Philosophy

Aphorisms

My best friend made an interesting observation recently, that I am drawn to the form of things. The way philosophical ideas are conveyed is no exception. For example, the discursive nature of philosophising - seen most primitively in the incessant 'why?' echoing from children's mouths - is captured by dialogue form. This is exemplified in Plato's work, and more abstractly, in theatre. By contrast, philosophy finds a distilled form in aphorisms: observations containing general truths or principles. Both the physical smallness of my little pocket journal and its brief interactions with my hand, lend it to this form of philosophy. Sitting patiently in my pocket, it waits to be scribbled in with memories, observations, doodles, and such (pseudo-)profound thoughts... It is my brain dump (speaking of which, I am inclined to agree with Clarke & Chalmers 'Extended Mind' hypothesis). Whilst aphorisms have been used by many philosophers, it was Nietzsche's adoption which first captivated and inspired me. But, much like Nietzsche himself, aphorisms have an assertive air, that sometimes spills into self-aggrandising territory (lest we forget Nietzsche authored 'Why I am so Wise'). Hopefully the ones I will share from my little pocket journal will resonate, or at least offer an interesting perspective, without making claim to a universal wisdom I do not have (yet ;)).

Essays

The more traditional and longer form of philosophy, is the essay. Here, I ought to specify that I mean the tradition within which I myself am embedded - the written, academic, and Western. There are, of course, a multitude of ways to convey philosophical ideas, both explicitly (for example, through verbally transmitted mythology and fables), and implicitly (for example, in conceptual artwork). It was Michel de Montaigne - one of the few philosophers who shares the motivation for this blog, namely, an appreciation for the importance of connection and collaboration (see 'On Friendship') - who invented the essay form. In fact, it was through a friend leading a discussion on de Montaigne's 'To Philosophise is to Learn to Die' that I found this out. Deriving from the French 'essayer' meaning to try, the essay is an attempt at saying something, at contributing to knowledge. Ironically, I often found myself doing the opposite during my philosophy degree; rather than bold attempts to say something about the world or at least my perception of it, my essays were often timid, and constrained by the expectations and preferences of individual professors. Trying to move beyond tactics, I would frequently encounter the same criticism: the work is too ambitious. Concision and precision are of course important, as is the democratisation of academic research through journals. They are not more so than creativity, however. The attempt to inspire, and maybe even impart some wisdom. Here, I share some of my work without the pressures to conform to academic rules and outside the competitive framework of journals.