Very few of us have had a chance to look at our planet. Look at it as if from a spacecraft passing by on its way to some unknown destination. We may be used to the idea of our planet as a pale blue dot and may have seen pictures of it, which is already a lot. But what … Continue reading Shifting Perspective
Philosophical Brief: Unexperienced Experience
How can there be an 'unexperienced experience'? Isn't it an impossibility, a contradiction? Not according to the philosopher Jacques Derrida. He uses the term ‘unexperienced experience’ when discussing the experience of imminent death (that is there in suspension and not in actual fact - all simultaneously) in Maurice Blanchot's narrative “The Instant of my Death”. … Continue reading Philosophical Brief: Unexperienced Experience
Spreading the Word: Embodied Time Perception
The way we experience time is subjective. Philosophers, especially phenomenologists, have recognised and offered their accounts of it at least from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Our experience of time or the "lived-time" remains one of the fascinating directions of philosophical exploration. For example, in this article, the author suggests how the idea … Continue reading Spreading the Word: Embodied Time Perception
Spreading the Word: Different Worlds We Experience
When we experience the world and interpret its meaning, it is not so much "I'll believe it when I see it", it is rather "I will see it if I believe it". And - in the way that I believe it to be. Curious? Then you might be interested in this short BBC Ideas video: … Continue reading Spreading the Word: Different Worlds We Experience
What is More Real – Experience or Measurement?
What's the temperature outside right now? How would you check it - look out the window, perhaps open it to get a feel, or look into your prefered weather app? I'm from a generation that still remembers life without mobile phones and the internet, but that got quickly used to all the comforts these technologies … Continue reading What is More Real – Experience or Measurement?
Philosophical Notes: Is Kant an Enlightenment Thinker?
There are different views about this question. Some scholars see the 18th-century German philosopher Immanuel Kant as one of the central Enlightenment thinkers, while others claim that in him we can already see the shift away from the self-confident optimism about the power of human reason that marked the Enlightenment age. However, any answer to … Continue reading Philosophical Notes: Is Kant an Enlightenment Thinker?
Story of the Tea Bag and Us
The tea bag has a curious story. The typical tea bag of today is an invention of the 20th century. It became popular towards the second half of the last century. Before that, all tea that was consumed in the world was loose-leaf. How very different the tea-drinking experience used to be. It required more … Continue reading Story of the Tea Bag and Us
Experience vs Thought
If you had a free evening and were offered to read either Romeo and Juliet or a scientific research paper about neurochemical processes people refer to as love, which would you choose? Image from Pixabay It depends on your mood, I suppose, and on your priorities at that particular moment. But I believe I would … Continue reading Experience vs Thought
Let’s Talk Miracles – What Are They?
Last year around this time I wrote about miracles. More specifically, the 18th century Scottish philosopher's David Hume's views on them. It is that season again when my thoughts, at least sometimes, turn to the topic of miracles. Perhaps especially this year. Wouldn't the world really need a few good miracles now! It turns out, … Continue reading Let’s Talk Miracles – What Are They?
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)
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