It’s not the first time it has been suggested; many religions and philosophies have done so. It seems to be accurate despite my believing myself to be very much real. I have a sense of identity, likes and dislikes, ideas and attitudes towards others and the world. I look in the mirror, probably fifty odd […]
Philosophy
Niccoló Machiavelli & The Power Game
Niccolò Machiavelli was a 16th-century Italian philosopher and political commentator, best known for his 1513 work, The Prince. In this infamous text, he outlined his guidance on suitable behaviour for royals and aristocrats of his time, which essentially extended to the premise “ends justify the means”. In other words, the immoral, cruel and criminal actions of […]
The Problem With Society
As concisely as possible, this is the most significant contributing factor to the problem with society. It is the fundamental risk to the survival of our species. I’m not optimistic in the short term, but in say one thousand years if humans are still around, I am, in fact, optimistic. I’d like to think that […]
Longtermism: Something You Should Know About
The dangers of a philosophical ideology that threatens the lives of millions and the future health of the planet I’ve written before on the insanity of our species. In fact, you might say that most subjects upon which I write for Sunday Letters lean towards the dysfunctional aspects of human behaviour. It’s hard to ignore […]
It’s Not Such A Big Deal
Werner Heisenberg writes of the nature of reality and of the fundamental basis of matter in Physics and Philosophy, as he recounts the ancient philosophy of the Greeks; The process of Becoming is considered a sort of debasement of the infinite Being – a disintegration into the struggle ultimately expiated by a return into that […]
The Illusion of Free Will
Is free will an illusion? Do we have free will to choose our future life experience, or are our lives predetermined in some way? We seem to have the free will to perform trivial tasks like cross the street or not, to buy a coffee here or over there, to pay for our ticket now or wait for a better deal. But, when it comes to significant life events, perhaps it’s not so cut and dry. Despite our best intentions, stuff happens. So, are we fooled by the illusion of free will?