Originally I was going to go ahead and talk about one of the second chapter’s themes, but the more I tried to write, the more I realized that there was another theme from the first chapter that I still needed to address. After saying a bit about the Dao and about the limitations of language …
Tag Archives: Philosophy
On The Daodejing — The Dao
A couple years ago I started a series of posts on the Daodejing in which I attempted to say anything I could think of regarding every one of its 81 passages. This turned out to be a bad approach for me, and I soon started skipping chapters before dropping the project not even halfway through …
On Desire; Its Motivations and Perversions
It moves us. Motivates us. Pulls us along as if on strings. It has been called the cause of all suffering, and many people have fallen into misfortune for following its siren song. Seeing the problems desire can cause, some people call for its elimination. So long as we live, however, desire is inescapable, and …
Daoism as Going with the Flow
When first looking into Daoism, it is common for people to understand the philosophy as saying that one should go with the flow, or just do whatever one feels like doing. While these descriptions aren’t entirely wrong, they’re vague and ambiguous, and not every sense in which they can be taken actually agrees with what …
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. …
Sigue leyendo «“It’s Good but I Don’t Like It”; on Objective Evaluations of Art»
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 …
Sigue leyendo «Neitzsche’s Metamorphoses, Taoism, and the Paradox of Nihilism»
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 …
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, …
Sigue leyendo «Never to Have Been? A Critique of Benatar’s Antinatalism»
Meditations on the Tao Te Ching: Chapter 18
When the great Tao is forgotten, Kindness and morality arise. When wisdom and intelligence are born, The great pretense begins. When there is no peace within the family, Filial piety and devotion arise. When the country is confused and in chaos, Loyal ministers appear. -Translation by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English When something no longer …
Under the Spell of Words 