The more deeply I ponder Aristotle’s conception of eudaimonia (usually translated as “happiness” or more recently sometimes as “flourishing”), the more radical it seems. For instance, we are perfectly comfortable saying things like “that basil plant is much happier since we moved it to the windowsill” or “their daughter is really flourishing in her newContinue reading “Aristotle on Human Fulfillment”
Category Archives: Wisdom
Ways of Life
Having last week explored what philosophers do, I thought I’d broaden that theme by looking at ways of life in general, not only philosophy as a way of life. Although Aristotle delineated four ways of life (making money, having fun, public service, and intellectual inquiry), nowadays we often think of various hobbies and pursuits asContinue reading “Ways of Life”
What Philosophers Do
If philosophy is a way of life, then what are the characteristic activities of philosophers? (I mean, of course, not professors of philosophy, but people who love and practice the minerval arts of wisdom.) As far as I know, there is surprisingly little written on this topic, even by Pierre Hadot, who resurrected the ancientContinue reading “What Philosophers Do”
Intelligence vs. Wisdom
Ever since I left behind the high arrogance of my teenage years, I have valued wisdom over intelligence. This is likely why I’m much more drawn to the ancient conception of philosophy as a way of life than to the modern conception of philosophy as an exercise in argumentation. Consider, for example, the criteria thatContinue reading “Intelligence vs. Wisdom”
Information is Overrated
It’s said that we live in the Information Age. Yet what is the purpose of information? I see at least three possibilities… First, information can make our decision more effective, especially regarding threats and opportunities. Is that sound in the forest a predator from which I should flee? Is this fruit edible? Does this potentialContinue reading “Information is Overrated”
Counter-Cultural Contemplation
We live in a culture that glorifies action, busy-ness, and constant activity. “Don’t just stand there, do something.” “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” “Pull your head out of the clouds.” “Get real.” “Think globally, act locally.” “Knowledge is power.” This attitude has even bled into philosophy, that most abstract of humanistic disciplines. It wasContinue reading “Counter-Cultural Contemplation”
Effective Altruism and Ineffective Egoism
The collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto empire at FTX and Alameda Research has cast a shadow over the “effective altruism” movement, of which he was a major financer. Ironically, I would argue that in the end he failed at altruism because he was an ineffective egoist! Consider the utter mess he’s made of his life:Continue reading “Effective Altruism and Ineffective Egoism”
The Mathematics of Freedom
While reading about the recent protests in China against the government’s Zero Covid policy (and, more generally, the totalitarian surveillance state established by the Chinese Communist Party), I was reminded of a fascinating quote from logician Kurt Gödel extending the results of his Incompleteness Theorem to matters of society and governance: A completely unfree societyContinue reading “The Mathematics of Freedom”
How Wise Was Socrates?
Did you know that Socrates’ 2500th birthday will occur in 2032? Lately I’ve been pondering the possibility of writing by then an intellectual biography of Socrates. One of the hard questions about Socrates is why he was so devoted to Alcibiades, the ultra-rich and incredibly handsome bad boy of 5th-century Athens. Friedrich Hölderlin composed theContinue reading “How Wise Was Socrates?”
The True Self
When we delved into the ancient Greek phrases “Know Thyself” and “Become What You Are” recently, I promised to look more closely at the recent notion of the true self, so here we go. One basic illustration of the difference between moderns and ancients on this topic is that nowadays we easily throw around theContinue reading “The True Self”
Peter Saint-Andre, Philosopher-Coach 