Philosophical – Thoughts of Rob

Soft Tyranny

I remember when George W. Bush talked about “the soft bigotry of low expectations”. I think we should consider the applicability of a similar spirit to a new category. I think America might have a problem with soft tyranny. We don’t get dragged out of our homes in the middle of the night by theContinue reading “Soft Tyranny”

Certain Death

Between the COVID-19 pandemic and the US election, 2020 has given us a lot of food for thought. I think it has shown us the power of certainty, and maybe even moreso the power of the need for certainty, as a force in our lives. We’re not living in an era with a high toleranceContinue reading “Certain Death”

What We Think About When We Think About Thinking

In my philosophy classes in college, I was particularly intrigued by the philosophy of mind, especially the mind-body problem and the qualia problem (the latter also known as “the hard problem of consciousness”). Recognizing that the brain is a physical organ that is implicated in what we observe to be mental processes, the mind-body problemContinue reading “What We Think About When We Think About Thinking”

The Meanings of Life

Awhile back I was introduced to an idea from Hinduism, namely the idea of four discrete life stages, or ashramas. These are defined in the context of what are considered to be the four proper goals for human life, the puruṣārthas. Obviously there are cultural specificities wrapped up in the traditional definitions of these goalsContinue reading “The Meanings of Life”

Taking the Plunge

I spent a long time avoiding starting a blog. No real reason, just didn’t want to bother. Instead, I did my thinking out loud on Facebook, with extremely tight privacy settings. I figured, the people I really know are the people who care — and even a lot of the people I know, probably don’tContinue reading “Taking the Plunge”