Contemplation - Philosophical Concept | Alexandria
Contemplation, a word often whispered with reverence, signifies a profound and extended thought, inviting us to dwell within the depths of our own minds and, perhaps, the very fabric of existence. It is regarded not merely as thinking, but as a sustained and focused engagement with an idea, a question, or a concept, often with the intent of understanding its nature or significance; a state of prolonged intellectual consideration. It has been called "meditation," "reflection," "rumination," or "consideration". Is it then, simply, a more sophisticated form of thought, or something altogether different?
The echoes of contemplation resonate distinctly through the annals of history. In Greek philosophy, from the time of Plato and prior, theoria referred to "seeing", which evolved to denote intellectual speculation or insight which was considered the source of true happiness, particularly by Aristotle. Within the Abrahamic traditions of the late Antique era, practices akin to contemplation emerged in mystical contexts through prayer, meditation, and scripture which were often undertaken in isolation. Augustine of Hippo’s Confessions offers a deeply introspective account of his own personal journey, filled with philosophical reflection and divine contemplation, while the Neoplatonic philosopher Plotinus described mystical experiences obtained through meditative practices. These thinkers, whose intellectual ferment occurred during the decline of the Roman Empire, helped build the foundation of Western philosophy and spirituality.
Over the centuries, contemplation has interwoven itself into human intellectual and artistic achievement. The medieval monastic contemplative traditions refined sophisticated methods of introspection and meditative prayer, while the Renaissance saw a renewed interest in classical philosophy, as philosophical inquiry and contemplatio became key ingredients to a flourishing intellectual life. The advent of the Enlightenment, propelled by figures who prized rational thinking and critical thinking above all else, such as Immanuel Kant who spoke of the categorical imperative, sought to systematize moral decision-making through moral philosophy. This movement inspired both awe and suspicion, seen by some as a means toward progress, by others as a potential severing of humanity from its spiritual roots, a theme which resonates in the works of Kierkegaard or Nietzsche, who described, through philosophical existentialism, the human's struggle with meaning in the face of an "absurd universe". Such figures ask us to grapple with the unsettling truth: Where shall we seek our values if not within ourselves?
Today, contemplation persists as a refuge from the clamor of modern life, and an indispensable tool for navigating the ethical complexities of our rapidly evolving world, for example, in debates concerning ethics in AI or regarding the nature of human consciousness. It is both a personal and a collective enterprise, continually reshaped by contemporary concerns, as we ask ourselves what it means to be good, to be just, and to live meaningfully in an age defined by unprecedented technological and moral challenges. In our modern attempts to systematize ethics through the experiment ethics we may come to ask, does true contemplation require a suspension of judgment, allowing us to access a deeper, more intuitive level of understanding, or is it, at its heart, a rigorous application of reason?