Knowing others is wisdom; Knowing the self is enlightenment. Mastering others requires force; Mastering the self needs strength. He who knows he has enough is rich. Perseverance is a sign of willpower. He who stays where he is endures. To die but not to perish is to be eternally present. -Translation by Gia-Fu …
Author Archives: hermitalex
Meditations on the Tao Te Ching: Chapter 29
Do you think you can take over the universe and improve it? I do not believe it can be done. The universe is sacred. You cannot improve it. If you try to change it, you will ruin it. If you try to hold it, you will lose it. So sometimes things are ahead …
“It’s Good but I Don’t Like It”; on Objective Evaluations of Art
People sometimes say that some piece of art (“art” in the broad sense, including the likes of movies, books, vidogames, music, etc.) is good, but they don’t like it, or that it’s bad, but they still like it. Statements such as these try to draw a distinction between an objective and subjective evaluation of art. …
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Neitzsche’s Metamorphoses, Taoism, and the Paradox of Nihilism
In Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Nietzsche presents the idea of the Three Metamorphoses. He describes a transformation of a spirit into a camel, which strives to live by the set of values it has been given, until it grows overburdened with these values that are foreign to it and seeks to get rid of them. The …
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Taoist and Stoic Nature
I’ve been reading some Epictetus recently and noticed some points of similarity and dissimilarity between Taoism and Stoicism, so I figured I’d say a little about them here. The main points of similarity seem to come from the shared ideal of the sage as someone who’s actions are in perfect accord with nature. For both …
Meditations on the Tao Te Ching: Chapter 24
He who stands on tiptoe is not steady. He who strides cannot maintain the pace. He who makes a show is not enlightened. He who is self-righteous is not respected. He who boasts achieves nothing. He who brags will not endure. According to followers of the Tao, “These are extra food and unnecessary luggage.” They …
More on Nonexistence
In my post on David Benatar’s antinatalism, I wrote in passing about the concept of nonexistent people. I’d like to expand upon it here. Nonexistence is something we have a lot of trouble talking about because we know absolutely nothing about it. All we have ever known is existence, so when it comes to nonexistence …
On Accusations of Irrationality
Often when arguing about some hotly contested issue, people will accuse those on the other side of the debate of being irrational. Sometimes this is because the other side really is being distinctly irrational, but sometimes people on both sides are being equally rational (or irrational). In these cases, accusations of irrationality are born from …
Never to Have Been? A Critique of Benatar’s Antinatalism
David Benatar, author of Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming Into Existence, is an antinatalist. He believes that coming into existence is a great harm, and that it would be best if everyone were to stop reproducing so that life could disappear altogether. Benatar’s writings are perhaps the most influential antinatalist texts, …
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Meditations on the Tao Te Ching: Chapter 19
Give up being great, forget being clever And people will benefit enormously. Give up being kind, forget being just And love will return to the family. Give up being sly, forget being greedy And there’ll be no more thefts or robberies. Yet as a lesson These three are incomplete. The essential part to be added …
Under the Spell of Words 