The six books presented here are chosen based on one criteria: the depth and elaboration of thoughts oh human nature and human condition. They are not strictly philosophical; for example La Rochefoucauld’s Maxims might be…
Tag: Philosophy
Hermann Hesse on Knowledge and Wisdom in Two Powerful Quotes from Siddhartha
Hermann Hesse should be on any soul-searcher’s reading list. Hesse’s novels, each exploring one’s authenticity and path to self knowledge, help you question, understand and appreciate the uniqueness of everyone’s path in life. All across…
The Value of Philosophy, Bertrand Russell
“That’s a philosophical question!” – have you ever received such a response when questioning underlying reasons of some practical matters? Such a question will often be dismissed as impractical, unhelpful or completely unrelated to the…
Karl Popper on the Difference Between Successful and Creative Thinking
“It is by logic that we prove, but by intuition that we discover”, said Henri Poincaré, a famous French mathematician. As an expansion on Poincaré’s succinct thought, Popper gives an unsurprising explanation of the intuition part of creativity…
Jiddu Krishnamurti on Fear – What is Behind the Fear of the Unknown?
The First and Last Freedom is an odd book. Being a collection excerpts from Krishnamurti’s public talks and discussions, its conversational style of writing makes me read it hastily, inevitably returning to reread each paragraph.…
The Difference Between the Ancient and Modern Understanding of History; Or How Faith Can Invent A Science
Polybius was concerned with Rome’s history, i.e., with past events progressing toward the present power of Rome. Modern historians who rank with him are concerned with Europe’s future, when looking backward and searching into her…
Why Liberalism Failed (or How it Destroyed Itself) [Book Review]
… Liberalism’s great failing and ultimate weakness: its incapacity to foster self-governance. Liberal individualism demands the dismantling of culture; and as culture fades, Leviathan waxes and responsible liberty recedes. The age of dissatisfaction It’s been…
John Gray on Why Science Can’t Solve Fundamental Problems of Human Condition
We live in a time when a lot is expected from science. It seems that because science solves technological problems and improves technological abilities of society, we expect from it to answer to some more…
Leszek Kołakowski on The Source of Man’s Need for the Mythical
In his book The Presence of Myth, Leszek Kołakowski attempts to identify the source of the man’s need for myths. In enumerating the three forms in which the need for myth appears on the surface of our…