I've barely read this year. I've been struggling through this on and off for a while now. It's not bad but every time I put it down I have no desire to pick it back up. At least it's short.
Books: Book(s) you are Currently Reading | Part 3
- Thread starter GKJ
- Start date
I've barely read this year. I've been struggling through this on and off for a while now. It's not bad but every time I put it down I have no desire to pick it back up. At least it's short.
I also just finished two books on the old west on unsolved mysteries and Conspiracy theories. Both went into great detail on Billy the Kid/Bill Roberts who claimed to be Billy the KId and about the death of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid. The Bil Roberts claim was somewhat debunk as Roberts went by the story that was public knowledge and would be tripped up but the fact over the proof the of the time Billy the KId was hiding in Mexico or in Globe Arizona, blaming his old age for getting the time line wrong, But yet, his story was along the line of what the public excepted not knowing that much of it was hearsay. As for Butch Cassidy, the writers went off of a lot details that Cassidy's own family related to their time in Washington state. Unlike Bill Roberts, the guy who Butch's family said was Butch, he only one time claimed publicly to be Butch Cassidy and it was right before he died. It was Cassidy's family that came forward after the death of the person they believed to be Cassidy was in fact him.
Spring in Fialta
A malign star kept him
Not to tempt fate but I'm still around just not as much as I was.
A firsthand account of life in the foster system. And the (now adult) author examines a smug blind spot in contemporary thinking, that dismisses the advantage of family stability..
Backstory on the relationship between American government and Hussein, leading to the American invasion of Iraq.
Hippasus
1,9,45,165,495,1287,
Since it is not a book, I want to review "Nature" by Ralph Waldo Emerson here. I was going to maybe read "Self-Reliance" as well, but I think I got the gist of what I needed at this time, and should probably focus on something else in the near future.
This essay is an astounding blend of poetic prose and philosophy, though, I think it is more poetic prose than philosophy. Emerson has a strong cadence and sense of flow in his presentation. There are many related themes in this essay, but I will try to enumerate some of them. 1. Uniqueness of individuals, or particulars in nature, is of utmost significance to substantive beliefs. The universe is mirrored in them. I think that everything plays a role is an implication he was making. 2. The reality of God is one and is suggested by the experience of the individual. This is seen by human individuals in nature or the world in the broadest sense of these terms. 3. Science, poetry, and craftsmanship alike are expressions of this underlying God. 4. One requires a certain sort of open perspective to see the truth that Emerson sees as ancient, eternal, and indubitable. In a phrase, something like appreciative reflection, or celebration of life. One should seek out experiences, goals, and actions that bring the best part of one's dreams and imaginings to fruition. 5. Destiny and degrees of freedom through spirit are not at odds with one another if one looks at science, ethics, and aesthetics through an appropriately robust frame of mind. Truth, beauty, and goodness are different sides of the same object or notion.
The so-called problem of evil was not discussed, but I think doing so might have made this essay even better, given Emerson's theological disposition. Neither was the prospect of polytheism. Regardless, he is an amazing writer. I found myself thinking how right he is. I often had pictures of various landscapes from memory in the back of my mind.
Emerson is quite consonant with both Spinoza and Nietzsche, even though Emerson is a theist and Nietzsche an anti-theist. Spinoza is the prime example of a pantheist, which he tried to access through reason and-or understanding. The bare bones of Spinoza's and Emerson's theses seem in plain congruence with one another, albeit expressed through markedly different styles of expression. I can see how Nietzsche was influenced by Emerson with his foci of self-improvement, countenancing of the particularity of nature and history, as well as through Nietzsche's strongly poetic style.
This essay is an astounding blend of poetic prose and philosophy, though, I think it is more poetic prose than philosophy. Emerson has a strong cadence and sense of flow in his presentation. There are many related themes in this essay, but I will try to enumerate some of them. 1. Uniqueness of individuals, or particulars in nature, is of utmost significance to substantive beliefs. The universe is mirrored in them. I think that everything plays a role is an implication he was making. 2. The reality of God is one and is suggested by the experience of the individual. This is seen by human individuals in nature or the world in the broadest sense of these terms. 3. Science, poetry, and craftsmanship alike are expressions of this underlying God. 4. One requires a certain sort of open perspective to see the truth that Emerson sees as ancient, eternal, and indubitable. In a phrase, something like appreciative reflection, or celebration of life. One should seek out experiences, goals, and actions that bring the best part of one's dreams and imaginings to fruition. 5. Destiny and degrees of freedom through spirit are not at odds with one another if one looks at science, ethics, and aesthetics through an appropriately robust frame of mind. Truth, beauty, and goodness are different sides of the same object or notion.
The so-called problem of evil was not discussed, but I think doing so might have made this essay even better, given Emerson's theological disposition. Neither was the prospect of polytheism. Regardless, he is an amazing writer. I found myself thinking how right he is. I often had pictures of various landscapes from memory in the back of my mind.
Emerson is quite consonant with both Spinoza and Nietzsche, even though Emerson is a theist and Nietzsche an anti-theist. Spinoza is the prime example of a pantheist, which he tried to access through reason and-or understanding. The bare bones of Spinoza's and Emerson's theses seem in plain congruence with one another, albeit expressed through markedly different styles of expression. I can see how Nietzsche was influenced by Emerson with his foci of self-improvement, countenancing of the particularity of nature and history, as well as through Nietzsche's strongly poetic style.
Last edited:
Contains both specific and general examples of how Boomers have screwed up society (sometimes thru good intentions tho). Pretty good so far..
Hippasus
1,9,45,165,495,1287,
A follow-up to my post a little above:
I read the Wikipedia article on "Self-Reliance" and saw there are several good quotes from the essay.
"A foolish consistency is the hobogoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines."
"Trust thyself."
"Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist".
"Emerson mentions "but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude." "
"Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles."
"Insist on yourself; never imitate."
Self-reliance is "freedom in a spiritual universe that is just as rule-governed as the Newtonian physical universe".
What was maybe most interesting in the article for me was that in the "Criticism" section it was mentioned that Herman Melville's novel, Moby Dick, is an antithesis to this essay by Emerson. Emerson seemed to encapsulate a sort of hyper-individualism, and is potentially destructive as hubris. There is a danger in exaggerated self-regard in the face of the sublimity of nature. Self-reliance, taken to the extreme, is solipsistic. As one critic, Cladis, wrote "we are surrounded by helps and aids of all kinds, supporting us, sustaining us, journeying always with us."
I'm not sure, but it might be worth reading the essay at some point.
I read the Wikipedia article on "Self-Reliance" and saw there are several good quotes from the essay.
"A foolish consistency is the hobogoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines."
"Trust thyself."
"Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist".
"Emerson mentions "but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude." "
"Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles."
"Insist on yourself; never imitate."
Self-reliance is "freedom in a spiritual universe that is just as rule-governed as the Newtonian physical universe".
What was maybe most interesting in the article for me was that in the "Criticism" section it was mentioned that Herman Melville's novel, Moby Dick, is an antithesis to this essay by Emerson. Emerson seemed to encapsulate a sort of hyper-individualism, and is potentially destructive as hubris. There is a danger in exaggerated self-regard in the face of the sublimity of nature. Self-reliance, taken to the extreme, is solipsistic. As one critic, Cladis, wrote "we are surrounded by helps and aids of all kinds, supporting us, sustaining us, journeying always with us."
I'm not sure, but it might be worth reading the essay at some point.
Just finished reading “The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien”. Not exactly what you would call a page-turner but interesting if you want to know more about his thinking and motivation. He answered quite a few letters that readers sent him asking questions about his work, primarily Lord of the Rings.
The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien - Wikipedia
The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien - Wikipedia
Thucydides
Registered User
- Dec 24, 2009
- 8,155
- 845
Spring in Fialta
A malign star kept him
This looks interesting..
My first Richards memory was from the (dumb) movie Transylvania 6-5000. Looking back you can kinda see a little spark of Kramer.
This is a book I had (& lost) as a kid. I rediscovered it at a used book store with my daughter recently.
It's thin, but a very good crash course on the Civil War.. chronology of battles, brief bios of major figures, numbers on casualties, and modern innovations of 1860s warfare..
Collection of articles and speeches by Cohen. Who was an an expert, but dissenting, figure on American-Russian relations. This edition was published after Cohen's death, so it opens with some eulogies.
