Massimo, Happy New Year. I am mindful with deep gratitude for all you have giving me as I ponder my own efforts to live philosophically. You and others of Modern Stoicism have enriched my knowledge as I strive to be a "good" human being following the treasure trove of wisdom from the early Stoics. Your post is the best summary of Socrates I have read. Thank you.
Bellissimo! A brilliant narrative of the story of early wisdom, and the life of the Delphic Oracle sage—Socrates. As you say, it was foundational that there is a pre-Socratic and Socratic division that lay differing paradigms of western philosophical thought. The narrative plays like acts using the source text material, and cites in detail the most important ideas that still standalone carrying their way on a wave of time to us today. And there’s no difference how we approach and examine philosophy as we do in science—when it comes to ascertaining knowledge. While I read I couldn’t help overlaying a parallel to recent news in cosmology. There are new papers measuring distances between supernovae that “dark matter,” or “dark energy” isn’t needed to explain the universe’s composition and expansion as an aggregate constant. It’s a lumpy blob as it hurls “outward”, and lumpier still as we peer within. Einstein is coming back! The supernova candlesticks are measuring the “room” so accurately that this evidence must be taken into consideration. There is no evidence of “Dark” anything or “Strings.” (Something I couldn’t swallow since the early 80’s.) Improvement in the technology and capability of measurement is now leading the way.
I digress! 😄 But it came to mind when reading towards the end!
A beautiful, sensical essay that can be used as guide-book of this nebula of thought and how it coalesced into the first stars of philosophy. 👏
Mike, interesting papers you mention! I’m always skeptical of scientific (or any other) notions that don’t come with solid empirical evidence. See my recent essay on Einstein’s epistemology.
SO I ask is there only X and Y, D o we know or simply believe. HAvIng a transgender grand daughter, a lovely feminine person who always behaved that way, not coerced or guided by any, but herself. She taught all of us even those who scoffed when she asked if she could have a tutu. We how are fearless in her defence and argue with the once and future king, do it with courage. Some things exist that we, or some of us, bel.ieve may be true, but only some far wiser than I still using knowledge still incomplete, as if a religious truth passed down from earlier generations only, believe using
Well done, MassimoI If theologians would learn from it and alter their dogmas, Homo superstitious might begin to navigate out of their addiction to Absolutes. Alas, that would disempower the religious hierarchy, and so far that is dominant in our social mammalian dynamic.
Massimo, Happy New Year. I am mindful with deep gratitude for all you have giving me as I ponder my own efforts to live philosophically. You and others of Modern Stoicism have enriched my knowledge as I strive to be a "good" human being following the treasure trove of wisdom from the early Stoics. Your post is the best summary of Socrates I have read. Thank you.
Beth, thank you for the kind words. Glad to be helpful!
Socrates to 'talking the talk and walking the walk' to another level.
He also thoroughly explored and gleaned the benefits of well-thought-out dialogue.
Thinking carefully about our beliefs, our positions, and the things that (we think) we know is a useful practice at any time of year.
With that said, happy new year!
Happy new year to you as well!
Quite nice summary and review. Thanks.
Trying to help you get a good beginning to the new year, my friend… 😃
Bellissimo! A brilliant narrative of the story of early wisdom, and the life of the Delphic Oracle sage—Socrates. As you say, it was foundational that there is a pre-Socratic and Socratic division that lay differing paradigms of western philosophical thought. The narrative plays like acts using the source text material, and cites in detail the most important ideas that still standalone carrying their way on a wave of time to us today. And there’s no difference how we approach and examine philosophy as we do in science—when it comes to ascertaining knowledge. While I read I couldn’t help overlaying a parallel to recent news in cosmology. There are new papers measuring distances between supernovae that “dark matter,” or “dark energy” isn’t needed to explain the universe’s composition and expansion as an aggregate constant. It’s a lumpy blob as it hurls “outward”, and lumpier still as we peer within. Einstein is coming back! The supernova candlesticks are measuring the “room” so accurately that this evidence must be taken into consideration. There is no evidence of “Dark” anything or “Strings.” (Something I couldn’t swallow since the early 80’s.) Improvement in the technology and capability of measurement is now leading the way.
I digress! 😄 But it came to mind when reading towards the end!
A beautiful, sensical essay that can be used as guide-book of this nebula of thought and how it coalesced into the first stars of philosophy. 👏
Mike, interesting papers you mention! I’m always skeptical of scientific (or any other) notions that don’t come with solid empirical evidence. See my recent essay on Einstein’s epistemology.
SO I ask is there only X and Y, D o we know or simply believe. HAvIng a transgender grand daughter, a lovely feminine person who always behaved that way, not coerced or guided by any, but herself. She taught all of us even those who scoffed when she asked if she could have a tutu. We how are fearless in her defence and argue with the once and future king, do it with courage. Some things exist that we, or some of us, bel.ieve may be true, but only some far wiser than I still using knowledge still incomplete, as if a religious truth passed down from earlier generations only, believe using
Well done, MassimoI If theologians would learn from it and alter their dogmas, Homo superstitious might begin to navigate out of their addiction to Absolutes. Alas, that would disempower the religious hierarchy, and so far that is dominant in our social mammalian dynamic.
Thanks Steven! Yeah, I ain’t holding my breadth for that one…