Tag: philosophy

Tuesday Top of Mind 12/2/25- Kant have it both ways

Forgive the pun.

Immanuel Kant is a central figure in modern philosophy. One of the key tenets of his writings is the pursuit of enlightenment. Enlightenment is defined by him in his 1784 essay What is Enlightenment as the “Thinking for oneself rather than letting others think for you.” He was for individual human reason above all else.

He doesn’t really have a lot to do with this post. I just thought it was interesting.

Yeah, right.

It is interesting and a lesson that more of us need to take to heart.

Don’t let others think for you. You never know what kind of trouble that will lead you to.

For those who are not following the train wreck around the sinking of a “drug boat” off the coast of Venezuela on September 2, 2025, there are lies aplenty.

And an illegal order. That someone who should’ve known better followed.

There were survivors from the first attack on the “drug boat” and a second strike was ordered by the secretary of “war” and these survivors were killed.

This is against the Law of War Manual from our very own Department of Defense.

In Chapter 7, which is titled Wounded, Sick, Shipwrecked, Dead, and the Medical Services, what should have happened is that the survivors should have been taken into custody. This could have been done by our own military or a relief society, or the inhabitants.

But it wasn’t was it?

What’s the matter? Kant keep the lies straight.

Okay, I’ll stop.

What’s the matter? Can’t keep the lies straight anymore? Letting someone else do your thinking?

There are two stories that the secretoy of war bandied about. That the secretoy of war gave the order for the second strike.

Oh, wait, there was no second strike.

Okay there was a second strike but it was in self defense of the US. (hard to square this one)

Okay there was a second strike but it happened when the secretary was out of the room. And it was the admiral (who the secretary has complete faith in) ordered the strike.

Well.

Which is it?

Or do you not remember/care? Those who serve under the secretary of war will remember this kerfluffle. And the lies. And the admiral that was scapegoated for it.

That’s what happens when you can’t keep track of your lies. Lies are never a good foundation of truth. Americans deserve the truth. As do the families of the survivors you had killed.

By the way, the secretoy typos 8 sections ago? Was no typo. Deliberate typos, deliberate philosophy puns.

Because I think for myself.

Tuesday Top of Mind 3/4/2025- The real tragedy of modern times is being afraid of the light

The proper quote, attributed to Plato, can be summarized by “The real tragedy of life is when people are afraid of the light.”

The PhD student in me knows that this is a reference to Allegory of the Cave. Also by Plato.

In the cave the only perspective is that of what is projected on the walls. What you see projected on the walls is entirely left up to your own experiences.

For example, if a republican was attracted to a drag queen they would question their manliness and therefore be afraid of drag queens exposing their secrets. But they can’t be afraid of something so silly, so they hate it. Worse, they teach others to hate the shadows on the wall of the drag queen as well.

Oh. This argument got a bit away from me. I don’t mean to point fingers, but if the pattern on the wall fits…

The Allegory of the Cave is also about truth. It is a warning not to take the easy path and believe everything your eyes tell you.

Or believe what the voice on the television or podcast tells you.

Critical thinking is a must, especially in these times when the wrong voices and the wrong actions are vying for our attention and our belief.

In simpler terms and the phrase I remember hearing or reading as a child, that what you hate is something that frightened you as a child. Instead of another person just trying to live their life, they are hated as other.

Well, going back to the cave, who decides the other.

And, more importantly, why do we listen and sometimes blindly follow the hatred that is spoon fed to us in increasing amounts? Perhaps in the hopes that we will drown in filth and be reborn hating the things that caused us to be drowned. Instead of real fear of those who drowned us.

To make light of it, perhaps they were frightened by a drag queen as a child.

As Master Yoda says, “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

Don’t walk the dark path.

And don’t believe what other people are telling you about the shadows on the wall.

They may get something out of frightening you.