Arnold Berleant - master of the art, life and philosophy

Abstract

Arnold Berleant is one of our contemporary philosophers: not just scholars in philosophy, a philosopher is a person who, according to the Greek etymology of the term philosophy (philósophos meaning “loving knowledge”) loves wisdom. In this definition should be stressed not only knowledge or wisdom – which used to be in myopic focus in Western reflection, and could be called the ‘Faustian curse’ of pursuing knowledge while overlooking ethical values – the same importance should be recognized in love, which entails the emotional and sensory engagement of the whole human being. Being ethical goes hand in hand with being wise or knowledgeable, which is presented throughout all his life in his oeuvre by Arnold Berleant.