Many of us are taught at school that we should know the right answers, that that is a sign of knowledge. As children grow, they learn that society expects certain things of them and that those are the right things. Right answers, right behaviour, right thoughts. And the opposite is, of course, wrong. This approach … Continue reading Spreading the Word: No Such Thing as Absolute Clarity
Parmenides on Truth vs Opinion
For the 5th century BCE pre-Socratic philosopher and leading figure of the Eleatic school Parmenides, truth is universal. It contains everything, unifies all. It is All and, therefore, One. Because of this, truth has the unshakable attribute of certainty. Accordingly, if something cannot pass the test of universality, it cannot generate certainty, so it cannot be the … Continue reading Parmenides on Truth vs Opinion
Culture of Instructions?
What are instructions good for? To present a clear set of actions to follow to attain a certain goal. For example, if I want to successfully assemble any piece of IKEA furniture, I need instructions. Which part goes where and in what order. If I want to learn to drive a car, I need instructions. … Continue reading Culture of Instructions?
One Way to Rule Them All?
What is your preferred way of looking at the world? Of assessing it? Of discriminating between various options and choosing your course of action? Not easy questions, no easy answers. Unless there is one Way to rule them all. But is there? Photo by Alex Kalinin on Unsplash Having read a discussion between two philosophers … Continue reading One Way to Rule Them All?
The Quest for Knowledge
Next to the quest for survival and life itself, I would argue that the quest for knowledge is one of the oldest endeavours of our species. Probably the first 'documented' attempts to understand this world and interpret our place in it are captured in the cave paintings. The currently oldest known cave painting is estimated … Continue reading The Quest for Knowledge
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