“Marrying means to halve one’s rights and double one’s duties” Arthur Schopenhauer Schopenhauer was a 19th Century philosopher who never married, so perhaps that might explain his take on the subject? He believed that marriage was about continuing the human species and he went on to say: ”what is looked for in marriage is notContinue reading “Quote of the Day: Marriage”
Category Archives: philosophy
Quote of the Day: Hold your Tongue!
“Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent” Ludwig Wittgenstein If we could all learn to follow Wittgenstein’s advice, I’m sure the world (and social media) would be a better place. It seems today that we are all experts on every subject. So rather than listen and learn when we are ignorant, or notContinue reading “Quote of the Day: Hold your Tongue!”
Quote of the Day: Fear
“A man who fears suffering is already suffering from what he fears” Michel de Montaigne This is a quote to remind us that the anticipation can be worse than the actuality. Anxiety through fear is suffering in itself. Thank you for reading my writings. If you’d like to, you can buy me a coffee forContinue reading “Quote of the Day: Fear”
Quote of the Day: Controlling One’s Destiny.
“Not being able to govern events, I govern myself.” Michel de Montaigne Were it that we could control the weather, the seasons, the people in our lives, or our gods. We can’t. But Montaigne gives a way forward, that is, not to stress about the things we can’t control, but instead focus on that whichContinue reading “Quote of the Day: Controlling One’s Destiny.”
Quote of the Day: Truth
“Truth only reveals itself when one gives up all preconceived ideas.” Philip Houston Following on from yesterday’s quote on truth and lies, Houston puts forward the idea that we need to have an open mind to clearly see the facts before us. Opinions can cloud our judgements! Thank you for reading my writings. If you’dContinue reading “Quote of the Day: Truth”
Quote of the Day: Lies and Truth
“A lie told often enough becomes the truth.” Vladimir Lenin Oh, how I wish this quote wasn’t true in itself, but I believe it is. Lenin informs us and warns us about the pernicious force of propaganda and the malevolent and self-serving oratory of our political leaders. Seek the facts and beware of good stories!Continue reading “Quote of the Day: Lies and Truth”
Is the will of the majority always right?
So we have referendums, polls, political votes, surveys, juries, committees, parliaments, and consumer groups. The majority view must prevail. We have traditions, practices, accepted beliefs, and ways of life. The status quo must prevail. But where does the truth lie and is the will of the majority always right? Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopherContinue reading “Is the will of the majority always right?”
Aristotle’s argument against democracy.
Aristotle’s argument against democracy – but was he right? Aristotle believed the best type of government was by monarchy, or, at the very least, by aristocracy. Democracy was not to be encouraged! To better understand this seemingly somewhat outdated and extreme “right-wing” view, we must look at his philosophical reasonings for his proposition. Aristotle linkedContinue reading “Aristotle’s argument against democracy.”
When is liberty worth fighting a revolution for?
When is liberty worth fighting a revolution for? In this essay, I will argue that there are only a few occasions when liberty is worth fighting a revolution for, and I will illustrate this by discussing the ideas and works of English philosophers Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679) and John Locke (1632 – 1704). Both philosophers were aliveContinue reading “When is liberty worth fighting a revolution for?”
Why do we have speed limits, and why do we have speed cameras?
The Locomotive Act 1865 (also known as Red Flag Act) required at least one person to precede on foot any self-propelled vehicle at a distance of not less than 60 yards, and that person had to at all times display a red flag and warn pedestrians and horse drawn carriages of their approach and assistContinue reading “Why do we have speed limits, and why do we have speed cameras?”
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