Yesterday while reading an old book on East Asian folk crafts (The Unknown Crafstman by Sōetsu Yanagi, p. 153), I came across the following passage: When I am asked for a Buddhist explanation of the perception of beauty, my answer is a simple one: “One must discard one’s self”. But of course the process is notContinue reading “Being an Integrity”
Category Archives: Aristotle
Likeability
I seem to be getting into a rhythm of posting new thoughts on Thursdays – given my usual subject matter, we could think of this as “Thriving Thursday”… Anyway, because human beings are social animals, a particularly meaningful interpersonal affordance for us is likeability. Few people are such curmudgeons that they actively want to beContinue reading “Likeability”
Social Affordances and Self-Conceptions
As I mentioned a few months ago in my post “Idealism and Identity“, personal identity is, paradoxically, often a social construct. Here I’d like to dig more deeply into why that’s the case, but without straying too far into theoretical matters because I like to provide practical insights in my blog posts. For many yearsContinue reading “Social Affordances and Self-Conceptions”
The Self as an Achievement
What is the self? Naturally this question invokes vast reflections spanning philosophy, psychology, cognitive science, sociology, biology, and many other fields. Although I claim no special insight, in my Aristotle readings over the last few years I chanced upon a fascinating perspective that I thought I’d share. In her book Aristotle’s Philosophy of Friendship (SUNY Press, 1995),Continue reading “The Self as an Achievement”
How Much Is Enough?
As mentioned in my post Delphic Wisdom and Modern Science, on the walls of the ancient Greek temple at Delphi could be found the inscription μηδὲν ἄγαν, meaning “nothing too much”. Yet how can one know how much is enough? Naturally it’s hard to say precisely – after all, if it were easy, life wouldn’tContinue reading “How Much Is Enough?”
The Underlying Theme
In a comment on my recent post about Aristotle on ways of life, my friend Kurt Keefner wondered if, according to Aristotle, the best life must have a single purpose (in Greek, a telos). I would say so: at the very beginning of the Eudemian Ethics, he says that it is a sign of great folly toContinue reading “The Underlying Theme”
Aristotle on Ways of Life
While I’m reflecting on philosophies and ways of life, I thought it would be interesting to look at what Aristotle says about ways of life in his writings on ethics. First, he states that there is a fundamentally human way of life or bios (it always helps to remember that Aristotle founded the science ofContinue reading “Aristotle on Ways of Life”
Philosophies and Ways of Life
In his book What Is Ancient Philosophy?, Pierre Hadot almost singlehandedly resurrected the ancient conception of philosophy as a way of life. Consider this observation about the philosophical schools of Greece and Rome: “For us moderns, the notion of a philosophical school evokes only the idea of a doctrinal tendency or theoretical position. Things were veryContinue reading “Philosophies and Ways of Life”
Cultivating Empathy
If you ask those I work with or mentor what my distinctive personal qualities are, I suspect that on the short list you might find empathy. For instance, I often reach out to work colleagues if I know that they face significant challenges, if their skills aren’t being fully utilized, if they’re not appreciated asContinue reading “Cultivating Empathy”
What I’ve Learned from Aristotle
My friend Adrian Lory asked me recently to describe the essence of what I’ve learned from all of my Aristotle readings over the last few years as I prepare to write a book about his views on human flourishing. Here’s a brief summary. Happiness or eudaimonia is a matter of living and doing well, ofContinue reading “What I’ve Learned from Aristotle”
Peter Saint-Andre, Philosopher-Coach 