1,495 words
Seneca and James Romm, ed., trans.
How to Keep Your Cool: An Ancient Guide to Anger Management
Princeton University Press, 2019
Long before self-help books, pop-psychology gurus, TED talks, non-fiction political punditry, and “anger-management” classes, the ancients dispensed wisdom on a variety of topics, personal and societal. (more…)
395 words
Translated by Greg Johnson
We are approaching Christmas (another name for the winter solstice). Associated with the evergreen tree, Christmas has always been celebrated in European countries (more…)
Epictetus.
1,447 words
Philosophy is a subject that never really sparked my interest. While I understand that philosophy is important to living a virtuous life, I simply think that virtue and morality are useless if you are forced to live around people that do not share your same morals and virtues. This is the situation that white people are now facing in our own countries. (more…)
1,108 words
As the old Sicilian saying goes: don’t get angry — get even.
I believe that everyone reading is familiar with the idea that revenge is a dish best served cold. Rage makes us stupid; anger drives us to make mistakes, waltz into traps set by our enemies, and go on embarrassing rants (more…)
3,103 words
“This pain, this sadness! This desperation! You know nothing about it!”
(Major story spoilers ahead.)
NieR: Automata is a critically acclaimed 2017 JRPG from renowned director Yoko Taro, and is an indirect sequel to his previous NieR and Drakenguard games. The game is a niche action-adventure gem, balancing engrossing narrative with tense, challenging combat. (more…)
Young Sailor Ripley lacked “parental guidance.”
1,444 words
In the past, people used to blame the gods or the fates for their misfortunes. These days, they like to blame their parents.
2,507 words
Donna Zuckerberg
Not All Dead White Men: Classics and Misogyny in the Digital Age
Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2018
Homer
The Odyssey
Translated by Emily Wilson
New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2017 (more…)
Richard Russell
1,200 words
We judge people. Even when people express sincere suicidal feelings, we can’t help judging them. They may be exhibiting a lot of self-pity or emotional chaos, because the situation they’re in justifies it. Their circumstances may be such that we would feel exactly the same way if we were in their shoes. Still, when we see these behaviors, it nudges us towards assuming that these tendencies must be what led to them ending up in their predicament in the first place. It’s unfair, but it’s natural: This often causes us to sympathize less. (more…)
1,359 words
Massimo Pigliucci is an evolutionary biologist and professor of philosophy at the City University of New York. He has played an important role in the popularization of a modern Stoicism in recent years (see his useful collection of materials for practicing Stoicism on his blog).
While some of the renewed interested in Stoicism, like Buddhism, has a somewhat commercial flavor, I for one think this is a very good development. (more…)
431 words
Traducción por Francisco Albanese; English version here
Nos acercamos a la Navidad (otro nombre para el solsticio de invierno). Asociada al árbol de hojas perennes, la Navidad ha sido celebrada en los países europeos desde tiempos inmemoriales como la gran fiesta que presagia el renacimiento de la naturaleza y la vida después del reposo del invierno. Uno no puede dejar de pensar que Europa, también, algún día emergerá de su actual Dormición, incluso si es más larga que el ciclo de la naturaleza. (more…)
398 words
Translated by Greg Johnson; Spanish translation here
We are approaching Christmas (another name for the winter solstice). Associated with the evergreen tree, Christmas has always been celebrated in European countries since time immemorial as the great feast presaging the revival of nature and life after the repose of winter. (more…)
1,071 words
Cultural hygiene is a must. Every day, you must try to consume culture that is educational, that elevates your soul, but also culture which puts you in sync with your society. That is a tough dilemma.
Thus, I am on the lookout for old, good films. Generally speaking, older is better.
The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) is an amusing epic, especially if you can enjoy the Sixties kitsch. The film is attractive in that it does try to show some aspects of Roman life which most films ignore: the animal sacrifices for omens, the Roman saluting, the enthusiastic “Hails Caesars.” (more…)
10:16
A reading and brilliant exposition of the relevance of Rudyard Kipling’s “If” to the White Nationalist struggle.
395 words
Translated by Greg Johnson
We are approaching Christmas (another name for the winter solstice). Associated with the evergreen tree, Christmas has always been celebrated in European countries since time immemorial as the great feast presaging the revival of nature and life after the repose of winter. (more…)
2,026 words
The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius are a remarkable spiritual diary and, in general, a sure way for the modern reader to imbue himself with the practical wisdom of our ancient forefathers. That said, I do not believe we should uncritically defer to anything, and on two points in particular, I believe comment and criticism are warranted.
Firstly, a pervasive theme of Marcus’ is his struggle to control his judgment and emotions, in particular anger, and thus be as detached and “philosophical” as possible. (more…)
1,112 words
Marcus Aurelius
Meditations
Trans. Robin Hard
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011
The following are quotes, sometimes edited for succinctness, from Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations. These statements are incantatory, meant to truly internalize and affirm simple yet profound truths for daily life. For daily life has no need for the distraction and artifice of full argumentation (more…)
395 words
Translated by Greg Johnson
We are approaching Christmas (another name for the winter solstice). Associated with the evergreen tree, Christmas has always been celebrated in European countries since time immemorial as the great feast presaging the revival of nature and life after the repose of winter. (more…)
3,128 words
English original here
Tytuł tego eseju jest poniekąd mylący, ponieważ zamierzam dowodzić, że filozofia ma znaczenie dla wszelkiej ludzkiej aktywności, nie tylko dla polityki. Filozofia jest nie tylko metapolityczna, ale „meta-wszystko”[1]. Ale wiem, że moi czytelnicy zainteresowani są zmianą polityczną, zatem był to mój wybieg, aby zachęcić Was do lektury. Co więcej, twierdzę, że filozofia nie jedynie znacząca dla życia, ale jest sprawą najwyższej wagi. (more…)
1,138 words
English original here
Pierre Hadot
Philosophy as a Way of Life: Spiritual Exercises from Socrates to Foucault
Ed. Arnold I. Davidson, trans. Michael Chase
Malden, Mass.: Blackwell, 1995
El tema de Pierre Hadot es extenso. Él presenta una nueva forma de entender la naturaleza de la filosofía antigua y cómo deberíamos leerla. (more…)
1,063 words
Spanish translation here
Pierre Hadot
Philosophy as a Way of Life: Spiritual Exercises from Socrates to Foucault
Ed. Arnold I. Davidson, trans. Michael Chase
Malden, Mass.: Blackwell, 1995
Pierre Hadot’s topic is sweeping. He presents a new understanding of the nature of ancient philosophy and how we should read it. (more…)
3,431 words
English original here
El tema central de la filosofía de Heidegger tiene un gran número de nombres: el sentido (Sinn) o significado del Ser, la verdad (Wahrheit) del Ser, el claro (Lichtung) del Ser, el “sujeto indefinido”[1] que “da” Ser, y el “Ereignis” (“evento” o “apropiación) del Ser, refiriéndose a la pertenencia mutua del Ser y del hombre.[2] (more…)
3,298 words
Spanish translation here
One of Heidegger’s most striking claims is that modern nihilism is the consummation of Western metaphysics. Generally, people think of nihilism and metaphysics as polar opposites. Nihilism is associated with the dissolution of an objective world into subjective impressions, the transformation of objective values into subjective preferences, the loss of shared meanings and a common frame of reference. Traditionally, metaphysics upholds the objectivity of reality, knowledge, and values. (more…)
3,898 words
English original here
Le titre de cet essai est quelque peu trompeur, puisque je vais arguer que la philosophie est pertinente pour tous les efforts humains, pas seulement la politique [1]. La philosophie n’est pas seulement métapolitique, mais méta-tout [2]. Mais je sais que vous vous intéressez au changement politique, donc c’était mon hameçon pour vous faire lire. (more…)
Aristoteles vor der Universität von Thessaloniki, Griechenland.
3,006 words
Übersetzt von Deep Roots
English original here
In einem früheren Essay teilte ich zehn Aphorismen aus „meinem Kodex“ mit. Falls euch dieser Essay entgangen ist, sage ich nur, daß ich vor ein paar Jahren beschloß, einen Kodex zu erstellen, um danach zu leben. Wie die meisten Dinge, die ich tue, verwandelte sich das in ein größeres Projekt, und ich sammelte schließlich Nuggets „praktischer Weisheit“ aus allen möglichen Quellen: Aristoteles, die Stoiker und Epikureer, die Eddas und Sagas, (more…)
Peter Paul Rubens: „Die vier Philosophen“, mit einer Büste von Seneca, 1611-1612
3,851 words
Übersetzt von Deep Roots
English original here
Vor ein paar Jahren entschied ich, daß ich einen Kodex brauchte, um danach zu leben: eine Reihe von Prinzipien, die mein Leben leiten. Nun, es ist nicht so, als hätte ich nicht bereits einige Prinzipien entdeckt, die mir als richtig erschienen; es war nicht so, als ob ich im Blindflug unterwegs gewesen wäre, ohne irgendwelche Überzeugungen. Aber ich hatte mich nie hingesetzt und darüber nachgedacht, woraus genau mein „Kodex“ bestand, und das alles zu Papier gebracht. (more…)
Ecstatic with herself
3,166 words
The world of academia is full of hyper-inflated academics with multiple titles, prizes, honors, publications, grants and “original” ideas. Martha Nussbaum, Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago, is a typical case in point; (more…)
2,926 words
In an earlier essay, I shared ten aphorisms from “my code.” In case you missed that essay, I will just say that a few years ago I decided to establish a code to live by. Like most of the things I do, this turned into a major project and I wound up gathering nuggets of “practical knowledge” from all manner of sources: Aristotle, the Stoics and Epicureans, the Eddas and Sagas, medieval Chivalry, Japanese Bushido, Tyler Durden, G. I. Gurdjieff, and even Indian Shaivism. (more…)
Epictetus
47:19 / 144 words
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Beginning in August of 1999, I gave a series of eight lectures on “The Pursuit of Happiness: Philosophies East and West,” dealing with different conceptions of the good life. (more…)
