13 ideas
| 12036 | Xenophanes began the concern with knowledge [Annas] |
| Full Idea: Xenophanes begins a long concern with knowledge and its grounds. | |
| From: Julia Annas (Ancient Philosophy: very short introduction [2000], Intro) | |
| A reaction: Having that on his cv ought to make Xenophanes more famous than he is. |
| 12046 | Plato was the first philosopher who was concerned to systematize his ideas [Annas] |
| Full Idea: In the ancient world Plato was seen as a pivotal figure, the first philosopher who was concerned to systematize his ideas. | |
| From: Julia Annas (Ancient Philosophy: very short introduction [2000], Ch.6) |
| 8228 | Being is revealed at the point between waking and sleep [Anon (Cent)] |
| Full Idea: At the point of sleep when sleep has not yet come and external wakefulness vanishes, at this point being is revealed. | |
| From: Anon (Cent) (Centring [c.500 BCE], 50) | |
| A reaction: One for Heidegger. The problem with eastern philosophy is that no one expects that this revelation could be put into words, so we cannot compare our revelations of being, or pass them on to others. Which means they can't be criticised. |
| 8232 | Neglect your self, and feel the consciousness of each other being [Anon (Cent)] |
| Full Idea: Feel the consciousness of each person as your own consciousness. So, leaving aside concern for self, become each being. | |
| From: Anon (Cent) (Centring [c.500 BCE], 83) | |
| A reaction: Good. The western scepticism about other minds puts up a barrier to this sort of thought. The best of Zen is when it encourages the use of imagination to explore what is real. But imagination struggles to distinguish what is true. |
| 8230 | Just as you have the impulse to do something, stop [Anon (Cent)] |
| Full Idea: Just as you have the impulse to do something, stop. | |
| From: Anon (Cent) (Centring [c.500 BCE], 64) | |
| A reaction: Nice. You might train your own will like a dog in this way. It is a counterexample to the simplistic idea that all you need is a belief and a desire, and you have got an action. But (pace Searle, Ideas 3817 + 3818) this does not prove free will. |
| 468 | Musical performance can reveal a range of virtues [Damon of Ath.] |
| Full Idea: In singing and playing the lyre, a boy will be likely to reveal not only courage and moderation, but also justice. | |
| From: Damon (fragments/reports [c.460 BCE], B4), quoted by (who?) - where? |
| 12037 | Euripides's Medea is a key case of reason versus the passions [Annas] |
| Full Idea: Euripides's Medea has remained a key case for discussion of reason and the passions. | |
| From: Julia Annas (Ancient Philosophy: very short introduction [2000], Ch.1) |
| 12040 | Virtue is a kind of understanding of moral value [Annas] |
| Full Idea: There is a widespread view in ancient ethics that virtue is a kind of understanding of moral value. | |
| From: Julia Annas (Ancient Philosophy: very short introduction [2000], Ch.3) | |
| A reaction: In Aristotle's case, this coincides with his apparent view that 'understanding' is the aim of all areas of human thought. See Idea 12038. |
| 8234 | Bondage and liberation are relative terms, which only frighten those already terrified of the universe [Anon (Cent)] |
| Full Idea: Since in truth, bondage and freedom are relative, these words are only for those terrified with the universe. The universe is a reflection of minds. As you see many suns in water from one sun, so see bondage and liberation. | |
| From: Anon (Cent) (Centring [c.500 BCE], 110) | |
| A reaction: Since most easterners have experienced permanent social repression, their philosophies all encourage them not to worry about it. No wonder marxism, proved popular, when it suggested you could actually change things. |
| 8227 | Feel your whole body saturated with cosmic essence [Anon (Cent)] |
| Full Idea: Feel your substance, bones, flesh, blood, saturated with cosmic essence. | |
| From: Anon (Cent) (Centring [c.500 BCE], 23) | |
| A reaction: I find this unsatisfactory. Being a sad victim of materialistic western scientific culture, I don't think 'cosmic essence' exists. I could imagine myself full of the stuff, and that might feel good, but I could also imagine I had won the lottery. |
| 8231 | Abandon attachment to body, and feel the joy of being everywhere [Anon (Cent)] |
| Full Idea: Toss attachment for body aside, realising I am everywhere. One who is everywhere is joyous. | |
| From: Anon (Cent) (Centring [c.500 BCE], 79) | |
| A reaction: I really don't think it is wisdom to spend your time imagining things which are not true. I might imagine that some gorgeous film star is in love with me, but I don't recommend it. Live according to nature. We are physical beings. |
| 8229 | The serenity in blue sky beyond clouds [Anon (Cent)] |
| Full Idea: Simply by looking into blue sky beyond clouds - the serenity. | |
| From: Anon (Cent) (Centring [c.500 BCE], 59) | |
| A reaction: Philip Larkin finds the same experience looking through high windows. If we articulate the experience, it seems to combine humility and detachment. The sky makes us insignificant, but the mind can project into the sky. |
| 8233 | Imagine fire burning up your whole body, but not you [Anon (Cent)] |
| Full Idea: Focus on fire rising through your form from the toes up until the body burns to ashes, but not you. | |
| From: Anon (Cent) (Centring [c.500 BCE], 28) | |
| A reaction: Try very hard to persuade yourself that you are immortal, even if you are not. Hm. Zen Buddhism actually contains very little commitment to what is true or false. It explores interesting beliefs like children playing with toys. Very post-modern. |