"The dynamic element in my philosophy, taken as a whole, can be seen as an obstinate and untiring battle against the spirit of abstraction"
- Gabriel Marcel
About this Quote
Gabriel Marcel's quote talks to his philosophy of being a vibrant component in the fight versus abstraction. He thinks that abstraction is a spirit that can be discovered in many aspects of life, from the method we think to the way we connect with others. He sees this spirit as something that requires to be fought against in order to live a significant life. He thinks that by being dynamic and untiring in this fight, we can create a more meaningful life. He believes that by being vibrant and untiring in our battle against abstraction, we can produce a more meaningful life. He believes that by being vibrant and untiring in our fight versus abstraction, we can produce a more significant life that has plenty of happiness and purpose. He thinks that by being vibrant and untiring in our battle versus abstraction, we can create a more significant life that has lots of happiness and purpose, and that is devoid of the spirit of abstraction.
"I think philosophers can do things akin to theoretical scientists, in that, having read about empirical data, they too can think of what hypotheses and theories might account for that data. So there's a continuity between philosophy and science in that way"
"What I mean by photographing as a participant rather than observer is that I'm not only involved directly with some of the activities that I photograph, such as mountain climbing, but even when I'm not I have the philosophy that my mind and body are part of the natural world"