In a passage from Paul Ricoeur's 1991 essay Narrative Identity, the French philosopher discusses the narrative constitution of identity, be it personal or community. In this passage, he proposes the idea of narrative identity as a fundamental experience that integrates history and fiction into one type of narrative - that which is concerned with interpreting … Continue reading Paul Ricoeur on Narrative Identity
Habits and Norms
What makes some actions and ways of moving appear 'normal' to us while others 'strange'? According to Sara Ahmed, at the heart of the matter is repetition. When repeated regularly by enough people, that way of being gradually becomes the 'norm'. We say then - that is just how things are. It is a given. … Continue reading Habits and Norms
Welcoming Spaces
What makes a space welcoming? How do we experience space as welcoming instead of hostile or simply indifferent? Maurice Merleau-Ponty observes that our bodies trail behind our actions in our daily lives. I am involved in an activity, for example, walking my dog. Usually, I do not notice my body and each of its movements … Continue reading Welcoming Spaces
Shifting Perspective
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
Exploring the Familiar
What do we overlook when we stay in the familiar? What can looking at the familiar reveal about it? This quote is from an article I wrote about the area of philosophy called phenomenology. One of its key ideas is known as bracketing or suspending. "What should we bracket? Our natural attitude – the familiar, pre-theoretical, uncritical … Continue reading Exploring the Familiar
Will You Chance Your Arm?
All idioms have their backstories that can often reveal something interesting about the human condition. The Irish phrase "to chance your arm" (meaning - to take a risk) is a fascinating example. Its story features a very old door. This is said to be the door that played a key role in the birth of … Continue reading Will You Chance Your Arm?
Self-Knowledge Paradox
"It follows essentially... that the positing of the essence with the intuitive apprehension that immediately accompanies it does not imply any positing of individual existence whatsoever. Pure essential truths do not make the slightest assertion concerning facts. Hence, from them alone we are not able to infer even the pettiest truth concerning the fact world." … Continue reading Self-Knowledge Paradox
Maurice Merleau-Ponty on Perception
In his highly influential work Phenomenology of Perception (originally published in 1945), the French philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty wrote the following about perception. These words can remind us that whatever we perceive through our senses, already has a sense. Otherwise, we could not perceive 'it' - 'it' already being 'something'. "Perception is precisely this act that creates, … Continue reading Maurice Merleau-Ponty on Perception
Home on the Move
When do you feel at home? Having spent the last ten years moving across several countries, I know it is difficult to answer this question. Or, rather, it is difficult precisely because I have moved and have been on the move. Moving changes you. It is one of those things that you cannot undo once … Continue reading Home on the Move
Visual Illusions and Context
In an interesting passage from his influential work Phenomenology of Perception (originally published in 1945), philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty refers to the visual illusion where two equally long lines appear different. It is known as the Müller-Lyer illusion (see the picture below). Merleau-Ponty suggests that we are mistaken to think of these lines as equal or unequal … Continue reading Visual Illusions and Context
humanfactor 