Sublime
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IF SOMEONE ASKED ME why Stoicism works, I would not tell a story about Zeus (or God). Instead, I would talk about evolutionary theory, according to which we humans came to exist as the result of an interesting series of biological accidents. I would then start talking about evolutionary psychology, according to which we humans, besides gaining a ce
... See moreWilliam B. Irvine • A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy
Philosophers have long disagreed about whether it’s acceptable to harm one person in order to help or save several people. Utilitarianism is the philosophical school that says you should always aim to bring about the greatest total good, even if a few people get hurt along the way, so if there’s really no other way to save those five lives, go ahea
... See moreJonathan Haidt • The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
In this context, O’Neill emphasizes that the categorical imperative does not posit any substantive goals. Its regulatory function is negative. It only prevents any person or group from claiming a special privilege or harming the interests of others. Thus, it undertakes the standpoint of everyone else – a universal point of view. Significantly, O’Ne
... See morePrasenjit Duara • The Crisis of Global Modernity: Asian Traditions and a Sustainable Future (Asian Connections)
The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts
Mathematically, there is an optimal way to play such games, but it assumes that players are strangers who will never meet again (i.e. you and that secondhand car salesman). Dutifully, the students produced the optimal solution. But most of the players in the ethnographic societies did not. They either accepted offers that were far too low or insist
... See moreRobin Dunbar • Friends: Understanding the Power of our Most Important Relationships
one study found that attending weekly religious services raises people’s happiness as much as moving from the bottom quartile of income to the top. Moreover, doubling their rate of religious attendance raises their income by nine percent. Another study found that the percentage of Americans who rated their mental health as “excellent” fell for ever
... See moreThe best-odds prescription for a long, good life is a baseline of mainly PNS arousal with mild SNS activation for vitality, combined with occasional SNS spikes for major opportunities or threats.
Rick Hanson • Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom
Obviously Reich’s influence went way beyond just me. Alongside other authors such as Anthony Giddens[411] and Jeremy Rifkin[412], he was instrumental in crafting the message of a new generation of progressive leaders that the era of the steady, lifelong job was over. In a more global and unstable world, lifelong education was the new key to providi
... See moreNicolas Colin • Hedge: A Greater Safety Net for the Entrepreneurial Age
What is rational is what allows the collective—entities meant to live for a long time—to survive.