently articulates his exposition, as he considers the subject opened and not completely exhausted, once the possibility of existence of other different modes should not be disregarded – as they could be even more suspensive.

When that bird flew away, I got myself imagining how difficult life could be for such an animal who lives in the city. I thought: If the life is so hard in the wild – and here I remember a passage from The World as Will and Representation in which Schopenhauer understands that the wild life is permeated by a constant and uninterrupted fight for life –, imagine how it could be even more hard in the city where the natural resources, food, and water are much more scarce, in sum, the artificially arranged environment to accommodate, in a great extent, the life of human beings! The civilization created for humans does not seem to have considered that our planet was not made solely and exclusively for our species! That is, we, as one more species among the others, live on this planet as the other living beings and ways of life – with their different characteristics and specific constitutions.

Thus, it seems to me that human beings have not any privileges to the detriment of other species. I have the impression that we are not more intelligent or more naturally well-resourced regarding the other species or ways of life. So, what is intelligence? There are so many things that can be done by animals that we humans cannot do without appealing to a technological resource. Birds can fly. A dog can hear certain sound frequency ranges that humans cannot, not to mention their much more accurate sense of smell. Cats can climb the walls, trees, and even the roofs, among other unimaginable things. An ant can carry N times the weight of the own body. The instincts are much more accurate, fast, and reliable than the reason in many circumstances! I have the impression that we have certain characteristics and that we are different from the most different points of view regarding the other species and ways of life. But this would not be a plausible reason for us to claim that we have more rights to the detriment of other species and ways of life. How does a bird might feel living in the city? The answer to the question seems to be obvious, or the question itself might be foolish, but sometimes I wonder if we are thinking about these things when we are hurriedly walking along the streets of the city. In fact, do we even realize what there would be in the city beyond the asphalt and concrete? The planet was not made for us, human beings; we only inhabit within, as the other species and ways of life.

Here it is important to notice how philosophical readings can have their influence under our worldview, and in this case, in our relationship with other animals. If we were solely selfish beings, I have the impression that other species, or even nature as a whole, should exist solely and exclusively to serve our own interests. However, if we investigate more this question, we could put another element in the scale so that inclination could be tended to the equilibrium. In many of our ordinary interactions, or even in our interactions with other animals, we act considering the well-being of others. For example, when we are in the queue of the supermarket with the shopping cart and another one arrives, with just a few items, and asks if it would be possible for her to get our place in the queue to have their items registered in front of us. We will obviously not be selfish. Or even in the case a street cat jumps the wall of our houses and starts living in the backyard with us. We will obviously take care of that small animal, feed them, and give them water. In both examples, we show how altruism can promote selfless actions. In the first case, it produced a kind action. In the second case, it produced a welcome action.

Still in the first part of the Outlines, Sextus Empiricus talks about investigation, one of Skepticism’s characteristics. I have already had the opportunity to talk about this concept in other posts here in our blog. On that occasion, I developed a reflection applied to the translation area. However, the concept of investigation has a wide sense, and its interpretation might be multifaceted. In Sextus Empiricus’ text, the investigation is targeted for the apprehension of the other philosophies as a reflection object. And, in this case, I have the impression that investigation goes hand in hand with curiosity. It is necessary to maintain a nearly insatiable curiosity regarding everything to make investigation possible. Thus, investigating, that is, following the traces, seems like a nourishment. We feed the thought with the philosophical elements from other schools, that is, we throw an apprehensive glance in the sense of having at our disposition other philosophies as our reflection object: Raising questions, analyzing the exposition of an idea, comparing the philosophical thought of the respective authors, perceiving the development line of a doctrine and certain affinities among certain thought schools, formulating objections, etc. All of that is a source of joy, as our intellectual abilities are put on the move. Finally, there are so many different questions raised during the study of a philosophy. And we always maintain in our horizon the suspension of judgment.

When I heard that bird singing, a curiosity regarding so many different aspects of that small animal was immediately born. From the perception of the singing, I asked: "What is their name?"; "How big are they?"; "What are their colors?"; "Where might they be?". It is important to notice how the reading of a philosophical text can have its influence in the way we are able to pose a question mark in front of the things that are shown to us. Here, I am referring to a single specific phenomenon. As skeptics propose themselves to dive into constant and interrupted investigation, I could say that, if we consider the great variety of phenomena that reach the senses, the philosophy, people themselves, and other living beings and ways of life, that is, the world as a whole becomes a huge question mark. The feeling of weirdness, in the front of things, or even in the front of the freshness of novelties, is a constant experience. That is the starting point for the possibility of new discoveries. And we will always be equipped with the entire critical apparatus to problematize the approach.

Thus, everything that was said in this text has no intention to reveal the nature of these ideas. I only made a report about my personal experience, which is singular and circumstantially determined, after the contact with Sextus Empiricus’ texts has become a habit in my life. I also made a report on how these ideas might have a distinct influence in my worldview and, consequently, in my relationships with other animals and other human beings and ways of life. However, the entire report is a report made by a person of a certain age, in the year of 2024, in the middle of the spring – we are in the southern hemisphere – in specific circumstances. Besides, I have no intention to convince other people with my own point of view, as each person has their own points of view and their own considerations regarding the most different aspects of the things. Trying to convince the interlocutor might also be considered a dogmatic way to impose a point of view. And this attitude seems to be incongruent with the aim of skeptic "school." 

On the other hand, it might be senseless to disregard many of the philosophical aspects outlined here. On the one hand, in the Outlines of Scepticism, Sextus Empiricus shows to his readers his meticulous work regarding the treatment of the Skeptical Pyrronian thought against dogmatism. Some specialized commentators say that, among the ancient texts, those from Sextus Empiricus figure among the texts that contain more arguments per page than any other texts. If we compare Sextus Empiricus’ texts with Plato’s texts, for example, we can notice a great difference in the most different ways: In Plato we have a dialogical exposition of his doctrine; in Sextus Empiricus we have an exposition much more argumentative throughout the treatment of dogmatic questions. That is, Pyrronian Skepticism as it was bequeathed to the history of philosophy by Sextus Empiricus might be considered as one of the works that had the care to articulate an infinity of arguments for: 1) promoting the suspension of judgment; and 2) denunciating the disastrous effects of dogmatism. On the other hand, Sextus Empiricus always had the care of making crystal clear to the reader that Pyrrhonism shows certain differences regarding other philosophical schools. For example, there were the ones who asked if Skepticism could be considered a school. And Sextus Empiricus replied that an answer would depend on the person’s understanding of the term "school": In the dogmatic sense, it could not be considered a school; however, in the skeptic sense, that would make sense to talk about a "school."

However, regardless of anything else, I have the impression that the best thing to do in front of all these questions – very fruitful, philosophically rich, and thought-provoking – is to suspend judgment, as there might be a long maturing path of my own ideas ahead. In this moment, a point of view or even the interpretation of Sextus Empiricus’ philosophical text might seem plausible and appropriate. However, in other circumstances, and at a more mature age, maybe a new view can gain more importance for my reflections, not to mention the other elements that gain other contours. There are so many things to be discovered and debated around philosophy. The development of the philosophical endeavor is something of such complexity that, in the actual state of things, sometimes I think that we are only curious infants that have just started touching things. On the one hand, we have the philosophical production articulating their theories; on the other hand, we have Skepticism articulating its critical apparatus. Both in a rich and peaceful tension of conviviality.

 

 

Bibliographical references:

SEXTUS EMPIRICUS Outlines of Scepticism. Edited by Julia Annas and Jonathan Barnes. Cambridge texts in the history of philosophy. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000.

 

 

About the painting:

Henriette Ronner-Knip (1821-1909)

Cache-cache

Oil over panel 

Private collection 

Picture in the public domain

Brazilian Portuguese Translations, Brazilian Portuguese Translator #brazilianportuguesetranslations #brazilianportuguesetranslator

Aporetic Outline I

 

Have you ever thought about how difficult it is to talk about sounds? Unlike other things perceived by the senses of taste, smell, touch, or vision, sounds are perceived differently. The notion of spatial palpability does not drive the auditory senses, yet we are able to identify the source and distance of sounds from us. We cannot perceive colors, shapes, textures, tastes, temperatures, or smells because the auditory object is different. In these situations, the thing becomes perceptible through the other senses. On the other hand, the perception of sound phenomena happens spontaneously for those with the sense of hearing. Sounds can be easily perceived, though sometimes it might be difficult to identify them. They reach to the ears all the time, and all the time we deceive ourselves about them. However, for those with no sense of hearing, unfortunately things might not be like that. For hearing music, all you have to do is turn on the radio and tune in to your favorite station. But there are those who enjoy going to the concerts. Some people also take pleasure in going to concert halls to listen to a recital. And there are further music expressions. For those who appreciate it or for those who make listening to music a habit, things simply happen. The sound events just need to occur for us to notice them. However, when it comes to reporting on the sound phenomenon, things seem to get more complicated. Talking about the sound phenomenon for someone is not the same thing as showing the sound phenomenon itself. It seems obvious to say it, but we do it all the time! Resorting to the language and articulating the terminology is an attempt to depurate the sound phenomenon to make it intelligible. However, words are not music notes, though they can be fitted into a melody. At least two aspects concerning the words flowing through the orality: Sonority and intelligibility. This is an ambiguity, and I have the impression that a good part of the difficulties concerning the temptation to elaborate a report on sound phenomena come from there.

 

 

* * *

 

 

    Talking about sound phenomena might pose a challenge. This is one of the sources in which rests part of the difficulty: Depurating the sound phenomenon and reporting it. Indeed, what is music? How can it be defined? Can sounds be classified and differentiated from each other? In this sense, what is a music note and a noise? And what about a melody? These are some questions for which the music theory offers its answers. Though sounds and noises are propagated through space, these phenomena are not perceived as the other phenomena that are shown in the space. For example, we perceive a diversity of sounds when we listen to a symphony. There are many different instruments in an orchestra. And here we have one ambiguity. The musical instruments express their respective sound phenomena during the symphony course. We perceive the sound phenomena and their subtleties. Sounds differ from one another. And for one disposable to listen to music, there is no need to know what is the name of the musical instrument and what is its role in the orchestra! Sound phenomena come to the ears directly and spontaneously. They simply happen. An interesting challenge: Listen to a symphony and try to identify some sound elements. Indeed, what is the criteria to differentiate, and then to define, one sound from another? In this sense, would not identifying a sound be the same as identifying the musical instrument itself? Then, would the sonority and musical instrument be closely linked? Could both elements, sonority and musical instrument, be merged in a single term? However, if we have one single term merging both elements, there would be a certain level of abstraction involved, and, in this sense, there would also be a certain distance between sonority and musical instrument. However, sonority and musical instrument are two different things. Perceive how we resort to the language to articulate all these notions to try to make the thing intelligible in face of all these difficulties! Questions for which the music theory offers its answers. And I have the impression that a possible report about a symphonic piece, although sonority has certain relations with musical instrument, is not the symphony itself, obviously. Given that a report might not be able to accomplish such complexity.

    Sometimes I think we are condemned to live touching the most immediate surface of the things.

               

 

About the painting:

John Singer Sargent

Rehearsal of the Pasdeloup Orchestra at the Cirque d'Hiver

c. 1879

Oil on canvas

The Art Institute of Chicago

Brazilian Portuguese Translations, Brazilian Portuguese Translator #brazilianportuguesetranslations #brazilianportuguesetranslator

A Story of a Booklet Whose Pages Are Already Yellowed

 

What is the meaning therefore of those general preferences of the town or country life, of a life of action or one of pleasure, of retirement or society; when besides the different inclinations of different men, every one’s experience may convince him, that each of these kinds of life is agreeable in its turn, and that their variety or their judicious mixture chiefly contributes to the rendering all of them agreeable.

The Sceptic, David Hume

 

 

I was skimming a booklet "whose pages are already yellowed" when some memories became lively. I am about to share them with you.

That university student had been accepted to start the graduation in philosophy at a college in São Paulo almost at the end of the 2000’s. With a precarious philosophical repertoire, the single philosophy book that had been read was Plato’s Republic, just before the studies began. Found in a bookstore in "ABC paulista" – a cluster of cities in the metropolitan surroundings of São Paulo –, the book had a white cover, a title in wine red, and a picture in faded gray that represented the Parthenon’s façade. After having found it, the book was put in the hands, some of its pages were skimmed, and then it was decided it should be bought. Afterwards, there was excitement, the book was taken home, and its reading could not wait to be started as soon as possible. So, the journey started like that, and this book has been here until today.

That was where the journey began, but that would not be where my steps would advance. I came to this conclusion after reading the first philosophical texts and after watching some classes when I was already at the university. Professor Paulo Henrique, who taught a great part of the classes in Plato and Ancient Philosophy, was an extremely generous person. His classes were important so that it was possible to build up the notions and better comprehend certain aspects of Platonism. However, I adopted a prudent posture regarding the reception of the philosopher’s ideas with which that student, in this case me, would have contact since the first year of graduation. According to my evaluation, it would be necessary to have more time to study and delve deeper into the doctrines throughout the history of philosophy before being able to establish a philosophical position. Therefore, I concluded that I would not be Platonic.

I would end up discovering that my precarious philosophical repertoire would be a virtue when the studies advanced in the classes, in the debates, and during the exchanging of ideas with colleagues. But what do you mean? I did not come to the university with those philosophical readings, so I could gradually build up my notions while I absorbed the teachings from professors much more experienced who dedicated – and still dedicate – many years of their lives to the study of thought. That is, I did not join the university with a preconceived notion of what philosophy would be – besides, we would discover in the classes that the question "What is Philosophy?" is considered by some thinkers to be one of the most philosophically disconcerting questions. It is common to misinterpret a philosophical text. Moreover, an interpretation may come from wrongly founded traditional misconceptions. I did not go to the university with these readings, but I always had an intellectual disposition that I considered a good ingredient for the thought exercise. I always nourished curiosity before the unknown. Thus, being able to move along the philosophical paths under the direction of expert professors turned out to be formidable.

I have always had a restless mind since I was an adolescent. After joining the university, the opportunity to discover what other philosophers thought on the most different topics was a way to comprehend the humanity within myself gradually. Thus, I was discovering that restlessness was the fruit of reflection, and in this sense, it was part of the course of maturing. At a certain moment, during graduation, I had the impression that a meaningful advancement could be made when I established contact with Professor Porchat’s texts in his Rumo ao Ceticismo through the classes of Professor Piva, who would become my graduation mentor, a person of unique generosity. Then, I decided to change the course of my investigations to better comprehend the proposal of the skeptical "school". Two aspects were important to make me feel interested in it: The first aspect consisted of prudence regarding the studies of the different philosophical doctrines, that is, as the Western tradition was established by Tales, the most diversified thought lines and philosophical schools were developed throughout the history of philosophy. In this sense, with the emergence of all the philosophical schools, it also emerged in the same measure as what Prof. Porchat comprehended to be "o conflito das filosofias"; the second aspect consisted of a very interesting skeptical proposal. The skeptic, before the dogmatic doctrines formulated by the most diversified philosophical schools, which are always in conflict with one another and with equal persuasive force, suspends the judgment and then reaches tranquility. All these teachings, which up to that moment were original in my life, were the fruit of the studies dedicated throughout the classes and from the participation in the group of studies in skepticism also under the orientation of Professor Piva. However, comprehending that skepticism is not a doctrine but an ability takes time – and it would not be different for me. Not to mention its aporetic and zetetic features.

As I have previously said in other posts, discovering the philosophical altruism of the doctor and philosopher Sextus Empiricus after reading his Outlines of Scepticism was one of the most remarkable events in my university journey. Sextus Empiricus’ texts were bequeathed to the history of philosophy as one of the main works on skepticism in ancient times. The skeptical thought has different manifestations, and Sextus Empiricus’ works are the fruit of the comprehension of the Pyrrhonian Skepticism, whose founder was Pyrrho of Elis (365–275 a.C.). Then, knowing that there was the manifestation of Academic Skepticism at Plato’s Academy was an important element that indicated my path was directed to the north.

On a Saturday afternoon, if I still remember well, the day was a bit gray, so I decided to find some books in a second-hand bookshop from "ABC paulista". I needed to prepare some university homework, and then there could be a good place to find them. There was the university library, of course, but I wanted to buy those books just to have them available as often as I could. Professor Piva had already made some comments about a booklet entitled O que é Ceticismo by Plínio Smith. When I arrived there, I started going through the shelves. There were so many books, and that was great! So, when I got to the philosophy section, I did not find what I was looking for, but I ended up finding a booklet "whose pages were already yellowed". I imagine the reader already knows what we are talking about. Yes! O que é Ceticismo. So, I took the book immediately, and then I would start reading it when I got home.

After going through some pages, I got to the chapter "O ceticismo mitigado de David Hume". We had the opportunity to study Hume’s thought when we were in our third year of graduation. At that moment, when we were reading A Treatise of Human Nature, I had already absorbed those classes being guided by Plínio Smith’s interpretation of the mitigated skepticism in his O que é ceticismo – Hume was 27 years old when he finished his Treatise, his first book, composed in three volumes: The book 1 (Of the Understanding) and the book 2 (Of the Passions) were published in 1739; the book 3 (Of Morals) along with the Appendix were published in 1740. I must tell you that, in those circumstances, we had too little time to delve deeper into Hume’s philosophy, and at that moment, at least for me, his thought was shown to be one of the most disconcerting and philosophically rich. The origin of ideas, the foundation of causal inferences, and the foundation of morals, all those philosophical elements were fruitful and original! Everything must be comprehended in detail. I wanted to delve deeper into the studies of Hume’s philosophy as, in those circumstances, we had just an introductory overview. Those questions, restlessness, and everything else started fermenting, and they needed other answers. I got curious to discover other aspects of Hume’s thought.

I decided that I should direct my investigations into a Master’s degree to delve my studies into the comprehension of the skeptic "school" and develop a research work on Hume’s mitigated skepticism. Well, I was approved for the post-graduation program in philosophy at a university in Guarulhos. But it was not only that. I had decided to build up an academic career. I am very thankful to Professor Plínio for the orientation period in which we worked together and, above all, for the opportunity to have known his interpretation of Hume’s mitigated skepticism in his booklet – with just a few pages, but not least important in terms of content. His book, O Ceticismo de Hume, deserves to be read many times – at each reading, a discovery. Unfortunately, I went through a hard moment throughout the post-graduation period, and I needed to interrupt my studies to take care of my health, which was very fragile. That situation compromised the research progress as well as the work in general. My thinking, researching, and writing capabilities were compromised in those circumstances. Today, I am fully recovered and healthy, and my writing capabilities have returned.

That research was not concluded, and it was not possible to put my academic career into practice. However, I joyfully remember many good moments that I lived, such as the pauses for a coffee at the canteen, the post-graduation classes, and the internship days at graduation, when I had the opportunity to teach. It was incredible. I also keep affectionately here on my desk the two brushes I used when I was teaching. On the other hand, thanks to the work developed at graduation, the publication of our translation of Richard Popkin’s article at Sképsis, and the partially completed Master’s degree, today, in addition to being a philosopher, I am a translator. I am also a translator thanks to the studies of the languages I started cultivating throughout my life, among which the French, whose study interest was the fruit of the direct influence coming from the activities that had been started at graduation and whose continuity we had the opportunity to develop at post-graduation. I have been consolidating my career each day. It is also incredible to work with people from different places all around the world. Hume’s philosophical thought is alive in me, and today, my philosophical repertoire is a little bit more diversified, but, if we consider the Western tradition, it is extremely restricted, thus, I intend to keep on studying, besides Hume and skeptical thought themselves, other thinkers. I am also interested in the studies of French philosophy, especially the thought from the Siècle des Lumières. Having some reading years ahead, who knows, is comforting.

I am thankful for the opportunity of that booklet "whose pages are already yellowed" having crossed my path in a second-hand bookshop. 

 

About the painting:

Vincent van Gogh (1853 – 1890)

Field with Irises near Arles

Arles, May 1888

oil on canvas

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation)

Brazilian Portuguese Translations, Brazilian Portuguese Translator #brazilianportuguesetranslations #brazilianportuguesetranslator