#319 Unamuno: The Tragic Sense of Life

Follow up:

• Yesterday we discussed the New Hampshire primary. Who won? What do you think the significance might be?

Discussion on Unamuno:

• Why does Unamuno invoke "the zon politikhon [political animal] of Aristotle, the social contractor of Rousseau, the homo economicus [economic man] of the Manchester school, the homo sapiens of Linnaeus"? What context is he trying to establish? How does it lay the foundation for his argument?
• In your own words, what is Unamuno's core critique of Descartes in this passage? Specifically, in his view what is wrong with Descartes' conclusion "I think, therefore I am"?
• What do Descartes and Unamuno agree on?
• If you were to respond to Unamuno in defense of Descartes, what would you say?
• What implications does Unamuno's ideas have for the way your own life and society is organized? Or, more specifically: What would Unamuno think about the education you've received and the educational institutions you have attended—and, in the future, hope to attend?

Homework: Assignment #320