Must we get to the bottom of things?
Simply accepting that there are no ultimate grounds for anything looks like a cop-out. Surely, we must have some good reason to trust the firmness of the ground on which we stand, intellectually?
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Do we need metaphors?
The whole point about metaphors is that some are much better than others. It makes sense to say the world shook when the Berlin Wall fell, not that it danced, slept or cooked. Nietzsche said concepts were “merely the residue of a metaphor” but there is nothing mere about it. Believing words to be metaphorical did not prevent him from choosing his very carefully indeed. We should do the same.
ReadDoes an apology matter?
The refusal to apologise can look like a denial that anything was wrong in the first place and that no lessons have been learnt. The point is not to confess the continued presence of the sin or even to take the blame for it.
ReadDo our possessions define us?
It is fine to express ourselves through our possessions, but not to try and acquire an identity by acquiring things. We should not try to create a desired image of ourselves in possessions but should simply allow the things we have to reflect who we are.
ReadHow important in life is fun?
Scouring the indexes of philosophy reference books for “fun” is as fruitless as looking for vineyards in Alaska. Philosophers extolling the virtues of fun would be like greengrocers praising meat: they would only remind people of what their specialism lacks…
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