Whenever the philosopher imagines that he has grasped the truth, he discovers that he has to start over again, as the research is never ending or complete, and the lesson learned is to break the logic of grasping. Here, the Lebanese thinker Ali Harb describes the apprehension of truth as the apprehension of illusion, or the illusion of apprehension. whose strength is; Philosophers claim to stand on the essence of things and capture their self-reality.
Harb attributes the origin of this illusion to working with the logic of identification and conformity, as embodied by most philosophers from Aristotle, Al-Farabi and Ibn Rushd to Descartes, Kant and Husserl.
And he affirms that the history of philosophy, with what it entails of plurality, difference, or conflict and conflict, in perceptions and opinions, does not testify to philosophers, but rather against them. that is, against the claim of owning the truth, and the witness is that some philosophers write thousands of pages without reaching their goal, in what they want to prove; Since the task is impossible, what we say about reality is not a mirror of the truth, but rather a mere reading that produces its truth and generates its impact and effects, as an effective approach that constitutes the possibility of thinking, regarding the meaning of the object and the criterion of truth or the limits of knowledge.
Harb points out that the illusion of paradise denies reality in order for the philosophers' theories to be valid. The examples are clear in this regard, from Plato to Marx, and from Pierre Bourdieu to Chomsky. Pointing out that it is ironic, in this regard, that Marx theorized the end of capitalist society, so capitalism remains and the socialist project collapses.
Harb explained that philosophers have their achievements, which are reflected in the concepts they created in their analysis of the phenomena, structure and institutions of society, as is the case with the concepts of class, system, nervousness, conflict, theater, symbolic capital, and other sayings or metaphors that describe an aspect of social life. However, when the philosopher thinks about changing the societal reality, he invents a society or a world that has nothing to do with reality.
And he goes to the fact that the world has always changed in contrast to or contrary to the theories of philosophers, including the belief in achieving justice on the basis of equality between people, not only in laws, but in opportunities and fortunes, and the lesson learned is that there are no final gains in terms of rights and freedoms, as long as there are no Final or certain facts, and the wager is the permanent work to create the capabilities and opportunities that expand the space of freedom, and that allow the individual to acquire more ability in terms of making his life and fueling his destiny.
He considered the illusion of rationality to be one of the illusions resulting from human narcissism, and excessive confidence in man himself, as a being who loves truth, justice and equality. Knowing that philosophers are not purely rational beings, nor do societies follow the guidance of reason and virtue, otherwise how do we explain this absurdity and madness, or this impotence and corruption, after all this arsenal of philosophical theories and cognitive systems.
He called for lowering the symbolic ceiling of transcendentalities and ideals, as there are no absolute truths, nor are there extreme or final solutions, especially in this transcendent time in terms of its acceleration, fluidity, and continuous change of data, indicating that the foregoing criticism does not mean surrendering to reality. Rather, it is a reconsideration of our ideas, in order to develop or create new concepts, models, or values, that contribute to breaking boundaries and changing conditions, as much as they open the possibility for a positive and constructive influence in the course of events by way of intervention, mediation, or management and reflection.
Presented by: Ali Al-Rubai @Al_ARobai