Hume
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Hume on Persuasion.
In On War Carl Von Clausewitz says war is a continuation of politics by other means. Or cf. Foucault, who suggests this definition might be the inverted: politics is a continuation of war by other means. My interest is in the ‘other means’, which include political rhetoric. Broadly defined, rhetoric is “the power of observing the means Continue reading
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Why is Revenge Sweet?
I can’t imagine there’s a saint among us who’s never wished for a snappy comeback to an insult, never brooded on this failure of words, and never delighted by reimagining herself the victor when she finds them. If only I said … Ha! That would have been ssooooo good! Next time I’ll be ready. It’s Continue reading
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“That They Themselves Are Beasts”
18 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one Continue reading
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Thoughtlets. xxxiv.
The Assumption(s) of the Soulless Shoes David Hume noted, That the sun will not rise to-morrow is no less intelligible a proposition, and implies no more contradiction, than the affirmation, that it will rise. David Hume (1711-1776). David Steinberg, Ed. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Second Edition. Hackett Publishing Company:Indianapolis. 1993. Section IV, Pt.I, p.15 Continue reading
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Thoughtlets. xxix.
Today’s Thoughtlet is a quote on freedom of expression that originates with Tacitus, a Roman historian who lived in the first century CE. This quote, translated as follows, appears in Latin on the title page of the first edition of Hume’s A Treatise of Human Nature, “Seldom are men blessed with times in which they may Continue reading
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‘Freedom’ is Not a Well-Formed Formula
Freedom! is a common rallying cry that some pledge to fight to the death to defend. And do. So it might be a tad unseemly to point out that ‘freedom’ is not a well-formed formula. By which is meant ‘freedom’ requires an indexical, as in freedom-to and freedom-from. And then to-what and from-what or from-whom, Continue reading
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Saturday Morning Pam-toons. “‘Tis not contrary to reason …” David Hume. (scroll down, see comments)
Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions, and can never pretend to any other office than to serve and obey them. David Hume. A Treatise of Human Nature. Book II, Part III, Section III, Of the influencing motives of the will. ‘Tis not contrary to reason to prefer the destruction Continue reading
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