Last week I wrote an introduction article giving an overview of the historical ground we will cover in the roughly 130 years leading up to the famous Greek philosopher Socrates. This post is the first part of our journey. We will visit the Asian side of Greek city-states (Asia Minor): the Ionian region where, so … Continue reading 130 Years Before Socrates: Historical Exploration (Part 1 – Persians Conquer Ionia)
130 Years Before Socrates: Historical Exploration (Introduction)
Pre-Socratics in the history of philosophy are a group of Greek thinkers who lived and contemplated the nature of reality before the great Master of Western philosophy (a bit like Yoda from Star Wars), Socrates, was born. By the way, he was born in Athens in 469 BCE. Despite his monumental role, Socrates was not … Continue reading 130 Years Before Socrates: Historical Exploration (Introduction)
Why do We Like Happy Endings?
Many people like stories with happy endings. I am among them. We prefer such stories. We are ready to accept almost any hardship that the characters of a narrative face while the story unfolds, as long as it ends well. As the famous John Lennon`s quote goes: "Everything will be okay in the end. If … Continue reading Why do We Like Happy Endings?
The Quest for the Unknown in the Familiar: Insights
Having now returned from my vacation and my exploration quest, I would like to offer some insights - to you and myself. This year vacation was a little unusual. I went back home and tried looking at it with fresh eyes, instead of going to some new and yet unfamiliar place. It was a conscious, … Continue reading The Quest for the Unknown in the Familiar: Insights
What Can Books Teach us About Change?
While still on my journey through hometown, exploring the unknown in the familiar, I wanted to share with you this quote. I saw it at the same exhibition I mentioned previously. It seems to me that it captures the idea of change wonderfully. We all know that change is inevitable in life and yet we … Continue reading What Can Books Teach us About Change?
Travelling at Home or Finding the Unknown in the Familiar
Going for a trip on vacation is difficult these days. I live in Europe, and at the time of writing it is possible to travel, albeit with some restrictions. However, it's pretty clear that it will not be your usual vacation experience. So, what to do? Well, isn't this the perfect time to think about … Continue reading Travelling at Home or Finding the Unknown in the Familiar
What Does It Mean to Be a Hero?
One day many, many years ago I was working on an assignment for my literature class at school. We had read the story of the national mythological hero and had to write an essay on it. I can no longer remember the exact title of the essay, but it had to do with heroism and … Continue reading What Does It Mean to Be a Hero?
Meaning in the Words – Where it Comes From?
"The ships leave shore,Minerva steers."Homer, The Odyssey, Book Two A very short line of only six words. What does it tell us? Does it tell us anything meaningful? Well, that depends on whether we know what or who Minerva is, but more than that - our appreciation of these words rests on our understanding of … Continue reading Meaning in the Words – Where it Comes From?
The Meaning of Objectivity, Reality, Truth – Part II (Final)
In the first part of this article (published last week), I stopped at the appearance on the stage of Plato and his ideas of what is real, as expressed in his famous cave allegory. Now, I jump right in and pick up from exploring Plato`s thoughts on the topic of reality. Afterwards, I offer some … Continue reading The Meaning of Objectivity, Reality, Truth – Part II (Final)
Spreading the Word: a Talk on Postmodernism
In this week's "Spreading the Word", I share with you a video where philosopher Dr. Stephen Hicks talks about postmodernism. Lately I found myself 'stumbling' on this concept more and more often, so I thought it would be helpful to try and understand it better. In his talk, Dr. Hicks takes the audience not just … Continue reading Spreading the Word: a Talk on Postmodernism
humanfactor 