Irrationalism in the 19th and 20th Centuries

Among the isms of the 19^th and 20^th centuries, Irrationalism served as a counterattack to the traditional thoughts of the Enlightenment; it sought to eliminate the conformity of reason as practiced by the philosophes. The ideals of irrationalism stretched from the consciousness of human instincts and struggles to a greater sense of human life as unique. The main theory of irrationalism demonstrated the true revelation of human behavior, which originates from the strife man has within him. What causes man to act the way he does comes not from rational applications and logical thought, but often from the whims and pressures he has within. Irrationalists wanted to encourage the kind of thought that produced a more diverse and well-rounded people.

Historians, scientists, political activists, and life philosophers adopted irrationalism during the late 19^th century. Patrons of the principles of irrationalism include Charles Darwin, Wilhelm Dilthey, and Henri Bergson. Charles Darwin, an English Naturalist, embraced irrationalism because he concluded that all of life's experiences could not be explained and studied through science and methodology. Wilhelm Dilthey, a German historian, emphasized the acute differences between social and natural sciences in relation to historical reason; he approached history with an unstructured sense of reason and rational thought. Henri Bergson, a French Philosopher, provided liberating ideals of irrational thought that rejected science and intellect as the key to fulfill all human desires. Perhaps Bergson described the intrinsic nature of intuition best when he stated that it "sees all things invisible to science."[1]

After exploring many irrational ideals of the 19^th and 20^th centuries, I have come to the vast notion that perhaps the beliefs of the philosophes (during the Enlightenment) were formulated to have a stronghold over the lower classes. Because the citizens were starting to think rationally, it provided the framework for them to think irrationally and in the context that they were being manipulated. They soon realized that the philosophes were using their strict moral code and traditions to conceal the truth about the motives of the upper class to oppress the poor. Irrationalism was expressed by separate people in many distinctive forms including ontology, epistemology, ethics, and anthropology. The varying dimensions of irrationalism established that rational concepts no longer held a formative role in the lives of 19^th and 20^th century thinkers.

References

Irrationalism." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2005. Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service. 24 Oct. 2005 http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9042817>.

[1] Irrationalism." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2005. Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service. 24 Oct. 2005 http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9042817>.