Wednesday Wisdom

WHO?

Herman Hesse was a German-born Swiss writer and novelist who lived from 1877 to 1962. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century, known for his philosophical and introspective works. Herman Hesse was born on July 2, 1877, in Calw Germany. He grew up in a strict Pietist* family and his parents expected him to pursue a career in theology like his father. He left the seminary after only a year, disillusioned with the process of institutional and academic learning. He wrote “I was a good learner, good at Latin though only fair at Greek, but I was not a very manageable boy, and it was only with difficulty that I fitted into the framework of a pietist education that aimed at subduing and breaking the individual personality.”

Between his youth and a rebellious nature, Hesse sought out on a different path. Hesse was an avid reader and focused literature, philosophy and religion. He was influenced by psychology researchers Sigmund Freund and Carl Jung and philosophers Friedrick Nietzsche and Arthur Schopenhauer. Through Schopenhauer** he was introduced to eastern philosophies and religion like Hinduism and Buddhism. He went through a period of intense self-discovery and spiritual exploration, which had a profound impact on his writing. Understanding that experience was path to learning, he traveled to India and encountered Eastern philosophy and spirituality which greatly influenced his thinking. In 1946, Hesse was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his body of work, which had by then gained international acclaim.

What he produced

Hesse’s notable works include "Steppenwolf" (1927), "Narcissus and Goldmund" (1930), and "The Glass Bead Game" (also known as "Magister Ludi") (1943), which is considered one of his masterpieces. "The Glass Bead Game" explores intellectual and spiritual themes in a future society while his earlier works look to the past. Perhaps his most notable and influential work was “Siddhartha" (1922) which explores the life of its main character who embarks on a Homeric journey find the meaning of life and enlightenment.

"Siddhartha" explores themes such as the quest for meaning, the journey to self-discovery, the contrast between spiritual and material pursuits, and the idea that wisdom cannot be simply taught but must be experienced. The novel is a philosophical and spiritual exploration of the human condition, and it ultimately conveys the message that enlightenment is a personal and experiential journey that transcends external teachings and doctrines.

2024 Why should you care

Hesse's works are known for their exploration of themes related to the human psyche, spirituality, and the search for meaning and identity. His writings have had a lasting impact on literature and continue to be studied and admired for their depth and philosophical insights. Siddhartha became a popular read in the 1960s and 70s as a counterculture way to understanding the metaphysical.

His ability to blend Western and Eastern philosophical influences, as well as his exploration of the human condition, have made his works timeless and continue to resonate today. He introduced to a larger audience to the teachings of Buddha (Four Noble Truths) that transcended religion and became more accepted to western culture.

Hesse’s influence can be felt all over modern society which is demonstrated in the search for spiritual awakenings and self-discovery which gained velocity in the 60’s in the United States. However, this is not new to the American search for virtue and understanding and our place in this amazing country of natural abundance.

The Transcendentalist movement, led by American writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau in the 19th century, was rooted in an appreciation for Eastern philosophies, individualism, and a belief in the interconnectedness of all life and nature. This is well before Hesse’s literature was published but demonstrates how multiple of ideas and philosophies could influence American thinking.

The ironic part is the lessons from the 60’s, which were influenced by the works of Hesse, Emerson, the reaction to Vietnam war and the civil rights movement, they are all the first principles from the Enlightenment thinkers who influenced the founding fathers. Eastern philosophy with western ideals all mixed to oppose an unjust war and support the equal treatment of all Americans.

The term liberal means open minded, which suggests learning and open to new ideas of thought. Conservatism meanwhile looks to preserve traditional ideals and build upon them. When we look at these so-called counter ideas, they intersect in a Venn diagram of which there is mostly agreement. Most Americans believe in the same ideals outlined by the founding fathers, the transcendentalists and the eastern philosophy found in Siddhartha.

This is what makes this country great, that we can take all these ideas and philosophies from around the world and apply them to our own. We certainly don’t get it correct all the time, but we have a constitution that is a promise to try to uphold these principles and gives us a tool to measure ourselves.

*Protestant movement in Germany that stressed individual religion and piety and sought reform to institutions of worship

** Schopenhauer philosophy was deeply pessimistic about life and suffering but his metaphysical philosophy aligned with eastern philosophy on transcending ego and desire to achieve inner peace.

And now you know...

Philosophy is the art of thinking, the building block of progress that shapes critical thinking across economics, ethics, religion, and science.

METAPHYSICS: Literally, the term metaphysics means ‘beyond the physical.’ Typically, this is the branch that most people think of when they picture philosophy. In metaphysics, the goal is to answer the what and how questions in life. Who are we, and what are time and space?

LOGIC: The study of reasoning. Much like metaphysics, understanding logic helps to understand and appreciate how we perceive the rest of our world. More than that, it provides a foundation for which to build and interpret arguments and analyses.

ETHICS: The study of morality, right and wrong, good and evil. Ethics tackles difficult conversations by adding weight to actions and decisions. Politics takes ethics to a larger scale, applying it to a group (or groups) of people. Political philosophers study political governments, laws, justice, authority, rights, liberty, ethics, and much more.

AESTHETICS: What is beautiful? Philosophers try to understand, qualify, and quantify what makes art what it is. Aesthetics also takes a deeper look at the artwork itself, trying to understand the meaning behind it, both art as a whole and art on an individual level. A question an aesthetics philosopher would seek to address is whether or not beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.

EPISTEMOLOGY: This is the study and understanding of knowledge. The main question is how do we know? We can question the limitations of logic, how comprehension works, and the ability (or perception) to be certain.