http://www.brainpickings.org/2014/04/14/philographics-book-genis-carreras/
Related: FilosofieSystems philosophy Systems Philosophy is a discipline aimed at constructing a new philosophy (in the sense of worldview) by using systems concepts. The discipline was founded by Ervin Laszlo in 1972 with his book Introduction to Systems Philosophy: Toward a New Paradigm of Contemporary Thought.[1] It has been described as the "reorientation of thought and world view ensuing from the introduction of "systems" as a new scientific paradigm".[2] Overview[edit] Soon after Laszlo founded Systems Philosophy it was placed in context by Ludwig von Bertalanffy, one of the founders of General System Theory, when he categorized three domains within the Systemics namely: Systems Philosophy consists of four main areas: The term "Systems Philosophy" is often used as a convenient shorthand to refer to "the philosophy of systems" (e.g. here), but this usage can be misleading.
Visual Social Network Analysis in R and Gephi Part II Resuming from last time, I've made some updates to the philosophers' social network including publishing two interactive maps. Quick introduction: you know that sidebar on wikipedia where it tells you someone was influenced by someone else, linking to them? These graphs are generated from asking wikipedia for a comprehensive list of every philosopher's influence on every other. There are some sample-bias issues and data problems I went over in the first part of the series, but overall it's both beautiful and interesting.
What is Philosophy – and what’s it for? © Getty People are understandably confused about what philosophy is. From a distance, it seems weird, irrelevant, boring and yet also – just a little – intriguing. But it’s hard to put a finger on what the interest really is. What are philosophers? What do they do? Visualizing the History of Philosophy as a social network: The Problem with Hegel Introduction This is Part I of a series. Part II is available here, and has an updated graphic. How Important is Hegel?! When Philosophy Becomes Therapy Alain de Botton's self-help books for those who style themselves as intellectuals are making their way to the United States. Philosophy has earned a reputation as a complicated, inaccessible, and irrelevant pursuit, consigned mostly to old white men in wood-paneled offices. It’s vaguely associated with asking the kinds of big questions—Do we exist? What does life mean? Is there such thing as right or wrong?
The Largest-Ever Survey of Philosophers: What Do They Believe? Last year, David Bourget and David Chalmers conducted an exercise in the sociology of philosophy, the largest survey of philosophers ever (3000+ respondents): the PhilPapers Surveys. Now that new results have been released, let’s look back at the findings. First, it’s worth noting, as the editors do, that (1) the survey focuses mostly on Anglophone analytic philosophers, and (2) answer choices were often too brief for respondents to know how to answer, and that (3) though the response rate of 47% was pretty good, there is inevitably some selection bias, probably toward younger analytic philosophers. More survey design thoughts here.
Why Stoicism is one of the best mind-hacks ever – Lary Wallace We do this to our philosophies. We redraft their contours based on projected shadows, or give them a cartoonish shape like a caricaturist emphasising all the wrong features. This is how Buddhism becomes, in the popular imagination, a doctrine of passivity and even laziness, while Existentialism becomes synonymous with apathy and futile despair. Something similar has happened to Stoicism, which is considered – when considered at all – a philosophy of grim endurance, of carrying on rather than getting over, of tolerating rather than transcending life’s agonies and adversities. What is Philosophy? An Omnibus of Definitions from Prominent Philosophers by Maria Popova “Philosophy is 99 per cent about critical reflection on anything you care to be interested in.” Last week, we explored how some of history’s greatest minds, including Richard Feynman, Carl Sagan, Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, and Isaac Asimov, defined science. Kant famously considered philosophy the “queen of the sciences” — whether or not that is true, philosophy seems even more elusive than science to define. From Philosophy Bites, the book based on the wonderful podcast of the same name, comes an omnibus of definitions, bound by a most fascinating disclaimer — for, as Nigel Warburton keenly observes in the book’s introduction, “philosophy is an unusual subject in that its practitioners don’t agree what it’s about.” The following definitions are excerpted from the first chapter of the book, which asks a number of prominent contemporary philosophers the seemingly simple yet, as we’ll see, awfully messy question, “What is philosophy?”
Why Study Philosophy? 'To Challenge Your Own Point of View' At a time when advances in science and technology have changed our understanding of our mental and physical selves, it is easy for some to dismiss the discipline of philosophy as obsolete. Stephen Hawking, boldly, argues that philosophy is dead. Not according to Rebecca Newberger Goldstein. Goldstein, a philosopher and novelist, studied philosophy at Barnard and then earned her Ph.D. in philosophy at Princeton University. She has written several books, won a MacArthur “Genius Award” in 1996, and taught at several universities, including Barnard, Columbia, Rutgers, and Brandeis. Goldstein’s forthcoming book, Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won’t Go Away, offers insight into the significant—and often invisible—progress that philosophy has made.
Stoicism / Getting Stronger Hormetism is a practical set of tools that can help you lose weight, get fit, or even improve your eyesight. But thinking of it as just “as set of tools” actually undervalues the benefits of Hormetism, because it leaves out the greatest benefit: a path to freedom from stress and a means of increasing your physical, mental and spiritual strength. Hormetism is at once a broad perspective on living and a specific set of techniques that can free you from distractions and foster your ability to focus on the important things in life–even the most challenging ones–with greater engagement and joy, and with less distraction from negative emotions such as anger, fear, worry, and the other negative manifestations of stress. Hormetism is not just a set of tools, it is an overarching philosophy of life. But did Hormetism come out of nowhere, or are there historical precedents? Epictetus was a prominent Stoic philosopher who lived from 55-135 AD in Greece, and later in Rome.
Don’t try to cure anxiety: we need it – Charlie Kurth At a dinner party, you find yourself seated next to a man named Sam. He’s a new acquaintance, but it turns out the two of you have several friends in common – so you’re keen to make a good impression. On that score, things seem to be going quite well. Philosophy Mission: Develop thrivable agents and a flourishing network to co-create a more thrivable world. We work with a 5 point model, considering the individual, their environment (at many scales), the social interactions involved, the feedback and metrics to enable adjustment of the course, and the conditions for creativity. Thrivable Elements Creative Through exploring cycles and process, future pacing, active listening, and individual vs. group dynamics, Thrivable seeks to uncover what factors promote creativity and emergence.
9 Mind-Expanding Books Of Philosophy That Are Actually Readable (A Guide To Practical Philosophy) Very few people wake up and think “I need philosophy.” This is perfectly understandable. But of course, everyone has their own problems and are dealing with the difficulties of life in some way or another. The irony is this is actually what ancient philosophy was intended to ameliorate. “Vain is the word of a philosopher,” Epicurus once said, “which does not heal the suffering of man.”