In Japan, thought and action, philosophy and life, are more intimately connected than most other places. Philosophy is largely an attempt to articulate and develop insights into how to live and who we are that are embedded in practices more than they are rooted in theories. The documentaries Ramen Heads and Jiro Dreams of Sushi show what much of this philosophy means more eloquently than can be straightforwardly said.
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I share the stereotypically British dislike of bragging and affection for self-deprecation. I also think the self-critical impulse is essential[…]
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There is much to celebrate in our changing attitudes to ageing. I certainly don’t want us to go back to the attitudes of my British grandmother’s generation, for whom getting old seemed to involve mainly sitting at home, watching the television and waiting for visitors. However, I also worry that our positivity has a flip-side – Denial Of Getting Old. Our reluctance to get old before our time leads us to pretend we’re still young beyond our time.
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We should stop treating instantaneity as the mark of authenticity. What we find at the tips of our tongues or our fingers does not necessarily most deeply reflect who we are.
ReadHume believed we were nothing more or less than human: that’s why he’s the amiable, modest, generous philosopher we need now.
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