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TIL: Philosophy

TIL

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The Philosophy of Daoism: The Path of Supreme Harmony

TIL: Philosophy ·

2024/02/17

Daoism or Taoism is an ancient Chinese philosophy that emphasizes living in harmony with the Dao, often translated as “the way” or “path.” According to Daoist philosophy, the Dao is the fundamental reality underlying everything in the universe. It's a deeply profound concept that's difficult to define and grasp because it's beyond all forms, norms, and comprehension. It's the absolute principle that governs and nourishes every event, object, and life form, encouraging them to grow,

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The Turing Test: Deciphering Artificial Intelligence

TIL: Philosophy ·

2024/02/16

The Turing Test, named after British mathematician and logician Alan Turing, is a yardstick for artificial intelligence. Its goal is to ascertain if a machine can exhibit intelligent behavior indistinguishable from that of a human. To put it in simpler terms, if you're having a text chat with an entity, and you can't discern whether it's a human or a computer, then the machine has successfully passed the Turing Test. Turing proposed this concept in his seminal 1950 paper, "Computing

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The Philosophy of Dualism: The Two Divisions of Reality

TIL: Philosophy ·

2024/02/15

The philosophy of dualism cropped out of the human need to understand reality. It asserts that reality or existence, as we know it, is not unified and whole but is two-sided. In essence, it is a very ambitious attempt to split apart the complex thread of existence into two distinct parts. What are these two parts? That greatly depends on the flavor of dualism we're talking about. Some say it's the body and the soul, others say it's the mind and the body, and still others argue reality is

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The Philosophy of Aesthetics: The Study of Beauty and...

TIL: Philosophy ·

2024/02/14

Among a whole world brimming with philosophical concepts, lies an exquisite corner dedicated to aesthetics. Not to be confused with cosmetic grooming or the pursuit of appealing imagery on social media feeds, Philosophical Aesthetics is far more profound. It fundamentally pertains to the exploration and understanding of beauty and art, questioning the genesis and delineation of taste, and analysing how and why certain aspects of life stir within us certain feelings of

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The Paradox of Schrödinger's Cat: The Blur Between...

TIL: Philosophy ·

2024/02/13

Welcome to the world of quantum mechanics! Here's a spin on a famous thought experiment that arises out of this surreal scientific realm. Imagine, if you will, a cat in a sealed box. Accompanying the cat is a potentially lethal setup — a single radioactive atom that, if it decays, triggers a hammer which smashes a poison vial, instantly killing the cat. With no personal insight into the box, you cannot know whether the atom has decayed or not, and hence whether the cat is alive or

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The Omni-Subjectivity of Reality: The Interplay...

TIL: Philosophy ·

2024/02/12

Nestled within the vast sphere of philosophy, omni-subjectivity challenges conventional thought and unveils a provocative perspective on reality. Stripping away the enigma, omni-subjectivity suggests that reality exists solely in the realm of individual perception. Unearthing origins from the Radical Subjectivism movement - an evolution from traditional western philosophy, the idea of omni-subjectivity compels one to reconceptualize reality as an intricate web of subjective experiences. It

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The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Philosophy of the...

TIL: Philosophy ·

2024/02/11

Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher king of Rome, wrote a series of personal reflections known as "Meditations," which have endured as a profound record of private notes to himself and constitute a significant textual contribution to the philosophy of Stoicism. Stoicism stresses the development of self-control and moral virtue as a means to overcome destructive emotions. Marcus Aurelius' writings were never meant to be published, yet the profound insights they contain on mortality, humility,

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The Paradox of Hedonism: The Pursuit of Pleasure

TIL: Philosophy ·

2024/02/10

The paradox of hedonism is a philosophical concept that can seem counterintuitive. At its core, it suggests that focusing singularly on personal happiness—understood as the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain—often leads to disappointment. The philosopher Henry Sidgwick first theorized the paradox in "The Methods of Ethics" (1874). He argued that, strangely enough, personal happiness might be more achievable if it's not one's primary goal. According to Sidgwick, the hedonist, who

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The Principle of Sufficient Reason: Exploring the Why...

TIL: Philosophy ·

2024/02/09

The Principle of Sufficient Reason is a powerful and provocative philosophical idea that demands an explanation or rationale for everything. This principle originates from German philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, one of the greatest thinkers of the 17th century, who argued that for every fact or occurrence, there must be a reason or cause that necessarily brought it about. Put simply, it states that "nothing happens without a reason." This belief is intriguing as it offers an

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The Philosophy of Utilitarianism: The Greater Good...

TIL: Philosophy ·

2024/02/08

The heart of Utilitarianism is an elegant, defining yet contentious phrase: The greatest good for the greatest number. This principle calls us to evaluate the morality and ethics of an action based not on rules or duties, but on the consequences of the action itself. Proposed by Jeremy Bentham and further developed by John Stuart Mill in the 19th Century, Utilitarianism emphasizes that actions are only as worthy or as sinful as their outcomes. It invites us to imagine an ethical world

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The Phantom Time Hypothesis: The Mysterious Missing...

TIL: Philosophy ·

2024/02/07

Imagine waking up one day to find that everything you knew about time was wrong. Perhaps it’s not the year 2022. Would you believe in such a radical view of history? Would you accept that nearly three centuries of what we believed as history were a complete fabrication? As absurd as it sounds, this is exactly what the Phantom Time Hypothesis proposes. The Phantom Time Hypothesis, introduced by German historian Heribert Illig, suggests that the years 614 to 911 AD in the Gregorian calendar

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The Buddhist Concept of Impermanence: Embracing the...

TIL: Philosophy ·

2024/02/06

Dip your hands into a running stream and the water you cup is ever-changing, every moment a new composition; the molecules are replaced as the river flows relentlessly onward. This constant flow mirrors a deep-seated philosophical principle that comes from Buddhism: the concept of Impermanence, or Anicca. Impermanence observes that everything in our universe, from the tiniest particles to the vast cosmos itself, is in a state of constant flux - always changing, never static. It’s a

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