The Underground man of the 19th Century : a comparative study on Nietzsche and Marx

Download
2013
Acar, Zeliha Burcu
In this thesis I searched for an Underground Man in Nietzsche and Marx. My search depends on an epistemological ascertainment. Kant’s argument that the human mind cannot achieve knowledge of the thing-in-itself lies in the background of my thesis. I think that this argument is connected with the origins of modern philosophy. My thesis is concentrated on the 19th century. I perceived that with Kant’s argument the fact that we can know this world within a subjective framework is emphasized especially in this century. The emphasis on a subjective framework is grounded on Kant’s philosophy. This emphasis has a significant role in the epistemological arguments of Nietzsche and Marx. They also insist on the role of subjective contribution in knowledge. However their attitude towards epistemology is different from Kantian philosophy in that they emphasize social, historical and economical conditions. Thus, I call attention to the fact that they transpose epistemology into a social and historical context. My conception of the Underground Man is born in this social context. My thesis aims at making room for an analysis of the Underground Man who is conceived in opposition to the Kantian understanding of the subject, in the context of are Nietzsche’s and Marx’s social and epistemological analyses.

Suggestions

Nietzsche on the Relation Between Language and Philosophy
Yıldız, Necdet; İnam, Ahmet; Department of Philosophy (2013)
This thesis analyzes the relation between language and philosophy in the thought of Nietzsche. Nietzsche criticized philosophy as traditional metaphysics mainly because he thinks that it denies life. What in language is life-denying for Nietzsche? In this study, an answer to this question is attempted, and Nietzsche’s usage of language is claimed to be consistent with his criticism of the metaphysics of language.
The concept of evil in the early modern philosophy and Kant’s doctrine of radical evil
Demirci, Ahmet Emre; Ceylan, Yasin; Department of Psychology (2017)
The aim of my thesis is to shed light on the conception of evil in the early modern philosophy and specifically, as known as the last representative of the period, analyze Kant’s account of radical evil within the boundaries of his moral philosophy. In order to actualize this aim, I started with naming the major philosopher of the early modern philosophy who contributed most to the discussions on the problem of evil. I reviewed the views of Descartes, Spinoza, Bayle, Leibniz, and Hume on the problem of evil...
Irony as a philosophical attitude in socrates
Korkut, Hacer; İnam, Ahmet; Department of Philosophy (2007)
This thesis analyzes the reasons for Socrates' being presented as a paradoxical figure in the early dialogues of Plato. Irony as a fundamental philosophical attitude in Socratic philosophy is discussed with reference to some of the major philosophers of the history of philosophy. The thesis also suggests the possibility of seeing philosophy as an ironic activity and it traces the etymology of the concept of irony in terms of its philosophical importance.
The critiques of the enlightenment by Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno and their understanding of a new method and philosophy
Yenisoy, Eylem; Turan, Şeref Halil; Department of Philosophy (2006)
The strong part of Horkheimer and Adorno’s philosophy is their critique of the Enlightenment. They argue that the consequent of the Enlightenment has been the destruction of the Enlightenment itself. There are two main reasons in the background of this destruction. First of them is the destruction of individual because of the understanding of reason in the Enlightenment. Individuals cannot define their existence beyond the determined roles of society any more. The second reason is the certain distinction be...
Marx's critique of Hegel : stages in Marx's appropriation of dialectic
Kılınç, Doğan Barış; Turan, Şeref Halil; Department of Philosophy (2013)
The purpose of this thesis is to trace Marx’s critique of Hegel from the beginning to the end and to draw attention to his continuous dialogue with Hegel, which results in Marx’s appropriation of Hegel’s dialectic in all its aspects. To this aim, we will focus on the texts in which Marx criticizes Hegel and try to understand how he develops his position against Hegel’s philosophy. Marx has always become in a critical relationship with Hegel’s philosophy and considered it as a philosophy which must be transc...
Citation Formats
Z. B. Acar, “The Underground man of the 19th Century : a comparative study on Nietzsche and Marx,” Ph.D. - Doctoral Program, Middle East Technical University, 2013.