Lately I have been finding some free time on my hands. This generally means one thing for me – I have time to read. I used to take my reading time for granted but not anymore. It is rare that I actually can sit back and relax with nothing but a good book. And speaking of good books, have you heard of The Book of Dead Philosophers?
At first glance, it may not sound like an exciting read but hey, look at that title again and you will certainly feel something like a thrill. The Book of Dead Philosophers. How much more interesting can that be?
I have not had the chance to get my hands on this book but trust me, Amazon is my next stop after this post. After reading Laura Miller’s take on the book there is no other option. She shares some of the ideas to be found in the book:
According to Critchley, only the right kind of philosophy can teach “a readiness for death without which any conception of contentment, let alone happiness, is illusory.”
The universal truth of that assertion strikes me as debatable, as does much else in “The Book of Dead Philosophers,” but the link between philosophy and mortality is by necessity an intimate one. In philosophy, the human mind studies itself, and the same faculty that makes this study possible — our self-consciousness — also makes us aware of the inevitability of our own deaths in a way no other living creatures are. Philosophers, therefore, ought to be experts on the problem of how to die well. Since dying only happens once, and (if we’re lucky) it doesn’t take long, acquiring the skill of dying well might seem like a low priority…
While some people might fear death, we just might find something that will help overcome this fear in the book. Interesting reading, to say the least.
Originally posted on May 26, 2011 @ 9:09 am
Last time I discussed perfectionism as a concept and as a pathological state. I may have come across as a critic of perfectionism due to the focus on the negative effects. I guess this stems from the fact that I really do not like perfectionism since I am one (not referring to the philosophy!) and have to battle with the negative effects I do see the value in striving for the best possible in everything. What I am saying is that as long you believe in perfectionism but don’t end up a pathological perfectionist then it is quite possible to be pretty happy with life…as long as you don’t force your idea of what’s best down everybody’s throat or have someone force you into striving for their own idea of best.
How do you get someone who doesn’t care about philosophy but loves TV shows like The Simpsons, South Park, and the Sopranos? Simple. Get them a book about the philosophy of each show. Yes there really are books about the philosophy of these shows. There’s 
Looking for just one book about Western Philosophy? If you are, I recommend that you check out Steven Cahn’s “Classics of Western Philosophy”. Whether you go to the library to borrow an old copy or get your hand on the latest (7th) edition you can will be hard-pressed to find an anthology that is more readable as well as affordable. In fact this book is becoming the text to use so much so that as Dr Vern Lindquist, an active reviewer/commenter in Amazon, said, “Classics” is itself becoming a classic.