Philosophers Who Smoked Weed – Read About 4 Famous People

Anyone who has ever experienced going high can in some way testify to the philosophical sensitivity they experienced during their high. I am certainly not suggesting that one becomes an expert on French existentialism and 20th century critical theory. But perhaps in this slowed-down state of mind of being high, one can infer the ‘vibe’ of French existentialism and critical theory better than any other state of mind. At least 4 famous philosophers who smoked weed thought so. Why exactly?

The curiosity to ask why is the beginning of every great philosophical question that great minds have contested – and often failed – to answer throughout history. Interestingly, the common thread people shared about their experiences climbing high was, for the most part, a surge in curiosity and wonder, that is, looking deeper into everyday things. This specific aspect of gaining high experience is worth exploring and should not be taken lightly. Why? To quote the late American philosopher MJ Adler:

“According to Aristotle, philosophy begins in amazement. It certainly begins in childhood, although for most of us it ends there. “

I ‘weed’ that’s why I am

And that is exactly what inspired this article to examine which famous philosophers smoked weed. Plus what philosophers (and philosophical writers) have said about cannabis all their lives. To say the research for this article was a daunting task, however, would be an understatement. Two things make the task particularly difficult:

1. Legality:

Of course, due to legality – think of “reefer madness” and special offers after school) – these numbers can only hint at the passing, without incriminating yourself. So we have less than simple winking eyes when we’re high (see Albert Einstein below). We must use common judgment to infer from their cryptic writing.

2. Socio-cultural context:

Throughout ancient history, the cannabis plant was not a stigmatized being in its own right. The possibility that Plato or Aristotle, for example, might have gotten high would not be as remarkable then as it would be for our public figures today.

To remove these obstacles, we use judgment. And when necessary, paradoxically, we employ a philosophical inquiry. Whereby we reverse engineer the likelihood that these philosophers will get high on their actual philosophies (assuming, of course, they lived by what they preached).

Albert Einstein’s less obvious wink

“I believe that pipe smoking contributes to a reasonably calm and objective judgment in all human affairs.”

Albert Einstein

Albert’s theories of relativity began with an extremely metaphysical question. To paraphrase, he would imagine what it would be like to ride a ray of light. That was how it came about. This thought experiment spawned the theories that Einstein, Einstein, made. But, aside from his tousled hair and playful stoner-like behavior, how can we conclude that he most likely smoked cannabis. Well, there is no way of knowing for sure, but here are the tangential things he specifically had to say about altered states of mind.

One of the reasons Einstein smoked a pipe was because he believed that smoking helped him relax and gave him a new way of looking at things.

“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness on which it originated”

Albert Einstein

Cannabis changes your consciousness, which for many leads to increased creativity. Because of this, it wouldn’t be hard to believe that Albert Einstein, while not a philosopher, smoked weed.

Memories of Simone de Beauvoir

Simone de Beauvoir, the acclaimed French author, tried marijuana in New York City in 1947 and wrote about it in her book America: Day by Day:

“As in all major cities, people in New York use a lot of drugs,” wrote de Beauvoir. “Cocaine, opium, and heroin have specialized customers, but there is one mild stimulant that is widely used even though it’s illegal – marijuana. Marijuana cigarettes are sold under the counter almost everywhere, especially in Harlem (their economic status leads many black people to illegal drug trafficking). Jazz musicians who need to maintain high intensity all night long like to use it. It has not been found to cause physiological problems; the effect is almost like that of amphetamines, and this substance seems to be less harmful than alcohol. “

Although Simone de Beauvoir’s partner of 51, the famous French existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre, was not among those philosophers who smoked weed (we know of), he also broke the grip of Western narcotics to communicate with a cactus . While pondering phenomenology in the 1970s, Sartre experimented with peyote. De Beauvoir shared how he spent years after his bad trip, followed by crabs. Sartre’s crustacean invasion led him to none other than a young Jacques Lacan, where the two concluded that he was afraid of being alone. Experience is also the implicit inspiration for his magnum opus Nausea. Sartre later concluded, “I was very fond of mescaline.” Imagine that.

Hashish Club by Alexander Dumas & Charles Baudelaire

Gaetano Previati – The Hashish Smokers (1887)

Two of the greatest French writers of the 19th century met regularly to consume cannabis – in hashish form – in what they called Le Club des Hachichins (hashish club). The Hashish Club gathered in the appropriately Gothic Pimodan House, also known as the Hôtel Lauzun, between 1844 and 1849.

Baudelaire’s best piece on hashish was published in 1860 with the title “Les Paradis Artificiels” (Artificial Paradises) – a comparison of hashish and wine “as a means of expanding individuality”.

For him, “among the drugs that are most effective in creating what I call the artificial ideal, and on the one hand the spirits, which can quickly provoke gross frenzy and lay down all spiritual powers, and the perfumes, their excessive ones Use, while rendering more subtle human beings imagination, gradually wears out his physical powers; the two most energetic substances, the most comfortable and the [most handy], are hashish and opium. “

“At first there is a certain absurd, irresistible serenity. The most common words, the simplest ideas take on a new and bizarre aspect. This exhilaration is unbearable for you, but it is useless to oppose it. The demon has penetrated you … “

“Sometimes it happens that people who are totally unsuitable for word games improvise an endless series of word games and totally improbable relationships of ideas capable of surpassing the most capable masters of this absurd craft. But after a few minutes the relationship between ideas becomes so vague and the thread of your thoughts so weak that only your cohorts can understand you. “

“Next, your senses become exceptionally sharp and sharp. Your view is infinite. Your ear can hear the slightest perceptible noise even from the shrillest noises. The slightest ambiguity, the most inexplicable implementation of ideas takes place. There is color in sounds; there is music in colors … You sit and smoke; You believe that you are in your pipe and that your pipe is smoking you; you breathe out in bluish clouds. This fantasy lasts forever. A clear interval and a lot of effort allow you to look at the clock. It turns out that eternity was only a minute. “

“The third phase … is indescribable. It is what the Orientals call ‘kef’, it is total happiness. There is nothing swirling or exciting about it. It is a calm and peaceful bliss. Every philosophical problem is solved. Any difficult question that is a point of contention for theologians and drives thoughtful people to despair becomes clear and transparent. Every contradiction is reconciled. Man has surpassed the gods. “

philosopher Carl Sagan’s open confession

Photo courtesy of Respect my Region

Eventually, Carl Sagan (Nobel Prize Winner) joins the Philosopher Who Smoked Weed, an American astrophysicist, astronomer and cosmologist who wrote several scientific papers and books. He is particularly famous for his theories about extraterrestrial life and the writing and narration of his book and TV series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage (now restarted with Neil DeGrasse Tyson). He has received several awards throughout his life, including a Pulitzer and two Emmys.

Fearing the marijuana stigma, Sagan, 35, wrote a popular essay in 1969 under the pseudonym “Mr. X “. In it, he talks about what he learned about smoking weed and his support for its legalization. Later in life, Sagan openly advocated the legalization of medical marijuana. It wasn’t until three years after Sagan’s death that the public learned that he was the author of this 1969 essay.

Of my personal and subjective adventures with cannabis, taking a deep breath and reflecting on the meaning of life and other great goals has been one of the most pleasant and scary experiences. But as the late Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard said:

“To dare causes fear, but not to dare means to lose yourself … and risk in the highest sense means to become aware of yourself.”

What do you think? How has your personal experience with cannabis invigorated your philosophical sensibilities? Which philosophers who smoked, wed are your favorites? Leave a comment, we’d love to know!