Philosophy – Peter Saint-Andre, Philosopher-Coach

Moderation

First, happy World Philosophy Day! Speaking of philosophy, in my post last week about the wisdom of Socrates, I suggested that he lost his head in his attachment to Alcibiades. And the phrase “lost his head” is appropriate, because in ancient Greek the opposite of doing so was σωφροσύνη, which although usually translated as “moderation”Continue reading “Moderation”

Know Thyself

The saying γνῶθι σαυτόν (“know thyself”) was prominently displayed at the temple of Delphi, where ancient Greeks, Romans, Persians, and others sought answers to their most pressing questions. Yet what is it exactly to know thyself? Essential clues can be found in an obscure little book published in 1916: “Know Thyself” in Greek and LatinContinue reading “Know Thyself”

Virtues: One or Many?

In a post last week about the value of studying multiple philosophies, I observed that I have not read much Christian theology. As if on queue, I decided to read Augustine’s Of the Morals of the Catholic Church, written in 388 CE. The impetus was a footnote on page 179 of Daniel C. Russell’s bookContinue reading “Virtues: One or Many?”

What Is Philosophy For?

Occasionally one reads something so singularly misguided that it puts into stark relief a vital concern of human existence. In the case at hand, the vital concern is the place of philosophy in the best life for human beings and the piece of writing is a scholarly paper published just last week by philosopher HannoContinue reading “What Is Philosophy For?”

Exploring Philosophies

In his magisterial cultural history of the last 500 years (From Dawn to Decadence), the late Jacques Barzun wrote as follows about the study of history (pp. 568-569): Any writer of history aims at stating the truth, but that is only ancillary to the central role of the discipline, which is to present patterns andContinue reading “Exploring Philosophies”

Means and Ends

Last week we looked at the distinction between internal goods, external goods, and shared goods. At that time I touched on a further distinction between means and ends in life. Here again Aristotle can be of assistance, because he discusses these matters in his two major books about character and action, which have come downContinue reading “Means and Ends”

Good Things Come in Threes

In my recent post There’s No Such Thing as the Mind, I expressed astonishment at a statement by Italian philosopher Maurizio Ferraris to the effect that one’s body is part of the external world. This raises the question of what exactly is internal vs. external, and how to categorize the various good things we valueContinue reading “Good Things Come in Threes”

Thoughts, Actions, Values

Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics famously begins with the following sentence (as translated by W.D. Ross): Every art and every inquiry, and similarly every action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good; and for this reason the good has rightly been declared to be that at which all things aim. We can see here a point ofContinue reading “Thoughts, Actions, Values”

It’s Values All the Way Down

One often hears the claim that science must be value-neutral, especially in social sciences like economics, psychology, and sociology. This claim is one instance of fact-value dualism: the doctrine that facts are facts, values are values, and never the twain shall meet. Another instance of this dualism is the assertion (traceable to British empiricist DavidContinue reading “It’s Values All the Way Down”

There’s No Such Thing as the Mind

Not long ago, a friend recommended that I check out the work of Italian philosopher Maurizio Ferraris, so I promptly ordered his book Manifesto of New Realism via interlibrary loan. Overall it is a valiant attempt to dig out of the hole of postmodernism – valuable, at the very least, for those who have fallen into thatContinue reading “There’s No Such Thing as the Mind”