The Way is the flow of the universe, and Daoism teaches us to go with the flow, to be in harmony with nature. But how could we not do that? How could we ever fail to be in accordance with nature—are we not a part of it? And if we can't paddle against the stream of Life, doesn't this make Daoism meaningless? What's the point of a philosophy telling us to move along the Way if there is no way that opposes the Way anyway? Funnily enough, this apparent pointlessness of Daoism is actually its … [Read more...]
Beyond Good and Bad?
Nietzsche's philosophy 'beyond good and evil' is a refusal of religious thought and of what he calls 'slave morality'. Last week I defined 'good' and 'bad' in Spinozian terms, which already are beyond good and evil. Now we will contemplate: Can the mind venture beyond good and bad, too? Let us being with Ethica, pars IV prop. LXVIII: Si homines liberi, nascerentur, nullum boni, & mali formarent conceptum, quamdiu liberi essent. which translates into: If men were born free, they … [Read more...]
Let’s Define ‘Good’ and ‘Bad’
Good is what is useful to you, that is, what facilitates your capacity to preserve yourself; for your body, good is what facilitates your power of activity; for your mind, good is what facilitates your capacity to form accurate ideas. Bad is the opposite of good: it's what hinders or erodes your conatus, what diminishes your power to act, and what undermines your rationality. These Spinozian definitions are what I have in mind whenever I use the words 'good' and 'bad' on this blog. Even … [Read more...]
Answers to Stupid Questions #1: What Is the Meaning of Life?
"What is the meaning of life?" is a nonsensical question because it combines two concepts into a construction that has no (semantic) meaning. It's like asking, "What is the color of sight?" or "What is the size of space?"—a category error. Meaning is what humans experience when they feel a sense of purpose and significance. But life itself does not experience and thus cannot have meaning. Rather, life is what makes experiences of meaning possible, similar to how sight makes experiences of … [Read more...]
Forget Your Petty Reasons
Whatever you do, forget your petty reasons. For let's say you come up with ten reasons to guide or explain an action. You can then order these reasons by their causal or explanatory power, with the first being your strongest reason, followed by your secondary reason, and so on. Ordered that way, chances are that your primary reason is socially acceptable and morally respectable, rather than selfish and reprehensible. Now ask yourself: Is this because your individual will is so closely in … [Read more...]
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