Wednesday, July 7, 2010

The Right to Naivety?

Some philosophers speak of "natural" rights as if they were imprinted upon the universe, or somehow codified in the essential nature of mankind (blech). How naive. Better to ask, "What will it take for us to work together?" Only then can one look at human nature (insofar as there is such a thing) and figure out what "rights" must be respected. A civilized society can only continue when a sufficient number of its citizens believe in and respect these rights. But believing in these rights does not require some sort of fairy tale about their objectivity. Rather, we should recognize and confront the terrifying truth, and purpose ourselves to be the true source and sustenance of these rights.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Neglect

I have neglected my website for quite a while now, and it's coming up for renewal next month. I wonder if I should just let it go?

Life After Death?

Little children do not understand the finality of death. In this way, religious people are like little children.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Time is... so very precious...

... and I really must write everything down. To do otherwise would be such a waste. But it is so easy to get caught up in both the mundane and the fantastic; everyday life and fantasy. And I cannot leave it up to someone else, because no one else would think it. And no one could ever plagiarize what I have written so far, because they would come off as being completely mad. I've come to certain realizations that really must be shared, but I find it so hard... I don't know why.

There are two large projects, both of them related, and both of them encapsulating a world-view: one mostly a curiosity, and the other mostly practical. The first is more of a way of understanding our way of understanding the world (metacognition?), and the second a way of thinking about living a human existence in a world so understood (although reading and understanding the second would in no way require reading and understanding the first, which is, after all, a mere curiosity).

And neither of these can be written in cognitive leaps and bounds like this blog. Oh, how am I to accomplish this, when I can barely manage to write such abbreviated posts to this blog?

Sunday, March 21, 2010

The Meaning, Purpose, and Value of Life

Nothing has intrinsic meaning, purpose, or value (is this supposed to be a substantive thesis?). Sounds nihilistic, but it's not. Meaning, purpose, and value are relational terms; x is meaningful to y, x's purpose is to y, x values y, etc. Now, in regard to one's own life, it is up to the individual to give meaning, purpose, and value to it. And that can be hard work, so I guess laziness about one's own life equates to a nihilistic attitude. It's your life, so make something of it.