Ασκητική

Η Ασκητική (Salvatores dei) είναι βιβλίο του Νίκου Καζαντζάκη, με στοχαστικό και φιλοσοφικό περιεχόμενο. Το έργο πρωτοκυκλοφόρησε το Φθινόπωρο του 1927 στο περιοδικό Αναγέννηση του Δημήτρη Γληνού. Μετά από αυτήν την έκδοση ο Καζαντζάκης συνέχισε τις διορθώσεις, μέχρι που τον Δεκέμβριο του 1945 εκδόθηκε η τελική μορφή της Ασκητικής του, με την προσθήκη του νέου κεφαλαίου «Η Σιγή». Στο έργο αυτό συναντάται η γνωστή φράση του συγγραφέα, η οποία αναγράφεται και στον τάφο του: «Δεν ελπίζω τίποτα, δε φοβούµαι τίποτα, [… λυτρώθηκα από το νου κι από την καρδιά, ανέβηκα πιο πάνω …], είµαι λεύτερος.»

Όλο το έργο στα αγγλικά.

η αξία της φιλοσοφίας

The value of philosophy is, in fact, to be sought largely in its very uncertainty. The man who has no tincture of philosophy goes through life imprisoned in the prejudices derived from common sense, from the habitual beliefs of his age or his nation, and from convictions which have grown up in his mind without the co-operation or consent of his deliberate reason. To such a man the world tends to become definite, finite, obvious; common objects rouse no questions, and unfamiliar possibilities are contemptuously rejected. As soon as we begin to philosophize, on the contrary, we find… that even the most everyday things lead to problems to which only very incomplete answers can be given. Philosophy, though unable to tell us with certainty what is the true answer to the doubts it raises, is able to suggest many possibilities which enlarge our thoughts and free them from the tyranny of custom. Thus, while diminishing our feeling of certainty as to what things are, it greatly increases our knowledge as to what they may be; it removes the somewhat arrogant dogmatism of those who have never traveled into the region of liberating doubt, and it keeps alive our sense of wonder by showing familiar things in an unfamiliar aspect.

Bertrand Russell, The Problems of Philosophy, Chapter XV

κινητήριες δυνάμεις

Υπάρχουν τρεις κινητήριες δυνάμεις των ανθρωπίνων ενεργειών, αυτές είναι:
α) ο εγωισμός που θέλει το δικό του καλό (αυτός δεν γνωρίζει όρια)
β) η κακία που θέλει το κακό του άλλου (αγγίζει και την πιο ακραία σκληρότητα)
γ) η ευσπλαχνία που θέλει το καλό του άλλου (γενναιοδωρία και μεγαλοψυχία).

– Α. Σοπενχάουερ Τα Πάθη του κόσμου, Κεφ Ηθική L 157

μία ιστορία της Φιλοσοφίας

[πηγή: youtube Arthur Holmes: A History of Philosophy (81 eps) – wheatoncollege]

Τι ήταν το Μπουσίτο; Και ποιές οι αρχές του;

Bushidō (武士道, “the way of warriors”) was the set of codes of honour and ideals that dictated the samurai way of life, loosely analogous to the European concept of chivalry.

Eight virtues of Bushidō (as envisioned by Nitobe Inazō)

The bushidō code is typified by eight virtues:

• Righteousness (義, gi)

Be acutely honest throughout your dealings with all people. Believe in justice, not from other people, but from yourself. To the true warrior, all points of view are deeply considered regarding honesty, justice and integrity. Warriors make a full commitment to their decisions.

• Heroic Courage (勇, yū)

Hiding like a turtle in a shell is not living at all. A true warrior must have heroic courage. It is absolutely risky. It is living life completely, fully and wonderfully. Heroic courage is not blind. It is intelligent and strong.

• Benevolence, Compassion (仁, jin)

Through intense training and hard work the true warrior becomes quick and strong. They are not as most people. They develop a power that must be used for good. They have compassion. They help their fellow men at every opportunity. If an opportunity does not arise, they go out of their way to find one.

• Respect (礼, rei)

True warriors have no reason to be cruel. They do not need to prove their strength. Warriors are not only respected for their strength in battle, but also by their dealings with others. The true strength of a warrior becomes apparent during difficult times.

• Honesty (誠, makoto)

When warriors say that they will perform an action, it is as good as done. Nothing will stop them from completing what they say they will do. They do not have to ‘give their word’. They do not have to ‘promise’. Speaking and doing are the same action.

• Honour (名誉, meiyo)

Warriors have only one judge of honor and character, and this is themselves. Decisions they make and how these decisions are carried out are a reflection of who they truly are. You cannot hide from yourself.

• Duty and Loyalty (忠義, chūgi)

Warriors are responsible for everything that they have done and everything that they have said and all of the consequences that follow. They are immensely loyal to all of those in their care. To everyone that they are responsible for, they remain fiercely true.

• Self-Control (自制, jisei)

Associated virtues

• Filial piety (孝, kō)
• Wisdom (智, chi)
• Fraternity (悌, tei)

τῶν αἰσθήσεων ἀγάπησις

All humans by nature desire to know; an indication of this is the delight we take in our senses; for even apart from their usefulness they are loved for themselves

πάντες ἄνθρωποι τοῦ εἰδέναι ὀρέγονται φύσει. σημεῖον δ’ ἡ τῶν αἰσθήσεων ἀγάπησις: καὶ γὰρ χωρὶς τῆς χρείας ἀγαπῶνται δι’ αὑτάς
– Αριστοτέλης, Μεταφυσικά

A Liberal Decalogue..

By Bertrand Russell

Perhaps the essence of the Liberal outlook could be summed up in a new decalogue, not intended to replace the old one but only to supplement it. The Ten Commandments that, as a teacher, I should wish to promulgate, might be set forth as follows:

1. Do not feel absolutely certain of anything.

2. Do not think it worth while to proceed by concealing evidence, for the evidence is sure to come to light.

3. Never try to discourage thinking for you are sure to succeed.

4. When you meet with opposition, even if it should be from your husband or your children, endeavor to overcome it by argument and not by authority, for a victory dependent upon authority is unreal and illusory.

5. Have no respect for the authority of others, for there are always contrary authorities to be found.

6. Do not use power to suppress opinions you think pernicious, for if you do the opinions will suppress you.

7. Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.

8. Find more pleasure in intelligent dissent than in passive agreement, for, if you value intelligence as you should, the former implies a deeper agreement than the latter.

9. Be scrupulously truthful, even if the truth is inconvenient, for it is more inconvenient when you try to conceal it.

10. Do not feel envious of the happiness of those who live in a fool’s paradise, for only a fool will think that it is happiness.”

“A Liberal Decalogue” is from The Autobiography of Bertrand Russell, Vol. 3: 1944-1969, pp. 71-72.

νόημα;

ματαιότης ματαιοτήτων

[ τὰ πάντα ματαιότης … συνέχεια στα ελληνικά ]

1 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher,
vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

3 What does man gain by all the toil
at which he toils under the sun?

4 A generation goes, and a generation comes,
but the earth remains forever.

5 The sun rises, and the sun goes down,
and hastens to the place where it rises.

6 The wind blows to the south
and goes around to the north;
around and around goes the wind,
and on its circuits the wind returns.

7 All streams run to the sea,
but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow,
there they flow again.

8 All things are full of weariness;
a man cannot utter it;
the eye is not satisfied with seeing,
nor the ear filled with hearing.

9 What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done,
and there is nothing new under the sun.

10 Is there a thing of which it is said,
“See, this is new”?
It has been already
in the ages before us.

11 There is no remembrance of former things,
nor will there be any remembrance
of later things yet to be
among those who come after.”

― Anonymous, Bible: King James Version

Ηδονή και φρόνηση

Όταν λοιπόν υποστηρίζουμε ότι ο τελικός σκοπός είναι η ηδονή, δεν εννοούμε τις ηδονές των ασώτων κι αυτές που συνίστανται στην αισθησιακή απόλαυση, όπως ορισμένοι νομίζουν –από άγνοια κι επειδή διαφωνούν με εμάς παίρνουν στραβά τα λόγια μας– αλλά εννοούμε το να μην έχει κανείς σωματικό πόνο και ταραχή ψυχική. Γιατί τη γλύκα στη ζωή δεν τη φέρνουν τα απανωτά φαγοπότια και τα γλέντια […] ούτε τα ψάρια και τα άλλα εδέσματα που προσφέρονται σ’ ένα πολυδάπανο τραπέζι, αλλά ο νηφάλιος στοχασμός, αυτός που διερευνά τους λόγους για τους οποίους προτιμάμε αποφεύγουμε καθετί και αποδιώχνει τις δοξασίες που με τόση ταραχή γεμίζουν την ψυχή μας. Αφετηρία για όλα αυτά και συνάμα το υπέρτατο αγαθό είναι η φρόνηση. Για τούτο κι από τη φιλοσοφία προτιμότερη είναι η φρόνηση, από την οποία απορρέουν όλες οι αρετές: η φρόνηση που μας διδάσκει ότι δεν είναι δυνατόν να ζει κανείς χαρούμενα, αν η ζωή του δεν έχει γνώση, ομορφιά και δικαιοσύνη κι ούτε πάλι μπορεί να ‘χει η ζωή του γνώση, ομορφιά και δικαιοσύνη, αν δεν έχει και χαρά.

– Ἐπίκουρος, Ἐπιστολή πρὸς Μενοικέα, 131-132