The universe is a pretty complicated place.
Not only that, about 10 billion people (of about a total of 70 billion of all humans ever in existence), swirling on a ball of rock throughout space,
😀
have a bunch of ideas about life.
First, we’d say it’s understanding the basic, fundamental laws of physics, and what existentialism is:
Everything exists. We’re in a soup of actions. What happens is up to you.
Or, Nilhism, where all chaos represents no purpose. Some people abuse this.
Or as a subset, absurdism —
ab·surd·ism
noun
1.
intentionally ridiculous or bizarre behavior or character.
“the absurdism of the Dada movement”
2.
the belief that human beings exist in a purposeless, chaotic universe.
Most people tend to value utilitarianism, where essentially, we should do no harm and seek what’s good/pleasurable.
There, is a connection to Buddhism, and all the other political and religious factors with which humans create value systems to make decisions in real-time.
Nerding Out After Love as a Topic:
If I were a philosopher studying all aspects of the universe and life, and all the books I’ve from the past to now are represented on a timeline, and I’ve just covered the topic of “love,” what should be the next 9 units/books I should read and study?
- Ethics: This field of philosophy deals with questions of right and wrong, good and bad, and how we should live our lives.
- Metaphysics: This branch of philosophy deals with the nature of reality, including the relationship between mind and matter, and the existence of free will.
- Epistemology: This field of philosophy focuses on the nature of knowledge and belief, and how we acquire knowledge.
- Political philosophy: This branch of philosophy is concerned with questions of justice, power, and the role of government in society.
- Aesthetics: This field of philosophy deals with questions of beauty, art, and taste.
- Existentialism: This philosophy emphasizes individual freedom and choice, and the search for meaning in life.
- Phenomenology: This philosophical method emphasizes the study of subjective experience and consciousness.
- Ontology: This branch of philosophy is concerned with the study of being, existence, and reality.
- Feminist philosophy: This philosophy explores the ways in which gender and power intersect, and how these intersections shape our understanding of the world.
| Topic | Title | Author | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethics | Nicomachean Ethics | Aristotle | https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8438 |
| Metaphysics | Metaphysics | Aristotle | https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/28655 |
| Epistemology | An Essay Concerning Human Understanding | John Locke | https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10615 |
| Political Philosophy | The Republic | Plato | https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1497 |
| Aesthetics | Critique of Judgment | Immanuel Kant | https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17997 |
| Existentialism | Being and Time | Martin Heidegger | https://www.amazon.com/Being-Time-Harper-Perennial-Modern/dp/0061575593 |
| Phenomenology | Phenomenology of Perception | Maurice Merleau-Ponty | https://www.amazon.com/Phenomenology-Perception-Maurice-Merleau-Ponty/dp/0415278414 |
| Ontology | Being and Nothingness | Jean-Paul Sartre | https://www.amazon.com/Being-Nothingness-Jean-Paul-Sartre/dp/0671867806 |
| Feminist Philosophy | The Second Sex | Simone de Beauvoir | https://www.amazon.com/Second-Sex-Simone-Beauvoir/dp/0679724516 |
Please note that there are many other excellent books on these topics, and this list is by no means exhaustive.
Or, you can start by watching this movie. Here’s the trailer.
