Metaphysics and physiology in animal magnetism according to Schopenhauer
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4067/s0718-50652025000100206Palabras clave:
Magnetismo animal, Voluntad, Metafísica, Fisiología, Arthur SchopenhauerResumen
For the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, animal magnetism is a natural evidence of his metaphysics of the will. In turn, his metaphysics of the will reveals the true nature of animal magnetism. Therefore, animal magnetism can be approached from both natural and metaphysical points of view. From a metaphysical point of view, animal magnetism is an objectification of the will, while as a natural phenomenon it implies the laws of the physiology of the nervous system. According to Schopenhauer, the will acts directly on phenomena, given how it is not separated from the laws of the phenomenal reality it has created. The objective of the present work is to expose that, in order to produce the phenomenon of animal magnetism, the activity of the nervous system is as necessary as the action of the will.
Keywords: Animal magnetism; will; metaphysics; physiology; Arthur Schopenhauer.
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