The definitions of a philosophe, which are found among classic thinkers, differed depending on the beliefs they held and the interests they followed in their professional activities. As examples, the ideas of Kant, Diderot, Dumarsais, and Jacob will be examined from the perspective of what a philosophe is and what qualities are essential. According to Kramnick (1995), Kant believed that between knowledge and will, a philosophe had the power of judgment, the highest faculty of feeling allowing to explain specific aspects of human existence. Partially, this doctrine was similar to that of Diderot who, as Kramnick (1995) states, also resorted to the theories of reason but, at the same time, emphasized the union of feelings with rational judgments, which was unlike Kant’s concept. In other words, in Diderot’s understanding, a philosophe could be guided only by knowledge since the lack of connection with emotional perception made the mind superficial.
The doctrines of Dumarsais and Jacob differed from other concepts significantly and did not have much in common with the ideas of other thinkers about what a philosophe was. Kramnick (1995) provides the interpretation of Dumarsais who noted that a critical quality inherent in a philosophe was the ability not to confuse truth with probability without good reason. The thinker believed that it was better to deliberately abandon judgment than to make it unfounded, and a philosophe was to adhere to such a doctrine. Jacob’s ideas are unique and different from others mainly because he puts human anthropology and authentic nature at the forefront, which a philosophe has to learn to understand the aspects of existence. As Kramnick (1995) remarks, Jacob is of the opinion about the multifaceted development of humans, and his work argues that a philosophe needs to assess deep instincts that impel actions. All the doctrines differ in unique approaches and have little in common, with the exception of Kant’ and Diderot’s concepts.
Reference
Kramnick, I. (Ed.). (1995). The portable enlightenment reader. Penguin Books.