Philosophy

On truth and how we know.

We explore the nature of truth and how we come to know what it is. We discuss the role of reason, evidence, and intuition in the pursuit of truth and especially on how our need to survive and be consistent in our beliefs can interfere with our ability to know absolute truth.

Much of the evidence what we use to know with is true is also based on secondhand accounts and other people's perceptions of the world. Even the experiences that we have ourselves are colored by the beliefs and emotions that we had at that time. We explore how we can reconcile the different perspectives that we have gathered and how we can distill it to move closer to absolute truth.

On dealing with our friends, parents, and the environment that shaped us.

None of us grew up in isolation. We all grew up in an environment that would shape and mold us whether we were conscious of the change or not. The behaviors, words, and actions of those around us have shaped not only how we think, but also how we feel.

We explore what it can take to break free of being a product of our experiences and start to take control of our own feelings and behaviors. Just like we need exercise to grow stronger, it will take repetition and persistance to unlearn the responses tha we don't like and to learn the ones that we do.

On the nature of societies, what it gives us, and what it asks for in return.

While we often think of societies as a collection of individuals coming together to work together towards common goals, it can also be seen as a being of its own, both providing for us and asking for things in return.

On the search for god, destiny, and our place in time and space.

As we think bigger, we often find ourselves thinking about the nature of the universe and our place in it. We see the intelligence and order in ourselves and wonder if there is something greater that we are a part of and if there is a place for us.

On how to live.

Knowing how to live the good life is not the first step, but instead it should be the last. We must know the flow of the larger world around us to be able to be confident in the direction in our own lives. Only then can we stand on a solid foundation.

With the knowledge and practice of the ideas in the previous chapters, we can finally come back down the the present in both time and space and work on living our own lives. While we each have our own journies to walk, I can impart a few word on what I have learned so far.