Philosophy Discussion Forums | A Humans-Only Club for Open-Minded Discussion & Debate

[XavierAlex]

Don Quixote or "the Ingenious Gentleman from La Mancha" is usually considered a humorous pieces about a crazy guy "chasing windmills." Which most assume his delusion of being a knight is exactly that, a delusion and only a delusion.

When I personally read the story, translated by Samuel Putnam, I saw a much different delusion. Which not only made him a protagonist, but a hero. Hero could have many interpretations, especially with a book like Don Quixote. But I see the general definition as right v. wrong, despite the complexity and nature of those ideas in themselves.

Don Quixote's role is to right wrongs, and while this is out-of-place, out-of-time, because knighthood is like the fairy tales he read, he eventually causes some good in the world. And this is how he is hero, indirectly.

The good I see he causes is chance meetings and chance fortunes in the story, so that by the end, everyone wants the knight back.

So I guess my question is: is Don Quixote delusional or heroic?

[BaruchSpinoza]

Don Quixote or "the Ingenious Gentleman from La Mancha" is usually considered a humorous pieces about a crazy guy "chasing windmills." Which most assume his delusion of being a knight is exactly that, a delusion and only a delusion.

When I personally read the story, translated by Samuel Putnam, I saw a much different delusion. Which not only made him a protagonist, but a hero. Hero could have many interpretations, especially with a book like Don Quixote. But I see the general definition as right v. wrong, despite the complexity and nature of those ideas in themselves.

Don Quixote's role is to right wrongs, and while this is out-of-place, out-of-time, because knighthood is like the fairy tales he read, he eventually causes some good in the world. And this is how he is hero, indirectly.

The good I see he causes is chance meetings and chance fortunes in the story, so that by the end, everyone wants the knight back.

So I guess my question is: is Don Quixote delusional or heroic?

I think the intention of Cervantes seems to be to pose DonQ as a man out of his time; delusional and heroic. SO both crazy and a hero. I have not read the book myself, but have seen a couple of tv/films on DonQ. Don is a dreamer and years for a mythical past that was never what it appeared to be. In reality the myth of the noble knight, fighting for the virtue of the maiden was never the truth, it was always a delusion. Don is odd in that he fights to make the delusion real, as so many try to do. In the end he necessarily fails.

[Belinda]

I think the intention of Cervantes seems to be to pose DonQ as a man out of his time; delusional and heroic. SO both crazy and a hero. I have not read the book myself, but have seen a couple of tv/films on DonQ. Don is a dreamer and years for a mythical past that was never what it appeared to be. In reality the myth of the noble knight, fighting for the virtue of the maiden was never the truth, it was always a delusion. Don is odd in that he fights to make the delusion real, as so many try to do. In the end he necessarily fails.

Yes, I think that it is Quixotic to waste courage on unreasoned projects. Rosinante was skeletal because Don Quixote was carried along on courage that was starved of reason. Courage and compassion are great but without reason they are fools' motivations.

[Xris]

Romantically inspired but incapable of fulfilling his quests. A reflection of us all can be seen in this lovable fool. So in equal measures a fool and hero. I would not mind that epitaph, in all honesty it could be worse.

[Belinda]

Of course we love him Xris, but he doesn't get the work done.

[Bermudj]

Of course we love him Xris, but he doesn't get the work done.

He is a bit of both. Would you love him if he was real? Would he survive if he were real?

[Belinda]

Bermudj, Don Quixote is real. Don Quixote represents a particular view of virtue, and shows how this view of virtue is inadequate. If 'real' means true to the facts of the human condition, Don Quixote is as real as facts in an anatomy book.

[Bermudj]

Bermudj, Don Quixote is real. Don Quixote represents a particular view of virtue, and shows how this view of virtue is inadequate. If 'real' means true to the facts of the human condition, Don Quixote is as real as facts in an anatomy book.

Are you saying that those humans with such virtues cannot survive?

[Belinda]

I am saying that Quixotic persons are less likely to survive that persons who use their reason and can learn from experience.We may love them but they often need to be supported by practical people.Just as Don Quixote was supported by the practical and ordinary Sancho Panza on his practical and ordinary donkey.

[Bermudj]

I am saying that Quixotic persons are less likely to survive that persons who use their reason and can learn from experience.We may love them but they often need to be supported by practical people.Just as Don Quixote was supported by the practical and ordinary Sancho Panza on his practical and ordinary donkey.

Yes I agree 100% and thanks.

[XavierAlex]

I appreciate the responses. If Quixote people are supported by practical Sancho Panzas, what do you make of scenes where the delusions are encouraged by others? Isn't Sancho Panza eyes for Don Quixote? And those who encourage the delusion and humor him much like those we meet in reality. What do you think they represent?

[Belinda]

I guess that soft hearted supporters of the Quixotic represent over-romantic people who need to get in touch more with the harsh facts of life IMO.

[Xris]

They represent the desires in all of us for a fictional romantic world. Like the morning mist that hides the harsh reality of our surroundings.

[Hereandnow]

The romantics held that it was in the imagination that we beheld the ideals that were too perfect for this physical world. if you think abot it, there is a point here: the loftier self with the profoundest and most beautiful interpretative grasp of truth has little to do with the mere practical affairs of daily life. ideals have no place here in Plato's world of becomng. Perhaps they belong to a higher order of things. And this is Quixote: Is spite of a world that in all of its rough vulgarity resists the attempt to agrandize it, Quixote stands above it, almost Christ-like in his defiance of others' regard, and envisions the world as an ideal. Gatsby is a lot like this.

[XavierAlex]

Cervantes has Quixote on his deathbed repent and realize that all he was doing was foolish, yet Sancho Panza and, I think, the doctor, among others wish he stayed the foolish knight idealizing, romanticizing. I was always intrigued and never understood this ending, but according to this thread, it would seem to me that it stands for something or represents something? What is this scene? Is it the desires of everyone that harsh reality shouldn't come crashing down? Is it that this Quixotic view parallels the ideal world and a religious view?