Reading philosophy is an activity that can benefit all people. I enjoy
this pasttime so much that I spent many years in university developing
my skill in it. Along the way, I learned a few things, not just about
the world and the mind, but also how to learn.
Reading philosophy is important, not because it gives us values and
truths to accept, but because it exposes us to the process of developing
understanding. Difficult works that develop our abstract reasoning help
us to understand complex issues that arise in the course of daily life -
and can also help us explain our reasoning to others when facing complex
issues.
It is unfortunately necessary to be somewhat well-read in philosophy
to keep up in more formal philosophical discourse. What follows is my
attempt to collect noteworthy classical, modern, and contempotary works
on a number of topics, with special focuses on the nature of mind, reality,
the limits of knowledge, & moral teachings in a roughly chronological
order. When reading philosophy like this, you can follow chains of thought
through the centuries. After reading the texts I suggest, you should be
able to begin participating in more serious philosophical discussion -
not to mention developing more nuanced positions - and it shouldn't be hard
to find people or resources to help understand the texts along the way.
After my list of suggested texts, more general notes on actually reading
philosopy follow.
Continue reading...
I am a huge fan of a proper gin. If you don't know where to start with
gin, try Bombay Sapphire as a reference.
Decided to get back into the game, recipe and testimonials follow.
I don't feel like photos are necessary for this post because the process
begins with bottles of clear liquid, followed by bottles of dark liquid,
concluded with bottles of clear liquid. What can be gained from these
photos?
Continue reading...
As of May 1st, 2025, I've now been here for 3 years.
I'm not sure what exactly I expected before coming. For most of our
long-distance relationship, my wife lived deep in the jungle, several
hours drive away from a not-great city. So I saw a side of the world
very different from my home, but also different from where I live now.
I came here during lockdown. Spent 2 weeks in Jakarta. I got the feeling
that even if things weren't locked down, it's not the kind of tourist
destination Seoul or New York City may be. Large, dirty, gray water
sewers ran along the streets, constant traffic jams, heavy smog. The
only things that really were appealing were the malls but they sold
the same kinds of things you can find at every mall in the world.
Converted to Islam over Whatsapp, got mailed a certificate, brought that
to the department of religious affairs, got married, got a marriage visa.
The bureacracy was really straightforward and easy. The first Islamic
wedding I attended was my own. I don't really have strong memories of it
aside from thinking the ritual was a little strange, but it really made
my wife's parents happy. I had to repeat the Arabic phrase three times
before the priest accepted the marriage declaration as valid -- Arabic is
not my strong suit.
My life is pretty comfortable. There are frequent blackouts and my city
is underdeveloped, but I've made a ton of great friends. My city is safe.
People are very friendly and laid back.
If you're tired of life in the West, you may enjoy life here. The
language is pretty easy to pick up. Adjusting to a less developed city
hasn't been hard for me -- the only thing I still struggle with on a
regular basis is the oppressive heat.
Here's hoping the next 3 years are great, too...