Isn't it curious how curious we are about ourselves? You would think there could be nothing easier than knowing yourself. After all, you are you, and there is nothing and nobody that you have more direct and immediate access to than yourself. Yet, when someone remembers the old Greek aphorism "know thyself", instead of sighing … Continue reading On Knowing Yourself
Food For Thought From Baruch Spinoza
What is your usual way of reacting to another person's actions or words? Where do you start? If we are honest with ourselves (at least ourselves), how often do we begin with a genuine effort to understand the other? “I have striven not to laugh at human actions, not to weep at them, nor to … Continue reading Food For Thought From Baruch Spinoza
Self-Knowledge Is Never Complete
"We always find ourselves within a situation, and throwing light on it is a task that is never entirely finished. This is also true of the hermeneutic situation—i.e., the situation in which we find ourselves with regard to the tradition that we are trying to understand. The illumination of this situation—reflection on effective history—can never … Continue reading Self-Knowledge Is Never Complete
What Is Philosophy – Part 4 (Final)
Last week, I began discussing the ‘way’ of philosophy as part of my series of articles that follow a recently published academic paper by philosopher Kuzin Vasily*. If you missed it, I recommend you start with part one and then proceed to the next, one after another (it will make more sense that way). In … Continue reading What Is Philosophy – Part 4 (Final)
What Is Philosophy – Part 3
Last week, I wrote about ‘the way of art’, the second post in a series exploring the question ‘what is philosophy’. The series follows a recently published academic article by philosopher Kuzin Vasily*. In case you missed it, I recommend you start with part one and part two before continuing with this post (it will … Continue reading What Is Philosophy – Part 3
What Is Philosophy – Part 2
Last week, I introduced a series of posts exploring the question ‘what is philosophy’. It follows a recently published academic article of the same title by philosopher Kuzin Vasily*. In case you missed it, I recommend you start with part one before continuing with this post (it will make more sense that way). Here, in … Continue reading What Is Philosophy – Part 2
What Is Philosophy – Part 1
Many of us think we know what philosophy or art is. At least until we are asked to explain them. A universal, clear definition eludes us. That does not mean we should stop reflecting on it. On the contrary, it makes things more interesting! Earlier this year, one more contribution to the debate arrived in … Continue reading What Is Philosophy – Part 1
Phenomenology and Bracketing the Familiar
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
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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