Read A Book

I recently finished Spanish philosopher Miguel de Unamuno's Tragic Sense of Life (1913), a collection of twelve essays contemplating the interplay of faith and reason. Unamuno is lesser known to English-speaking audiences than his French and German more "academic" contemporaries, yet this is one of the most accessible introductions to existential philosophy I have read. This book relates to my interest in studying philosophy and religion; I have read other works of Unamuno and many other existentialist works, and this one was on my list to read for quite a while.

In short, Unamuno claims that the "tragic sense of life" is the war between science and religion, between reason and faith. Man's ultimate desire is the desire for "immortality of the soul", which religion—Catholicism—grants. A nineteenth-century Spaniard, Unamuno is Roman Catholic himself yet acknowledges that reason contradicts religion, contradicts this pursuit of immortality. We strive simultaneously for immortality and rationality, but recognize the irrationality of the former pursuit. A clash between the head and the heart results, and Unamuno states that our only chance for salvation is this clash itself, the "tragic sense of life" present in all people and peoples. He opts not for the triumph of one over the other but for the necessary and universal tension between the two. Unamuno presents to us a paradoxical existence that embodies both reason and faith. This tension, this conflict, this tragedy, belies a peaceful existence, yet is necessary for an ideal existence. He concludes his book, "may God deny you peace, but give you glory!"

My absolute favorite part of this book is Chapter VI, "In the Depths of the Abyss", because it relates to me the most. I have always preached skepticism and uncertainty and I believe this section articulates my own feelings quite well. Up until this chapter Unamuno does not present a solution for the tragedy of life. He acknowledges that "the vital longing for human immortality finds no consolation in reason and that reason leaves us without consolation in life and life itself without real finality". In this abyss of despair we look to skepticism: "Scepticism, uncertainty...is the foundation upon which the heart's despair must build up its hope". In this chapter Unamuno confirms what I already know with an eloquence I cannot achieve.

Tragic Sense of Life is rather dense, and is a translation, so I would not recommend it to those looking for an easy read. However, there are much denser and more archaic works of philosophy, and as earlier stated, Tragic is one of the more accessible books of this genre I have read, so I would recommend it to those interested in existentialism and/or philosophy of religion. It is work for great minds by a great mind, and has certainly made my list of favorites.