Gabriel Marcel: Philosophy of Existence as Neosocratism

Abstract

This article offers some considerations on the human condition of itinerancy, of the homo viator, according to Gabriel Marcel’s conception, with the task of demonstrating its resemblance with Socratic humanism. Homo viator, which realizes himself through pilgrimage and
dispossession, does not founds in reason the safety that our time has consecrated by means of predictability in technology deeds and in possessing sphere. The refusal to possessing and the option for itinerancy characterizes the decision for freedom provided by ignorance, and the possibility of choosing a direction. The pilgrim man is the one which crosses a distance in order to change himself, to being. In this sense, Marcel points out the insufficiency of philosophical systems that tend to understand humans situation within closed models. On the contrary, the author appeals to meaning of mystery, as a metaproblem, in order to approach the human being who transcends both reason and absurd, and who is faithful in his course, as he is conceived in Socratic and neo-Socratic humanism.