The basic insight of Stoicism is the following: unhappiness comes from the world not matching your desires, and happiness comes from matching your desires to the world.
The problem is that Stoicism can lead to stagnation -- I want those dishes to be dirty, so I am happy!
The solution is to live in harmony with the world. If you leave the dishes dirty, you will have serious problems...
A Laughing Stoicism
The ancient Stoics believed in living in harmony with the cosmos. They believed that the world is ordered and rational (a cosmos) and so the wise man lived an ordered and rational life. The pop culture version of this is Mr. Spock.
But the world is not entirely ordered and rational. The world is also crazy, absurd, random, and unpredictable. To live in harmony in the world does not require being cool and detached. Living in harmony with the world requires crying, loving, hugging and laughing.
Sometimes laughter is what the world requires, and not to laugh is to be dead.
But the world is not entirely ordered and rational. The world is also crazy, absurd, random, and unpredictable. To live in harmony in the world does not require being cool and detached. Living in harmony with the world requires crying, loving, hugging and laughing.
Sometimes laughter is what the world requires, and not to laugh is to be dead.
Hatred and Frank’s Snowmobile Paradox
Thomas Frank’s Snowmobile Paradox explains why people who otherwise hate each other will vote the same way. If you live in the city and love to snowmobile, you vote Republican because you hate the regulations that liberals want to impose. If you live in the snowmobile country, you vote Republican because you hate those rich city tourists (with their liberal bumper stickers and loose sexual morals) who come to snowmobile.
On both sides, hatred is the motivation.
On both sides, hatred is the motivation.
Rorty's Tools
Richard Rorty believes that he can avoid discussing truth and reality by instead talking about tools and usefulness. He believes that describing a theory, idea, word, world-view as a useful tool allows him to avoid discussing their truth.
This does not reveal anything interesting about theories, ideas, words, or world-views. Instead, it reveals that Rorty never had to work a day in his life. Anyone who has ever actually used a tool knows that there is a direct link between its usefulness and the reality of the situation.
This does not reveal anything interesting about theories, ideas, words, or world-views. Instead, it reveals that Rorty never had to work a day in his life. Anyone who has ever actually used a tool knows that there is a direct link between its usefulness and the reality of the situation.
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