Edmund Husserl (1859 - 1938), the main founder of phenomenology, emphasised the importance of the first step that a phenomenological philosopher must take to investigate the interrelation of the world and us as experiencing subjects. He called that first step epoché - suspending or placing into brackets. What should we bracket? Our natural attitude - the familiar, pre-theoretical, uncritical … Continue reading Phenomenology and Bracketing the Familiar
Spreading the Word: Anger and Female Rage
Assertive self-expression, anger, rage, and various forms of roughness are traditionally associated with maleness. Even if they scare us or make us uncomfortable, they are perceived and experienced as masculine qualities. It is so deeply rooted in so many cultures that we do not notice its presence. To test it, see what comes to your … Continue reading Spreading the Word: Anger and Female Rage
Dispatch From Scotland: Ideas as Legacy
While travelling through Scotland, I found several inspiring and thought-provoking ideas that met me on the walls of museums or the very pavement of the streets I walked. Why not? Our environment can be as mind-broadening as the literature we read. Here are two ideas that both centre around legacy. Printed on a wall of … Continue reading Dispatch From Scotland: Ideas as Legacy
Spreading the Word: Living in a Body
Can a walk be a dangerous thing? What can our bodies do? What do they do? These and other questions come up in the discussion between philosopher Judith Butler and writer, artist and activist Sunaura Taylor as they take a stroll through San Francisco, captured in a short video. In the case of this particular … Continue reading Spreading the Word: Living in a Body
A Quote About Truth and Its Seekers
An inspiring quote about truth and how to seek it
Spreading the Word: Philosophy and Travel
What do philosophy and travel have in common? For one thing - venturing into the unknown. Seeking it out even. In a word (or two) - human curiosity. In the short article I share with you today, philosophy professor Emily Thomas offers a glimpse into the "quiet love affair" that philosophy and travel have enjoyed … Continue reading Spreading the Word: Philosophy and Travel
A Quote About Intellectual Life
An encouraging quote about intellectual life
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
How to Understand Identity
What is your identity? When someone asks you who you are, what are the first things that come to your mind? Are they your identity? Thinking about our identities is crucial for people, and we do it many times in our lives. It is unsurprising that throughout history, philosophers have engaged with the question of identity … Continue reading How to Understand Identity
Spreading the Word: Lifestyle of Doing Nothing
Have you ever wished just to do nothing for a while? Relax, have nowhere to be, nothing to attend to, no obligations, no responsibilities - at least for a day or two. To some, this sounds like a dream vacation or a state of inner peace worth cultivating. To others, it is the epitome of … Continue reading Spreading the Word: Lifestyle of Doing Nothing
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