Biosophy
Encyclopedia
Biosophy, meaning wisdom of life, is a humanist
movement heavily influenced by the 17th-century philosopher
Baruch Spinoza
. It is "the science and art of intelligent living based on the awareness and practice of spiritual values, ethical-social principles and character qualities essential to individual freedom and social harmony" http://biosophicalinstitute.tripod.com/objectives.htm. It stands in relation to biology
, which can be broadly described as the understanding of life.
(1899-1990), who used biology
as the foundation of his philosophy
. Zapffe first set out his ideas in Den sidste Messias
(en. The Last Messiah) (1933). Later Zapffe gave a more systematic defence in his philosophical treatise Om det tragiske (en. On the tragic) (1941). The Biosophical Institute claims that Dr. Frederick Kettner (1886-1957) was the founder of biosophy http://biosophicalinstitute.tripod.com/kettner.htm. Kettner was himself originally inspired by the organicism
of Constantin Brunner
.
Contemporary 'biosophers' include Jong Bhak, who defines Biosophy as a "new way of performing philosophy generated from scientific and biological awareness" http://biosophy.org/index.php/Main_Page. Bhak developed his theory of Biosophy while studying at Cambridge university in 1995 and afterwards. The main difference of Bhak's biosophy from other philosophy is that his biosophy is a computable philosophy. It borrows Russell's logicism and extends it to a computational set of ideas and knowledge. One ultimate aim of biosophy is to construct a logical thinking machine that can do philosophy for human beings. See more on this http://biosophy.org.
and existentialism
. He is also sometimes regarded as a nihilist
.
The Biosophy Program was presented on the Internet by Anna Öhman & Svenolov Lindgren in January 1998 http://web.archive.org/web/20091026234617/http://geocities.com/biosophy/. They noted that "the term biosophy was previously used by Zapffe (1941) in a literary context for the analysis of human social life based on philosophy of existence and biological facts. Such a narrow circumscription of biosophy is in our opinion no obstacle to widen the definition to encompass all systematic thinking on biological issues."
The Biosophy Program was intended to circumscribe and systemize biological studies in a philosophical framework to support teaching at courses on philosophy and courses on biology. The biosophical thinking is defined by Öhman & Lindgren in five philosophical fields and discriminated from Næss’ ecosophy.
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
movement heavily influenced by the 17th-century philosopher
17th-century philosophy
17th-century philosophy in the Western world is generally regarded as being the start of modern philosophy, and a departure from the medieval approach, especially Scholasticism....
Baruch Spinoza
Baruch Spinoza
Baruch de Spinoza and later Benedict de Spinoza was a Dutch Jewish philosopher. Revealing considerable scientific aptitude, the breadth and importance of Spinoza's work was not fully realized until years after his death...
. It is "the science and art of intelligent living based on the awareness and practice of spiritual values, ethical-social principles and character qualities essential to individual freedom and social harmony" http://biosophicalinstitute.tripod.com/objectives.htm. It stands in relation to biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, which can be broadly described as the understanding of life.
History
The term Biosophy was probably first used in 1806 by Ignaz Paul Vitalis Troxler, a Swiss philosopher whose early works followed F. W. J. Schelling. It was later used by other philosophers like Peter Wessel ZapffePeter Wessel Zapffe
Peter Wessel Zapffe was a Norwegian metaphysician, author and mountaineer. He was well known for his somewhat pessimistic view of human existence and his philosophy is widely considered to be pessimistic, much like the work of the earlier philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, by whom he was inspired...
(1899-1990), who used biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
as the foundation of his philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. Zapffe first set out his ideas in Den sidste Messias
Den sidste Messias
Den sidste Messias , published in 1933, is one of Peter Wessel Zapffe's most significant essays as well as concepts, which sums up his own thoughts from his book, On the Tragic, and, as a theory describes a reinterpretation of Friedrich Nietzsche's Übermensch...
(en. The Last Messiah) (1933). Later Zapffe gave a more systematic defence in his philosophical treatise Om det tragiske (en. On the tragic) (1941). The Biosophical Institute claims that Dr. Frederick Kettner (1886-1957) was the founder of biosophy http://biosophicalinstitute.tripod.com/kettner.htm. Kettner was himself originally inspired by the organicism
Organicism
Organicism is a philosophical orientation that asserts that reality is best understood as an organic whole. By definition it is close to holism. Plato, Hobbes or Constantin Brunner are examples of such philosophical thought....
of Constantin Brunner
Constantin Brunner
Constantin Brunner was the pen-name of the German Jewish philosopher Arjeh Yehuda Wertheimer . He was born in Altona . He came from a prominent Jewish family that had lived in the vicinity of Hamburg for generations; his grandfather, Akiba Wertheimer, was chief Rabbi of Altona and Schleswig-Holstein...
.
Contemporary 'biosophers' include Jong Bhak, who defines Biosophy as a "new way of performing philosophy generated from scientific and biological awareness" http://biosophy.org/index.php/Main_Page. Bhak developed his theory of Biosophy while studying at Cambridge university in 1995 and afterwards. The main difference of Bhak's biosophy from other philosophy is that his biosophy is a computable philosophy. It borrows Russell's logicism and extends it to a computational set of ideas and knowledge. One ultimate aim of biosophy is to construct a logical thinking machine that can do philosophy for human beings. See more on this http://biosophy.org.
Theory of Biosophy
Zapffe's arguments have been understood in relation to philosophical pessimismPessimism
Pessimism, from the Latin word pessimus , is a state of mind in which one perceives life negatively. Value judgments may vary dramatically between individuals, even when judgments of fact are undisputed. The most common example of this phenomenon is the "Is the glass half empty or half full?"...
and existentialism
Existentialism
Existentialism is a term applied to a school of 19th- and 20th-century philosophers who, despite profound doctrinal differences, shared the belief that philosophical thinking begins with the human subject—not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual...
. He is also sometimes regarded as a nihilist
Nihilism
Nihilism is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value...
.
The Biosophy Program was presented on the Internet by Anna Öhman & Svenolov Lindgren in January 1998 http://web.archive.org/web/20091026234617/http://geocities.com/biosophy/. They noted that "the term biosophy was previously used by Zapffe (1941) in a literary context for the analysis of human social life based on philosophy of existence and biological facts. Such a narrow circumscription of biosophy is in our opinion no obstacle to widen the definition to encompass all systematic thinking on biological issues."
The Biosophy Program was intended to circumscribe and systemize biological studies in a philosophical framework to support teaching at courses on philosophy and courses on biology. The biosophical thinking is defined by Öhman & Lindgren in five philosophical fields and discriminated from Næss’ ecosophy.
Objectives
- To create biosophical groups for character and peace education where the individual has opportunities of self-improvement.
- To encourage integration among individuals based on their mutual interest in a spiritual purpose in life.
- To network with other groups and organizations interested in character and peace education working cooperatively with them.
- To replace the blind acceptance of theological beliefs, superstitionSuperstitionSuperstition is a belief in supernatural causality: that one event leads to the cause of another without any process in the physical world linking the two events....
s and dogmaDogmaDogma is the established belief or doctrine held by a religion, or a particular group or organization. It is authoritative and not to be disputed, doubted, or diverged from, by the practitioners or believers...
s with the cultivation of spiritual intelligence as the basis for the Religion of Freedom and Friendship. - To create a world-fellowship of peacePeacePeace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
-loving human beings who have overcome religious, national, racial and social prejudicePrejudicePrejudice is making a judgment or assumption about someone or something before having enough knowledge to be able to do so with guaranteed accuracy, or "judging a book by its cover"...
s who can work creatively for the growth of democracy, spiritual personal growth and world peace. - To work for the synthesis of religion, philosophy, science, education and art.
- To perpetuate and advance Dr. Frederick Kettner's principles and work for the development and cultivation of the character and peace nature in young people.
- To create a Peace Department in the national governments headed by a Secretary of Peace, and to establish peace universities.
- To establish a world-fellowship of thinking human beings who can work creatively for the growth of spiritual democracyDemocracyDemocracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and world peace. - To cooperate in the advancement of humanity from civilization to the age of soulization.