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HPL, PHILOSOPHY & THINKING
by Henrik Harksen © 2005/2006
In this section of my website I will present and discuss HPL's philosophical stance - including what he absolutely abhorred!
HPL's letters and essays reveal the philosophical foundation of the stories he wrote. Here we learn that he had an intelligent and reasoned view on many a fundamental philosophcal discipline. Whether one agrees with him or not, it is always fascinating and, generally, well-argued points of views of a sharp, always curious mind.
For detailed discussion on the specific disciplines click the appropriate link to the left on this page.
I will try and stay true to the overall disciplines, as they are universally acknowledged:
METAPHYSICS:[UNDER CONSTRUCTION] Although I think it is somewhat a misnoumer (since HPL strongly argued against metaphysics), for practical reasons I will present some of his views under this headline. Here you will find out how he argued when coining himself a "determinist," "materialist," "cosmicist," and "atheist," to mention a select few...
EPISTEMOLOGY Although not entering this discipline as often as others, HPL did have some interesting arguments and views concerning knowledge; at times, one has to decipher it from other issues he is discussing, but it's there - and not less interesting for it! As I read him, he is not just the "sceptic" which he calls himself (which is only scepticism in regard to particular, mainly religious issues), but also what can be called an empiricist, with very interesting thoughts on matters concerning knowledge and acquiring it.
ETHICS:[UNDER CONSTRUCTION] The discipline that only appears rarely in his stories, it is still a field which the Gentleman from Providence had strong views on as a private person. The prime theoretical foundation for his views being the Epicurean philosophy of Ancient Greek, HPL presents a curious mix of Epicureanism, modified Victorianism, and racial & cultural relativism.
AESTHETICS:[UNDER CONSTRUCTION]Not only did he present one of the first-ever theories on the weird/fantastic tale (incl., not surprisingly, the horror tale) within a unified line of thought about that particular branch of literature, no, HPL also presents provoking ideas about how to classify and understand art (be that in literature or any other kind of art) in connexion with cognition and knowledge. Although with streaks of e.g. "decadentism," HPL's thoughts here are unique and stand, at large, on their own, I think. In short: he argues that human's craving for aesthetic pleasures - and beauty (which, to him, encompasses 'the ugly') - as being one of the most fundamental of human desires; one which must inevitably be fullfilled one way or other, if one is to be as complete a person as possible. It is in this train of thought that HPL makes interesting links to all the other philosophical disciplines.
EXISTENTIALISM: [UPDATED AUGUST 20, 2006] This is a philosophical discipline which has so forth only been rarely discussed in connection with HPL and his thoughts. However, I feel confident that although it may sound as a contradiction to HPL's mechanistic materialism, much of what he says can justifiably be seen as existentialism. His insistence on the individual's role in "filling the emptiness/meaninglesness of life" and the world view presented in e.g. the famous introducing remarks in "The Call of Cthulhu" (1926) and "Supernatural Horror in Literature" (1927) are clear indicators that there is something substantial waiting to be dug up here...
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY:[UNDER CONSTRUCTION] This is the discipline where HPL seems to change most radically - from a stout, naïve, Conservative British Royalist to a socialist who spoke highly of FDR as the way to change the darkness that had befallen the US during the Depression. Like Joshi, I too think that it's actually a logical development of his thoughts, from a young man to an adult, whose mind had absorbed that life was larger than he initially believed - even in politics. The basic tenents about some sort of intellectual elite ruling the masses stays the same. Probably the only issue where he remains inflexible throughout his whole life can be found under this headline, too: his racism.
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PHILOSOPHY: A VUE
