Philosophy Archives

The Crooked Timber: Embracing Our Sinful Nature

Why does David Brooks agree with Immanuel Kant’s sentiment that humans are “crooked timber”? What does Brooks mean when he says we should embrace the idea that humans are sinful by nature? In his book The Road to Character, author David Brooks asserts that humans are sinful by nature. Brooks discusses Immanuel Kant’s “crooked timber” morality and the fact that humans are meant to confront their sins in order to grow and build character. Keep reading for David Brooks’s take on Kant’s concept of crooked timber and sin.

How to Find Meaning in Life: Speculation or Revelation?

How can you find meaning in life? Where should you look? At some point, you’ve likely asked yourself the same questions that people have been asking themselves for centuries: “Why am I here?” “What’s the meaning of life?” “What’s my purpose?” In your quest to find meaning in life, you have a couple of options. You can guess, or you can look at scripture to see what the Creator has to say about life’s purpose. Read more to learn about these two routes you can take as you search to find meaning in life.

The Law of Gratitude: The Secret to Manifesting Wealth

How to Use the Law of Gratitude to Attract Wealth

What is the law of gratitude? Why is gratitude so important to attracting wealth? The law of gratitude follows Newton’s third law—for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means, if you reach out strongly and gratefully to God and other well-meaning individuals, they will respond strongly in kind. The more grateful you are, the faster you will attract opportunities that will make you wealthy. Read on to learn more about the application of the law of gratitude.

The Conversion of St Paul: Lessons From the Bible

What happened during the conversion of St Paul? What inspired his spiritual transformation? What can we learn from this story? The biblical story of the conversion of St Paul chronicles the transformation of Paul the Apostle from persecutor and heretic to a devout follower of Jesus. The conversion of St Paul was set off after an encounter with the risen Christ on the famous road to Damascus, leading to the realization that his doubt of the messiah was misplaced. Here’s what happened during the conversion of St Paul.

Dealing With Uncertainty: Life Is Like a Poker Game

How is life like a poker game? What can poker teach us about dealing with uncertainty? Life is full of unknowns. We must learn how to deal with uncertainty as we make decisions. If we consider how life is like a poker game, we can learn valuable lessons that we can apply to the decision-making process. Read on to learn how to deal with uncertainty in life.

Your Own Personal Religion: Revising Your Worldview

What’s a personal religion? Do you have one? Whether you realize it or not, you have a personal religion—also known as a worldview. It’s your perception of the world and your relationship to it. You might be hanging on to an inherited worldview that doesn’t reflect reality, causing dissonance in your life. You could benefit from understanding how worldview works—and how to revise your own. Read more to learn about personal religion.

Developing and Navigating Your Personal Worldview

What’s your personal worldview? Is it up to date? Everyone has a worldview. Too often, we don’t think about it, much less cultivate it. Subsequently, we end up with a worldview that is outdated and fails to support our growth. We would do well to understand the importance of worldview and learn how to develop a healthy one. Read more to learn why personal worldview matters and how to revise your own.

Reading Philosophy: How to Get Started

Do you want to get into ancient philosophy but are not sure where to start? How is reading old philosophy works (e.g. Plato) different from reading modern philosophy? In their book How to Read a Book, authors Adler and Van Doren provide advice on reading philosophy. Reading philosophy isn’t like most other sciences because it deals with questions that can be answered in the mind. For this reason, the authors provide questions you should be asking while you read and things to consider. Continue reading to learn what Adler and Van Doren have to say about reading philosophy literature.

The Tortured Artist: Why Art and Pain Go Hand in Hand

What is the tortured artist? What is the connection between art and pain? How can you learn to accept misery as part of the creative process? The tortured artist is a common trope used to describe an artist tormented by their own creativity and the world around them. In order to be a successful artist, you must learn how to accept the frustrations and problems that come with the creative process. Understanding the inevitable link between art and pain will help you to surpass obstacles you might face as a creative person. Find out more about the tortured artist below.

Ideological Development: Are Political Views Innate?

How are political views formed? Do we learn them? Or are we born with them? In The Righteous Mind, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt discusses how we can have more constructive conversations with people who have different political leanings than our own. Interestingly, he believes that political ideology is at least partially innate, not just learned. He offers three keys to understanding ideological development, which can help bridge the divide. Read more to learn about ideological development.