This poem made the start of my day a little better. The transition from the first stanza to the second is excellent. The first stanza evokes scorn with a rather obvious question, then the second...
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This poem made the start of my day a little better. The transition from the first stanza to the second is excellent. The first stanza evokes scorn with a rather obvious question, then the second...
Um, I merely mentioned it was 'dated' because it basically rests on the argument that Rand's ethics is contrary to Christ's, as if this automatically makes it immoral. But the main reason I dismissed...
I have only read Anthem, The Virtue of Selfishness, and bits of The Voice of Reason. Rand's commentary on politics and economics is compelling and I agree with most of it, but I find her ethical...
Isn't pragmatism a philosophical position?
I don't buy into the belief that philosophy is useless. Sure, sitting around and thinking doesn't "get things done," but what's the purpose of doing so...
There is selfishness involved in having your car stolen in that you feel a lot worse than if, say, your neighbour's car was stolen, since it affects you directly. But there is still a moral level in...
Agreed. Anger can exist in many contexts. A policy might make me angry because it contradicts my values. This is not blind anger; it is the emotional result of a (hopefully) rational judgment. Then...
I somewhat agree that there is no progress in the study of philosophy; there are, however, shifts in how philosophical issues are approached and expansions of philosophical theories. The Greeks...
Cynical? Please. The belief that governments should command the affairs of individuals because they are not capable of managing themselves is the height of cynicism. I do not recall saying that...
I have many practical goals but as an 'ultimate' goal this sums it up for me. I want to focus on my own happiness, but I do not want to be in a constant state of want. I want to be satisfied with my...
Private companies. You don't need a central body to hand out goods and services that people demand. To be honest I do not feel like going through each of those services and explaining the possible...
Taxation may not be as visible as a bank robbery or a mugging, but the action itself is still theft, albeit legal, socially accepted theft. Even if those taxes are taken in the name of the "common...
There are quite a few typical fallacies in this thread about libertarianism -- the general one that libertarians advocate a society where a dog-eat-dog corporate hegemony reigns supreme -- but this...
I've yet to read Faulkner, but when I do I will most likely start with this.
Such narcissism from parents makes me sad. Shows like this positioned as reality also makes me sad.
And I don't think we need statistics to show that being monitored by cameras and watched by...
The descriptions of sperm whale encounters in Moby Dick stirred me. "The Days of Perky Pat" by Philip K. Dick still terrifies me, even though there's nothing graphic or forthright about it.
Many...
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
I think it's a lot more important to learn the different between, say, a fact and an inference. Those who know that are a lot more likely to construct intelligent opinions, and I doubt they'd even...
Events like the Holocaust and The Killing Fields are indeed sickeningly real and will not be forgotten anytime soon, but I find it hard to take this article seriously. This Dr. Pianka guy is...
I'm from Canada too, and I do notice the attitude that attending a prestigious university makes you appear intelligent. Plenty of people in my grade and this year's graduating class want(ed) to go to...
A friend showed me this site yesterday:
http://www07.wolframalpha.com/
I thought it was pretty brilliant. It's like a more sophisticated version of google. You type in anything and it instantly...
The History by Herodotus.
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon.
Essays by J.S. Mill.
Capital by Karl Marx.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/iconic-anchor-walter-cronkite-dead-at-92/article1223127/
Walter Cronkite has died. He was the good side of journalism.
That last stanza is almost a poem itself. It is captivating and absolutely perfect.
I got a 'eureka' feeling from reading this poem, as if you have told me something I could never put into words....
Variance.
It isn't used often, but something about it hurts my brain.
I haven't read the book either, though I enjoyed the movie. Stanley Kubrick, apparently, said it was his worst movie, but I enjoyed the strange plot and the acting was above average.