Philosophy

One of my long term projects is Epicurus House by mirena

One of my long term projects is Epicurus House, based on Epicurus philosophy. I envision it as a cross between ideas incubator and a zen garden with the focus on advancing civilization ( rather than mere reflection ). So what is Epicurus philosophy? from http://thephilosophersmail.com/perspective/the-great-philosophers-3-epicurus/

 

..Epicurus made three important innovations:

- Firstly, he decided that he would live together with friends. Enough of seeing them only now and then. He bought a modestly priced plot of land outside of Athens and built a place where he and his friends could live side by side on a permanent basis. Everyone had their rooms, and there were common areas downstairs and in the grounds. That way, the residents would always be surrounded by people who shared their outlooks, were entertaining and kind. Children were looked after in rota. Everyone ate together. One could chat in the corridors late at night. It was the world’s first proper commune.

- Secondly, everyone in the commune stopped working for other people. They accepted cuts in their income in return for being able to focus on fulfilling work. Some of Epicurus’s friends devoted themselves to farming, others to cooking, a few to making furniture and art. They had far less money, but ample intrinsic satisfaction.

- And thirdly, Epicurus and his friends devoted themselves to finding calm through rational analysis and insight. They spent periods of every day reflecting on their anxieties, improving their understanding of their psyches and mastering the great questions of philosophy.

Even today, Epicurus remains an indispensable guide to life in advanced consumer capitalist societies because advertising – on which this system is based – functions on cleverly muddling people up about what they think they need to be happy.

An extraordinary number of adverts focus on the three very things that Epicurus identified as false lures of happiness: romantic love, professional status and luxury.

Adverts wouldn’t work as well as they do if they didn’t operate with an accurate sense of what our real needs are. Yet while they excite us by evoking them, they refuse to quench them properly. Beer ads will show us groups of friends hugging – but only sell us alcohol (that we might end up drinking alone). Fancy watch ads will show us high-status professionals walking purposefully to the office, but won’t know how to answer the desire for intrinsically satisfying work. And adverts for tropical beaches may titillate us with their serenity, but can’t – on their own – deliver the true calm we crave

Epicurus invites us to change our understanding of ourselves and to alter society accordingly. We mustn’t exhaust ourselves and the planet in a race for things that wouldn’t possibly satisfy us even if we got them. We need a return to philosophy and a lot more seriousness about the business of being happy.

 

In terms of 21st century context I envision the house as a place for digital nomads who are interested in art and technology, a co-working and co-living space without for-profit agenda and providing a refuge from the  financialization of thought.

A place for people who see themselves as lifelong learners and philosophers without the title, also a place for people who do not see value in owning expensive furniture or cars but see value in conversation and exchanging ideas for advancing civilization.

I see the house as a temporary or long-terms pit stop rather than a permanent dig. Unlike a hotel or an airbnb - the only currency would be courteous conversation and friendly attitude,  and common goal of advancing civilization. With the only constant being the values of the people who reside in it.

Winter: : from the Journal of Henry D. Thoreau by mirena

One of my favorite philosophers, Henry D. Thoreau, is on the internet archive. The beauty of today is that now you can have the wisdom of the world at the palm of your hand. One of the first books I read in English was Walden. A phenomenally deep and sincere look at the self, at the material world. It was the first time ever that I encountered someone that had similar outlook on the world and especially the material world. The material world is very enticing and it is very easy to get lost in the daily choreographies of life, and to loose perspective at what it means to be be alive. Thoreau investigates life directly and without fear, because it is really fear that keeps us attached to material things. I am really uninterested in the material world, inasmuch as it is represented by handbags, furniture, cars, food. I like to spend my time investigating ideas, phenomena, philosophy and asking questions. I also like to spend my time creating and investigating new ideas and new ways to experience and create work.

 

Christmas Present in the form of a thought experiment and the number four in how to fix it by mirena

To me any shard that sparkles is just like any other shard that sparkles, they have or haven't previously been beer bottles. We haven't solved many of our problems efficiently but it seems a lot of carbon shards I have seen in New York are better taken care of than many humans. We need to cut the shard loose.

And always wondered why is that the case? How has this particular shard captured our imagination. Who wants it? I mean it used to be that shards indicated status, and status served to preserve social order for the better and calm of society. Now that we have publicly funded institutions in place to do that i think we need to release the shards from that duty. They are somewhat pretty but not in my mind pretty enough do deserve more than a days wage. If i see a shard decorated individual of course i am not going to think more or less of them on account of the shards. So what is it?

I have identified 10 easy steps that we, together, can fix this country.

And number four is…

4. Cut the diamond shops loose and have free computer and learning places in there instead for people to go get free education.

What I see here is nothing more or less than polished pebbles just like any other polished pebbles and I am not gonna argue with anyone over it, I am just not going to ever bring it up again. I could see a ceremonial use for it when dancing in circles for rain for example and just for kicks but to have these shards take prominence or precedence is a waste of space - imagine if in our minds and hearts actual valuable things take place like learning how to break the speed of light, maybe instead of toiling for rocks we can toil the genome or figure out how to break out of gravity and get on real voyages and real far.

.

. . .

add-on 2019 - In case you need to perform a shamanic ritual and need to decorate yourself in crystals, or have gotten a job as a shaman and need to sew these into your uniform or headdress - I know a great shop in the garment district that has a million dollar necklace they sell for 25 bucks.

Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains by mirena

We can, though, try to get out using our intelligence. I am not saying our minds because every animal has a mind, and every animal uses their mind to go after food and reproduction. We can use our intelligence to grow faculties that will help us overcome our DNA limitations. Imagine that everywhere we go we put up fences - we get home and our first reaction is to lock up, we build a house and put a fence, we build a nation and put up a wall, ironically not to keep beasts out.

We build nice cities like New York, we build nice avenues with beautiful shops alongside to keep crystalline structures like diamonds and gold safe from the elements while homeless people look in from the gutters.

We tell grown adults how to conduct their love lives, we are ashamed of merely showing penises and vaginas on public television while it is hard to turn on any device without running into a celebration of violence, real and imaginary.

We sit around stuffing ourselves for hours on end with food and drink when a fifth will do, we slaughter animals indiscriminately but adore pet stores and strut ourselves with creatures on  leashes.  We enjoy ice cream cones in front of animals in cages.

We can do better here, much better.. this is why we print books so we don't forget that people already thought of all this in the past. Now that the vast majority is in the public domain - it is easier than ever to think - http://www.gutenberg.org/files/46333/46333-h/46333-h.htm