Plato's cosmology and theory of the human body, and the story of Atlantis; courtesy of a phantastic audio version featuring David Rintoul as Socrates, David Timson as Timaeus, and Peter Kenny as Critias.  Philosophical and scientific enquiry redolent with the joy of the intellectual exercsie for its own sake -- that alone makes it a joy to tag along (however much Plato might be distressed to learn that his theories on the human body have at long last, after some two millennia. been proved wrong after all -- and despite his warnings about the falliability of the human mind, even by scientific experiment).

 

(Task: Read a book about philosophy or a philosopher, or a how-to book about changing your life in a significant way or suggesting a particular lifestyle (Hygge, Marie Kobo, etc.).

 

The Dalai Lama speaks about the Four Noble Truths, maximizing your inner strength, dealing with anger and death, the power of compassion, the challenges facing humanity today (including globalization, warfare, environmental protection, overpopulation), and the great world religions' core tenets (as oppposed to their elements that primarily responded to the needs of the historic societies in which they emerged).  As we're about to begin another new year, a perfect reminder of what matters (or should matter) to us -- and what doesn't -- and simple small things that each of us can implement in our own lives every day ... and short of His Holiness himself (who didn't originally set down these texts in English), there couldn't be any better person to read his words than Sir Derek Jacobi.

 

    

The thing I like the best about Emerson is that he provides a pattern of life that I can live with. He balances the spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and physical lives in a way that seems quite useful to me.

I probably won't give this five stars just because he can be long-winded and boring at times, but there is still plenty of excitement too.

I definitely am finding the second series of essays inferior to the first. I had high hopes for "Experience" for instance but found it unclear and bloated.

In his essay on Intellect Emerson talks about finding an author who can mirror back your own mind to you. I think this is the primary reason that I am grooving on him so much right now. I feel like as much as other authors have amazed or excited me, Emerson's is the closest I have come to meeting a really kindred mind.

To me he really provides a pattern of a spiritual and intellectual life, which is in many ways is what I am searching for in reading. I think he would approve of this. That's not to say that I think that's what people should be searching for in reading, or even that I will continue with that later. Rather that has been one of my overriding motivations in reading for some time. Perhaps it will change now to a more general search for expression and variety.

"Circles" is in my opinion the center (pun intended) of his system.

I've also noticed that I much prefer Emerson to Nietzsche. Although they are after very similar things Emerson does so without the pretention pomposity and sheer ranting crazy that is Nietzsche's work. Emerson writes without the bitterness that seems to come from a childish feeling of not being appreciated.

I would like to offer a few comparison/contrast quotes although they will have to be seen as cherry-picked rather than scholarly chosen.

Transvaluation of all values

The uber-mensch

Metaphysics