Having finished one year`s course in philosophy, here is a question I asked myself last weekend - what is philosophy for me? It is a state of mind and an approach to life, I responded to myself. Having an engaging dialogue with oneself is completely acceptable in philosophy. Deep, broad and well-argued thoughts are welcome. … Continue reading Philosophical Essay on Philosophy (Part I)
Spreading the Word: Continental vs Analytic Philosophy
In this week's "Spreading the Word", I share with you a podcast episode. It is one of BBC's In Our Time podcast. The topic of discussion is the so-called continental-analytic split in philosophy. I learned about the existence of such split only very recently and have been trying to find a good, comprehensive explanation of … Continue reading Spreading the Word: Continental vs Analytic Philosophy
Anaximander – the Second Philosopher of Miletus
In one of my previous articles on the ancient Greek philosophers before Socrates (the 'pre-Socratics') I wrote about the first one of them on record - Thales. Now it is time to explore the second of the 'Milesian trio' - Anaximander. All three lived in the city of Miletus in 6th century BCE, hence the … Continue reading Anaximander – the Second Philosopher of Miletus
Sometimes We Need to Shift Focus
It is fascinating how our minds work. They make connections between seemingly unrelated pieces of information and turn them into original, interesting insights. Afterwards, it can be impossible to explain where you got that great idea from! That`s how creativity works and that is where the roots of our deepest knowledge are hidden. So, sometimes … Continue reading Sometimes We Need to Shift Focus
9 Philosophical Quotes – April Edition
With just a tiny bit of delay, here comes the April edition of selected philosophical quotes. March selection is available here. The goal is simple: take my recent readings, select a bite-size amount of philosophical quotes that caused some reaction in me, publish them here on humanfactor.blog I am an owl from Pixabay. Here is April … Continue reading 9 Philosophical Quotes – April Edition
Thales of Miletus or the First Greek Philosopher
The first ancient Greek philosopher on record, by the name of Thales, lived and pondered about the nature of things in the city of Miletus some 2,600 years ago. He is among those thinkers who will be called the Pre-Socratics (all who were before Socrates. i.e. a period of ~150 years). Also, he belongs to … Continue reading Thales of Miletus or the First Greek Philosopher
Before Socrates – Origins of Western Philosophy (Part 2 of 2)
Last week I wrote the first part of this article. In it, I started drawing the historical background leading up to the first recorded ancient Greek philosopher - Thales. In this second part, I finish the article and bring our time journey from its last stop (~10th/9th century BC) some 300-400 years ahead to the … Continue reading Before Socrates – Origins of Western Philosophy (Part 2 of 2)
Before Socrates – Origins of Western Philosophy (Part 1 of 2)
It is ironic, really - a man who made it his point to never write down any of his thoughts and claimed that he knew nothing is also the man who is among the most famous western philosophers. One of the "founding fathers", so to speak. I am referring to Socrates, of course. Luckily, his … Continue reading Before Socrates – Origins of Western Philosophy (Part 1 of 2)
Socrates in Prison and We in Self-Isolation
Many of us are in self-isolation these days and our freedom of movement (and socialising) is restricted. In most cases, it is because our respective governments decided this way. Although we understand the motivation, the reasoning and the purpose of these imposed measures, still - it is a limitation of some of our basic freedoms … Continue reading Socrates in Prison and We in Self-Isolation
10 Philosophical Quotes – March Edition
Here comes the March edition of selected philosophical quotes. February selection is available here. The goal is simple: take my recent readings, select a bite-size amount of philosophical quotes that caused some reaction in me, publish them here on humanfactor.blog I am an owl from Pixabay. Here is March selection of philosophical quotes. Hope you enjoy them! … Continue reading 10 Philosophical Quotes – March Edition
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