Sartre and Kierkegaard are among the well-known names of existentialist thinkers. There is one name that does not come to mind too often when thinking about existentialism - Karl Jaspers. Read more about this 20th century philosopher whose influence is sometimes neglected: "Forgotten Existentialist". Enjoy! "After all, his work initiated one particular strain of French … Continue reading Spreading the Word: Forgotten Existentialist
Sensation of Life: a lesson from feline philosophy
What can we learn from cats about the art of living a fulfilled life?
Hell Is Other People: What Did Sartre Mean?
French existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre famously said, "Hell is other people". This quote appears towards the end of Sartre's play Huis Clos (No Exit), first published in 1944. A disenchanted and desperate verdict; it comes from one of the three characters trapped together in one room. Without giving too much away, let me say that the play's … Continue reading Hell Is Other People: What Did Sartre Mean?
Boredom and Happiness: Cat Wisdom
Quotes from John Gray's "Feline Philosophy" keep exploring!
Cats and the Meaning of Life
"Cats do not plan their lives; they live them as they come. Humans cannot help making their lives into a story. But since they cannot know how their life will end, life disrupts the story they try to tell of it. So they end up living as cats do, by chance."John Gray "Feline Philosophy: Cats … Continue reading Cats and the Meaning of Life
Book Review: P. Adamson “Al-Kindi”
A review of philosophy professor Peter Adamson's 2007 book on al-Kindi, the 9th-century Arabic polymath and philosopher.
“All Are Ennobled by Truth” Quote by al-Kindi
The first Arabic philosopher, 9th century thinker al-Kindī, said that truth and wisdom are valuable regardless of where they come from. What did he mean?
Don’t Discard Your Ideas
One of the practical things I have learned during my philosophy studies is that it is wise not to judge your ideas immediately when they come to you. There is a real risk of creating a habit of suppressing your creative thought. Our minds are adaptive and learn to respond to the environment. So, if … Continue reading Don’t Discard Your Ideas
Spreading the Word: Hidden Meaning in Art
This Friday I share with you a highly interesting article on the meaning of hidden detail in Raphael's spectacular work The School of Athens. You will notice that I have chosen a picture of this masterpiece as my blog's theme. To me, the article was a fascinating read. It is truly remarkable how we humans … Continue reading Spreading the Word: Hidden Meaning in Art
Spreading the Word: Henry David Thoreau
This Friday I share with you a podcast on the philosopher and naturalist Henry David Thoreau. I am currently reading Thoreau's great work Walden, and thought it would be interesting to learn more about the man. The podcast is from BBC Radio 4 programme In Our Time. I highly recommend it. Enjoy! Link to the … Continue reading Spreading the Word: Henry David Thoreau
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