The Name of the Wind (2006)

Just finished the book. It was a captivating and fun read and kept me interested from start to finish, but the story didn’t evolve much towards the end and flaws became glaring flaws.

Kvothe, the main character, is a Gary Stu. He’s good at everything worth being good at, and things just happen to go in his favor in the end. Given the framing of the story being told by his older self, this could be justified as him being an unreliable narrator, but it’s still the story we have to read. This puts the story more in “fairy tale” levels of plot, but it’s still entertaining.

I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the next book.

The Norton Introduction to Philosophy

“The Norton Introduction to Philosophy is designed for use in introductory courses in philosophy and as a resource for readers approaching the subject for the first time.”

The readings include commissioned essays from contemporary philosophers such as Barbara Herman, Galen Strawson, and Yablo.

Most readings will be from the western analytic tradition.

Chapter 0: Getting Started

Why Philosophy?

The book begins with five views on the question “Why Philosophy?” each from each of the five authors. Alex Byrne (from MIT) begins:

• What is philosophy? Alex Byrne says there’s no good definition (in the philosophical sense of definition)
• Why is philosophy important? Byrne quotes Bertrand Rusell, “[philosophy] removes the somewhat arrogant dogmatism of those who have never travelled into the region of liberating doubt, and it keeps alive our sense of wonder by showing familiar things in an unfamiliar aspect”

Joshua Cohen from Apple University in Berkeley:

• He assumes this is for an introductory philosophy course, and says that “what you get from reading philosophy depends on how hard you work at it.”
• There are four things to expect to get from the readings:
  • Philosophers think carefully, simplifying problems and addressing one step at a time.
  • Philosophers think deeply, asking questions about fundamental assumptions.
  • Philosophers think critically, disagreeing a lot and giving reasons why.
  • Philosophers think ambitiously, thinking about difficult topics.

Elizabeth Harman, Princeton:

• She was interested in philosophy originally since she loved surprising questions and surprising conclusions since a young age.
• Especially since it’s not a natural science, answers to basic and central philosophical questions are not settled.

Gideon Rosen, also from Princeton:

• “Philosophy can make life better. It can make our individual lives better, and it can make our collective lives better.”
• It’s valuable to reflect on unspoken presuppositions and new questions that emerge from the reflection.
• Philosophy has had an impact on the world, such as democracy or universal suffrage.

Lastly, Seana Shiffrin from UCLA:

• “Why study philosophy? In short, to have it all: a more successful, fulfilling career; closer friendships; and a fascinating, meaningful life.”
• It instills crucial skills such as paying strict attention to words an author uses, investigate meaning closely, and devote care to your own arguments and speech.
• It’s a combination of cooperation and critical perspectives, interpreting others fairly.

Next is getting into the weeds with “A Brief Guide to Logic and Argumentation” before moving onto the meat of the book.

Things I’m Liking

• Unlimited Basil: Basil, or “Bahsil” as the uploader will say it, is easy to grow. This video will show you how to do it. I had this experience myself when I was given a small cutting and watched it turn into a thriving plant. Growing herbs and food is actually pretty easy at a small scale and with certain plants.
• Gotify: A simple server for sending and receiving messages: This is exactly what I was looking for for a personal notification service.

Misc

Still watching All is Well. Finally, a decent c-drama.