Rational ideas that are not historical stories nor empirical observations. Things like algebra and logic which help us indirectly describe the empirical. Also, things like the rational idea that dinosaurs once existed which is based on empirical evidence like fossils.
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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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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Self and Non-self offer rival metaphysical answers. TST Philosophy asks you to ground public truth and systems in the material world.
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Normalcy is not reality itself, but our idea about recurring patterns in reality, shaped by experience, culture, and expectation.
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Schemas are mental categories across frameworks that simplify life. To think well, challenge them. Keep what fits, update or drop the rest.
The Unknowable Dao reminds us that some of reality may be too deep, too fluid, or too vast to capture fully in words.
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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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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30 Phil, Chapter 3 Touchstone 8: Holism. Holism views things as a whole, emphasizing interconnectedness and interdependence, and values unity and synthesis. It is essential for fully understanding complex systems like living organisms and ecosystems. This notion of an underlying, unifying essence mirrors the intricacies of the natural world, where each element, though distinct, harmoniously contributes
Ontology asks what exists at the deepest level, including whether the self, consciousness, or anything beyond the body is real. For living well, its value is humility: what you believe shapes how you treat this life.
30 Phil, Chapter 2 Touchstone 6: Philosophy. Philosophy is the systematic study of fundamental questions concerning existence, knowledge, values, and meaning. It’s a discipline guided by reason and the evaluation of evidence. A central question is “How should we live?” While there is a general agreement on overarching principles, as always, the devil is in the
30 Phil, Chapter 2 Touchstone 5: Knowledge Framework. In philosophy, the study of knowledge is called epistemology. It’s important because knowledge describes reality, and understanding how we craft knowledge brings philosophical clarity. Each of us maintains a personal knowledge framework that arranges the knowledge we accumulate. You can think of it as a personalized dictionary. But
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30 Phil, Chapter 1 Touchstone 4: Cultural Transmission. Cultural transmission, perhaps more than any other trait, sets humans apart from other animals. It’s the ability to pass behaviors, traditions, and knowledge to the next generation. Cultural transmission has likely been a feature of our direct-line hominin mind for millions of years. Returning to what we
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You may not control everything, but you still must choose how to live. Living well means choosing with positive intent now and for the future.
Invented by Newton in the 1660s (pub. 1687) and independently by Leibniz in the 1680s (pub. 1684). Both built on Galileo’s popularizing the idea of the infinitesimal. Calculus, the mathematical study of continuous change, introduced the concepts of differentiation and integration, providing tools to model and analyze motion, growth, and the infinitesimal. Newton, working primarily
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In the vibrant intellectual climate of Ancient Greece, the 6th century BCE marks the embryonic stage of formal logic, attributed to the philosopher Thales of Miletus (around 624-546 BCE). Thales, recognized as the first of the Seven Sages of Greece, embarked on a quest that laid the foundational stones of logical thought. He shifted the
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