Category: Philosophy
-
Upon Reading the First Half of Atlas Shrugged
645,000 words. 1200 pages. Ayn Rand’s classic epic, first published in 1957, is not for the faint of heart. It requires time, patience, and – in my opinion – a thoughtful demeanor to allow it to resonate. I’ve been wanting to read it for years. I had even bought a paperback copy and had it…
-
A Jaunt into Philosphy 4: The Mind-Body Problem
Here’s my last in my short series on philosophy. Another philosophical dilemma is the mind-body problem. Do humans have a mind separate from their physical bodies or is life merely composed of twirling particles and matter? The latter view is called materialism; this belief contends there is nothing besides our physical functions. Everything we experience…
-
A Jaunt into Philosphy 3: Absolutism vs. Relativism
Here’s my third attempt at philosophy. This one on absolutism vs. relativism. Can it be determined that some actions are right and other actions wrong? Can one culture’s traditions be morally inferior to that of another? For example, a western person may look on in strange curiosity when a Vietnamese family gets together to celebrate…
-
Can someone be too open-minded?
(Here’s a little different kind of post for today. I like to dabble with philosophical thought and societal issues from time to time. It helps me process. Here goes.) What does it mean to be open-minded? Or narrow-minded? Or closed minded? Have you ever took a minute to think about what those terms actually mean?…
-
Getting what we earn. Nothing more.
Each new school year I am confronted with a new crop of students who tend to think they deserve what they have not earned. Now don’t get me wrong, I have incredibly motivated students who do earn a lot. But it’s never enough. And here is, invariably, where the situation arises. After I return a…
-
A Stab at Philosophy: The Problem of Pain and Evil
In this short essay, I would like to offer my view about God and the problem of evil. I will start with the premise that God exists according to the Judeo-Christian tradition, and I will look to show that the presence of pain and suffering in this world does not, as some contend, prove that…
Author Mark W Sasse 