Hilary Putnam suggests that “What is wrong is that Nature, or ‘physical reality’ in the post-Newtonian understanding of the physical, has no semantic preferences.” That is, there is no one way or right way or best way to speak/write. There are only more or less helpful ways and they are all contingent on context. ThisContinue reading “On Love, Semantic Preference, Insight and Violets”
Author Archives: Sean
Thinking Out Loud About Desire
We know anything because we can distinguish it from what it is not. Distinctions are being; they are existence. You can look at a maple tree and see how it is a maple tree and not a flower or a sky or a passing car. Maple tree and not-maple tree are how maple tree appears.Continue reading “Thinking Out Loud About Desire”
Getting Beyond “Know Thyself”
Perhaps we are moving beyond a space of needing to “know thyself.” Perhaps we are entering a new space where it is enough to realize the process of knowing, without getting hung up on knower and known and so forth. The self seems to be that which has certain identifying data (name, birthday, place ofContinue reading “Getting Beyond “Know Thyself””
Drifting through August . . .
I sent out a newsletter this morning, ruminating on the garden and how it symbolizes – in an active and useful way – the love and inner peace into which we are all slowly spiraling. Sign up if you like! I am doing some ACIM-specific writing in the form of Facebook Notes, and welcome youContinue reading “Drifting through August . . .”
Being Happy in and with Uncertainty
There is a domain whose existence we are aware of but the contents of which – for now – remain beyond our ability to know. Hence my commitment to epistemic humility as a spiritual practice. I say “for now” because I cannot rule out the possibility of advances – technological, psychological, et cetera – thatContinue reading “Being Happy in and with Uncertainty”
On Awareness, Doubt, Socratic Dialogue, and Love
As human beings we are aware and we are aware that we are aware and this reflects a single unified awareness. Your awareness of a tree and your awareness of your awareness of a tree are the same awareness. To some people this seems obvious. But I think it’s actually not. We have – asContinue reading “On Awareness, Doubt, Socratic Dialogue, and Love”