Empiricism
30 Phil, Chapter 9, Aristotle, Touchstone 24: Empiricism. Empiricism says knowledge comes primarily from sensory experience. It emphasizes the role of observation and evidence in forming beliefs and understanding the world.
Ideas
Rationalism
30 Phil, Chapter 9, Aristotle, Touchstone 23: Rationalism. Rationalism emphasizes reason and a priori knowledge—knowledge you are born with—as the primary means of understanding reality. It says truths can be known independently of experience and that reason alone can provide an understanding of the world.
Syllogisms
30 Phil, Chapter 9, Aristotle, Touchstone 22: Syllogisms. While deductive reasoning existed informally before Aristotle, he formalized it in his work “Prior Analytics” by introducing the Syllogism. It structures arguments into two key premises leading to a conclusion and remains widely used today. Aristotle knew that syllogisms can both analyze and validate derived truths, by logically
Ignorance is Bliss
30 Phil, Chapter 8, Plato, Touchstone 21: Ignorance is Bliss. The concept of “Ignorance is bliss” says being uninformed or unaware of certain truths can lead to greater happiness. Take, for example, germophobes—people who are excessively concerned about germs. Constant awareness and meticulous research about germs and contamination could elevate their levels of stress, affecting
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Reflective Inquiry
30 Phil, Chapter 8, Plato, Touchstone 20: Reflective Inquiry. Reflective inquiry is the act of exploring and examining one’s own thoughts, beliefs, and assumptions to clear the illusions of life. It encourages a constant state of self-assessment, providing a foundation for intellectual growth based on a more authentic life. For example, with the Socratic Method,
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Identity
Identity is not one thing. It is a living mosaic made of inherited traits, personal choices, social influences, and life experiences. We are not born with a fully formed essence. We build who we become.
Worldview
A worldview is the lens through which you see reality, yourself, and other people. It is made of your personal language, religion, and philosophy.
Impermanence and Flux
30 Phil, Chapter 7, Heraclitus, Touchstone 17: Impermanence and Flux. Impermanence as Flux is the idea of an ever-changing nature of life and the interconnectedness of all things. It is summed up as: “Everything is in flux.” Like the idea a “river,” everything flows. The only constant is change, and to resist it is to resist
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Nondualism and Dualism
30 Phil, Chapter 6, Buddhism, Touchstone 16: Nondualism-Dualism. Nondualism and dualism help to explore the many variations and nuances within the overarching discussion of our nature, whether we have a soul, what happens to it, etc. Dualism says the mind and the body are distinct entities from each other and from the universe. How they interact
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Non-Self or Anatman and Self or Atman
30 Phil, Chapter 6, Buddhism, Touchstone 15: Illusion: Self and Non-self. The Buddhist terms of Atman and Anatman relate to the idea of “Self,” or “Atman,” your eternal soul and the Buddhist doctrine of “Non-Self,” or “Anātman.” To understand non-self, you have to understand the concept of “emptiness,” which refers to the idea that nothing lasts
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Normalcy, Normal, and Abnormal
Normalcy is not reality itself, but our idea about recurring patterns in reality, shaped by experience, culture, and expectation.
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Schemas
30 Phil, Chapter 5, Confucius, Touchstone 14: Schemas. A schema is a mental structure we employ to organize and interpret information. We classify things into schemas, which we can then modify by adding or removing elements. Schemas help us simplify life. Once things are categorized as normal or abnormal, we utilize our cognitive processes, such as
Unknowable Dao
The Unknowable Dao reminds us that some of reality may be too deep, too fluid, or too vast to capture fully in words.
Ziran, Authenticity, or Authentic Self
30 Phil, Chapter 4, Laozi, Touchstone 10: Authenticity. Ziran is often translates to “of its own.” Living in accordance with Ziran means you embrace naturalness. You welcome the spontaneous aspects of existence. With Ziran, you flow with nature while embracing your true self and innate tendencies, your authentic self. Living in accordance with Ziran is you
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Wu-wei or “non-action”
30 Phil, Chapter 4, Laozi, Touchstone 9: Wu-wei or “non-action” The term wu-wei is often translated as “non-action.” It is a general concept. It is the idea that the universe has a flow, and it is better to ride that flow than to fight it. Wu-wei is non-action, effortless action, or inaction, but does not mean
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Protozoa Discovered: Microbiology Founded
Although protozoa evolved from eukaryotes about 2 billion years ago, it was 1674 that humanity saw them for the first time. That’s when Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, using his meticulously crafted microscopes, discovered protozoa—the first microscopic observation of single-celled organisms. His detailed observations and descriptions of what he called “animalcules” in a drop of pond water
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First Analog Radio Transmission
In 1906, Reginald Fessenden achieved the first analog transmission of sound over radio waves on Christmas Eve. An analog transmission is like a flowing river that continuously changes its speed and depth to carry things along its path. In analog communication, sounds or images are directly transformed into continuous signals that mimic the original. For
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Electromagnetic Radiation Theory
James Clerk Maxwell predicted electromagnetic waves, but he did not perform experiments to prove their existence. His prediction was based on his work on the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation, which unified electricity, magnetism, and light as different manifestations of the same phenomenon. Maxwell’s equations for electromagnetism predicted the existence of waves of oscillating electric
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Ancient Spears 350,000 Years Ago
“By 350,000 years ago, early humans crafted javelin-quality spears.” This revelation about ancient spears is profoundly enlightening as it demonstrates the advanced cognitive abilities and social cooperation among early humans. Crafting spears of this quality involves not only selecting the right materials and understanding the physics of balancing and sharpening but also strategic planning for
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Hand Axes 1.7 Million Years Ago
“By 1.76 million years ago, early humans began to create hand axes.” This seemingly simple statement about hand axes is mind-opening and philosophically significant for a few reasons. It highlights the ingenuity of early humans. Crafting tools from stone requires planning, foresight, and understanding of cause and effect. It also represents a critical leap in
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