The Paradox in Amor-Ab-Initio
Problem: There seems to be no way to willingly make myself Love. Explanation: Love is an end-in-itself, and has to be willed for its own sake. The very act of willing, however, expresses a certain interest to love (that is, we all know that love is a good thing, and desire to love), and therefore … Continue reading The Paradox in Amor-Ab-Initio
Care. Concern. Love.
“Mom, can you not care about me so much! Just leave me alone!” The above line has been a recurring theme in my teenage years, with an almost-always too concerned mother (a rather fortunate thing, though I am focusing here on the torturous aspects). What troubled me was the fact that she could not stop … Continue reading Care. Concern. Love.
Guilt
Guilt, I think, is one of the transcendentals of life, what Karl Jaspers calls the Ultimate Situation—what is inescapably thrown with oneself into existence (if I sound too pessimistic, here I write with the irredeemable guilt of spending the last 23 minutes of my life on YouTube watching god-knows-what). It rises out of a natural … Continue reading Guilt
Ideological Critique of “Let It Go”
It has been a tradition of our school to have a House Song competition this year, and my House (whom I’m the head of) chose Let It Go. Thus, I’ve been thinking about the song a lot recently. I thoroughly enjoy the music, but its intellectual fertility, I’m afraid, is appalling. Particularly, it expresses a … Continue reading Ideological Critique of “Let It Go”
Writing. Story-telling. Living.
Having been talking more and more to kids, I’ve been pushed to defend my methodology—the use of myths, novels, movies in explicating my points—since they are often skeptical, and sometimes laughs out of the perceived ridiculousness of me connecting Frozen with some high-brow philosophical theory. Having tried to explain what I am doing, and sometimes … Continue reading Writing. Story-telling. Living.
What is Hell?
—This was written before sleep in that weird state where nothing is inhibited and word just flows out of one’s fingers without regard for its content. Hence the melodrama, and the sense of (false?) pathos in the words. Originally advice to my good friend Josh who has, recently, fallen prey to Football Manager 2021. Extended … Continue reading What is Hell?
Home
A short meditation on Home. Heidegger said that we are Dasein, being-there. As such, we live in a place, (in distinction to a mere environment) and thus, a home. This is determined already by us as zoon echon logon—the language speaking animal. For it is a miraculous fact of symbols that it can point to … Continue reading Home
Writing a Timed Essay (Sample Attached)
This is a slightly different post. Recently I’ve been practicing for Cambridge Philosophy Admissions Test, which requires an essay written in 40 minutes. It is daunting. Here are some of my reflections. This is, of course, also a self-therapy session. Plan. Plan. Plan! The most important part is to think through one’s response. To know … Continue reading Writing a Timed Essay (Sample Attached)
Tedium & David Foster Wallace
David Foster Wallace is the writer of tedium. And this is why, perhaps, he has struck a chord in the modern imagination, gathering such a large cult following (one of whom is yours truly). He sees people engaging in diversions—through drugs, TV, unlimited consumption—and sees again the same people taking an ironic stance towards everything, … Continue reading Tedium & David Foster Wallace
On Revoluion, Summary
You know how much I love Hannah Arendt. Here is the last major work of hers that I haven’t read. Below is a summary of the insights I’ve gained. Revolution is about freedom. Not freedom of locomotion or free will, but freedom to act and speak in public in ways that matter. The public, political … Continue reading On Revoluion, Summary
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A Writer's Diary 