The author I'm writing about is Dante Alighieri. Most people know him from his Inferno, but what I'm curious about is if his bias ruins his credibility on his philosophy or even the self-control he preaches.
One, the speaker is pretty much himself. Two, he's being guided by the ghost of his idol. And three, in his version of Hell, everyone he hates is burning in the fraud and temptations section.
Was Dante qualified to talk about this kind of thing as judgment, when he has bias against those who exiled him and is a fan-boy for his character, Vergil?
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Seeing as Dante's work contains heavy bias against his enemies and toward those he admires, I'd say his judgments should be taken with a grain of salt. Or several, depending on which aspect of his philosophy you intend to write about.
ReplyDeleteI haven't personally read the book, but from what you've posted, I would have to agree with Anna, that Dante does sound biased. But then again, they are not "right" answers in Philosophy, it's all personal interpretation, so some bias is to be expected.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read the book either, however I believe bias in fictional writing can turn out to be a helpful element to have as an author. Maybe it could be a source of inspiration or finding passion in writing. And I agree with Jessica, there is no right or wrong in philosophy.
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