Month: February 2013

• February 28, 2013

  Awakening to Philosophical Life: Now Available

  Philosophical Awakening This e-book, which is now available to order, is entitled Awakening to Philosophical Life: Essays Personal and Impersonal. It was completed at the end of February of 2013 and is meant to be a philosophical review of my attempt to be a moral exemplar: a good friend, a good neighbor, and a humble guide to…
• February 22, 2013

  Philosophical Improv no. 11: Virtues for Unsettled Time

  Since Episode 9 on self-surrender, we’ve been making the slow turn to Part III: the path of radiant living. In this episode, I discuss the four virtues (courage, patience, openness, and compassion) as well as the four vices (cowardice, hurriedness, closedness, and contempt) for unsettled time. This subject is explored at greater length in both…
• February 21, 2013

  Eros before abandon

  Awake and ask, ‘Am I open to eros?’ Openness is an outward sweep of the hand, a moment held in infinity, then an inward-welcoming retrieval. The ears as kind as the eyes, the mouth as gentle as the warbler. Do you hear keenly with the eyes, see sharply with the ears, with the heart? Listen.…
• February 20, 2013

  Philosophical Improv no. 10: Inquiring is no Longer a Luxury

  Since Episode 9 on self-surrender, we’ve been making the slow turn to Part III: the path of radiant living. In this episode, I provide a brief sketch of the art of philosophical inquiry. This subject is discussed at greater length in my book, The Art of Inquiry, a copy of which can be ordered here.…
• February 19, 2013

  Philosophical Improv no. 9: Self-surrender

  In this episode, I describe the moment in which one is awakened to the idea of self-transformation. That awakening I call ‘self-surrender.’ So far, the series of episodes is divided into 3 sets: the nature of radiant living (Episodes 1-6), the relevance of radiance for our time (Episodes 7 and 8), and the path of radiant…