The idea of the Comprehensive - by Karl Jaspers

The idea of the Comprehensive is explored in Chapter 3 of Prof. K Jaspers' book Way to Wisdom.

Mind maps on the main ideas of the Comprehensive can be found below:

What are the problems of understanding things as objects?

1. The Problem of Understanding Things as Objects:

   - Jaspers questioned the limitations inherent in viewing everything as mere objects.

   - When we reduce phenomena solely to objects, we risk overlooking their profound significance and inter-connectedness.

   - The challenge lies in recognising that reality transcends mere objectification.

   - Being—that which exists—cannot be neatly categorised as either subject or object.

   - Jaspers proposed a more nuanced approach—one that acknowledges the limitations of the subject-object divide.

2. The Comprehensive:

   - Jaspers introduced the concept of the Comprehensive (or pereichontology).

   - Instead of directly approaching Being (existence), he advocated for an indirect method.

   - The Comprehensive illuminates the sphere within which Being becomes present to us.

   - It acknowledges the subject-object dichotomy but also reveals its limits.

   - Within this framework, Being emerges neither purely as subject nor as object; it defies such categorisation.

   - Jaspers invites us to explore the mystery that lies beyond mere objectification.

   - In doing so, we open ourselves to a richer understanding—one that transcends rigid boundaries.

In summary, Jaspers' philosophy encourages us to move beyond simplistic objectification, recognising that Being reveals itself within the intricate dance of subjectivity and objectivity. 

¹: Fritz Buri, "Jaspers' Philosophy of Existence as a Model for Theological Reflection," *Zeitschrift für Theologie und Kirche* (November 1964), 361–362.

²: Fritz Buri, *How Can We Still Speak Responsibly of God* (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1968), pp. 7–9, 17–18.

³: *Jaspers' Philosophy of Existence*, Springer, [link](https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/bf00140283.pdf)

Source: Conversation with Bing, 11/03/2024

(1) JASPERS' PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE - Springer. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/bf00140283.pdf.

(2) The Subject-Object Dichotomy - Douglas Lockhart. http://www.douglaslockhart.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Subject-Object-Dichotomy.pdf.

(3) The Subject-Object Division in Jaspers, Schopenhauer, and ... - Existenz. https://existenz.us/volumes/Vol.13-1Knauss.pdf.

(4) “The Last Kantian”: Outlines of Karl Jaspers’s ... - Springer. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-44571-3_13.

The Dao De Jing

Chapter 1 of Dao De Jing may help to explain the idea of the Comprehensive:

The Dao that can be told, is not the eternal Dao.

The name that can be named, is not the eternal name.

The unnameable is the eternally real.  

Naming is the origin of all particular things.

Free from desire, you realize the mystery; caught in desire, you see only the manifestations.

Yet mystery and manifestations, arise from the same source. 

This source is called darkness. 

Darkness within darkness, the gateway to all understanding.