Steve P Brady

The Pluralists, represented by philosophers like Anaxagoras and Empedocles, believed that the fundamental reality of the universe was composed of multiple elements or principles. They proposed that these elements could combine and separate to create the diversity and complexity observed in the world. Anaxagoras introduced the concept of "Nous" as the organizing principle responsible for setting the elements in motion and arranging them to form the world, representing an early notion of a rational and intelligent force behind natural processes. 

The Sophists emphasized the subjective nature of truth and knowledge. They argued that truth was relative to individual perceptions and opinions, challenging the idea of objective truth. The Sophists were known for teaching persuasive speaking and rhetoric, emphasizing the art of persuasion and debate. Their focus on practical knowledge and rhetorical skills challenged traditional beliefs and moral values, leading to criticism from other philosophers like Socrates and Plato, who believed in the existence of objective truth and virtue. 

Parmenides and Zeno were influential Pre-Socratic philosophers who had distinctive views on the nature of reality. 

Parmenides proposed a monistic perspective, asserting that only "being" or existence is real, while non-being is illusory. He argued that change, multiplicity, and the sensory world were deceptive and unreliable. Parmenides believed in the power of reason and logical thinking to uncover truth. 

On the other hand, Zeno of Elea is renowned for his paradoxes, which aimed to challenge the concept of motion and change. His paradoxes explored the idea that motion might be an illusion or that infinity could be problematic. Zeno's paradoxes were also intended to defend Parmenides' ideas, showing the contradictions inherent in the belief of a changing, sensory world, while advocating for Parmenides' concept of a single, unchanging reality. Moreover, Zeno's contributions significantly impacted the philosophy of mathematics, especially regarding the concept of infinity. 

Xenophanes was a Pre-Socratic philosopher who criticized the human-like portrayal of gods in Greek mythology and proposed a more abstract, monotheistic view of divinity. He emphasized skepticism and the limitations of human knowledge. Heraclitus, another Pre-Socratic philosopher, introduced the idea of constant change or "everything flows." He believed that opposing forces were necessary for maintaining harmony and that a rational principle called "logos" governed the universe. Heraclitus also explored questions about the nature of knowledge and reality. Their ideas greatly influenced ancient Greek philosophy and subsequent philosophical thought  

Spent the afternoon playing around with categories on my website. Trying to make this blog more user friendly for myself. I want to be able to easily look up notes and reviews of things. It's a work in progress, but I'm liking it so far.

 The Pre-Socratics were ancient Greek philosophers who lived before Socrates. They were interested in understanding the natural world through rational thinking rather than mythological explanations. The Milesian philosophers, Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes, believed in different fundamental substances such as water, the boundless (apeiron), and air, respectively. The Pythagoreans, followers of Pythagoras, focused on mathematics and believed in the significance of numbers and mystical properties associated with them. Their ideas influenced later philosophers like Plato and Aristotle, and they marked a shift from relying on myths to using reason and evidence for understanding the world. Although much of their work is not directly available, their contributions played a crucial role in shaping Western philosophy and science.  

Posts under the tag #philosophynotes are an ongoing series of notes to myself as I audit a course on ancient philosophy this summer ('23). 

My wife and daughter went to Iceland last week, so of course they bought me a book! Looking forward to diving into this one, but I think I am going to save it until October to give myself something new to enjoy the Halloween season. I have not read much in the way of Icelandic folklore so it should be interesting.

Icelandic ghost stories derive their inspiration from the unforgiving climate and remote villages of the country, playing up the eerie ambiance. They can be found in sagas, folklore, and the oral traditions of various regions.

A noteworthy aspect that my wife learned on her trip is that Icelanders possess a distinct perspective on these supernatural entities, with many embracing their existence as genuine. While a few may approach these stories skeptically, they remain an indispensable part of Icelandic cultural heritage, shared with equal enthusiasm by both locals and visitors.

Testing out a new-to-me online writing app, Quill. The main benefit for me would be that it can syndicate posts across platforms that use Micropub API. Seeing as my blog is hosted by Micro.Blog and I usually push to medium and Mastodon, this little writing app could make sense.

Alternatively I could bite the bullet and purchase something like IAWriter, which I also think looks really nice to write in. Basically, I am trying to find the sandbox to play in in order to motivate me to write more consistently. 

🎬Watching THE DEVIL CONSPIRACY. This is one cheesy horror movie but on this rainy, stormy Sunday afternoon, I’m down for it.

🎵 Currently listening to: blackmara.bandcamp.com/album/los…

New research puts age of universe at 26.7 billion years, nearly twice as old as previously believed. In other words, we really don’t know much. 🤣

Took my son on his first college visit today. Is it wrong that I’m jealous?

Just finished: Splendor Solis by Solomon Trismosin 📚

{Time Stamp} 6/24/23 Possible Russian civil war/coup/chaos? “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.” — Lenin

“ Why does everything act as if they’re in a sitcom? I think is emotional pornography. All the families are happy and sassy and quick, everyone has a one-liner. Well, my dad was boring. I was boring. Everybody in my family was boring. We had no one-liners. We’re all fucked up. That’s what I want to see animated. I would love to see real life in animation. I actually think it’s urgent. think it’s urgent to see real life in animation.” - Guillermo Del Toro on the current state of animation.

“The truth is always something that is told, not something that is known. If there were no speaking or writing, there would be no truth about anything. There would only be what is.”

– Susan Sontag

Paying for my Father’s Day extended cheat day. Lousy sleep last night, achy and no energy this morning. Why do I do this again? Time for some clean eating and zone 2 cardio to get back on track.

Attended my 26th 8th grade banquet last night. The more things change the more they stay the same. 3 more wake ups until summer vacation officially starts.

Really sad to see Cormac McCarthy has left us. THE ROAD will probably always be a top 10 book for me. Totally gutted when I first read it. One of the things I love about him is that his first novel, “The Orchard Keeper,” was published in 1965, but he toiled in near obscurity until his 1992 National Book Award-winning ALL THE PRETTY HORSES. If you’re a writer, you write. Just keep going.

I’ve been playing around with my domain’s home page for a while. Work in progress, but here is what I have so far. stevepbrady.me

It’s -11F outside this morning. Feels like temp says -31! Suffice to say this weekend’s trail run ain’t gonna happen. ❄️

Buffet yourselves against the winds my friends.

“It takes two things to bowl over a tree — a heavy wind outside and decay inside. Much of the moral wreckage is caused by inner cynicism — a disgust with life’s futility, an inability to see sense in it. A person in that mood is an easy mark for the next high wind.”

—Art Sisson

My response from now on when someone sees me just sitting at my desk reading a book.

“Leisure is not entertainment. Leisure is in fact a kind of contemplation where you do things for their own sake, merely because they’re good to do. It’s a celebration.” —Dr. R.J. Snell

Things learned at age 50. I really can’t cook an omelette. 🍳

There are more things on the internet, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your timeline.

💡That was quick! Cooking by candle light was fun though.