After my entry on intellectual virtues and perseverance, my friend Heath suggested that a more clear explanation of intellectual virtues might help to make things more clear, so I thought I would take the opportunity to do that today. This will be a bit more technical than usual, but hopefully the examples will help clarify things. In discussing… Continue reading On Intellectual Virtues
Author: JJ Sylvia IV
J.J. Sylvia IV attended Mississippi State University where he received B.A. degrees in philosophy and communications. He later received a philosophy M.A. from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Philosophy Matters Book Club: John Dewey
Today, I’m happy to introduce yet another recurring post, the Philosophy Matters Book Club. Each week we will be looking at a short work or a portion of a book. I would love it if you could read along with us, but even if you’re not able to, my plan is to write about the… Continue reading Philosophy Matters Book Club: John Dewey
Intellectual Virtues and Perseverance
“When looking at the most successful people and organizations, we often imagine geniuses with a smooth journey straight to the promised land. But when you really examine nearly every success story, they are filled with crushing defeats, near-death experiences, and countless setbacks.” – Josh Linkner If there’s one message that I’ve seen popping up in… Continue reading Intellectual Virtues and Perseverance
Moral Monday: Les Miserables
In Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, the hero, Jean Valjean, is an ex-convict, living illegally under an assumed name and wanted for breaking parole many years ago. Although he will be returned to the galleys for life if he is caught, he is a good man who does not deserve to be punished. He has established himself… Continue reading Moral Monday: Les Miserables
Philosopher vs. Priest: God As Shepherd
Today I’m happy to introduce a new weekly feature for the blog: Philosopher vs. Priest. This is an idea that Fr. Jimmy and I have worked on in the past, but we’ve brought it back in a new form here for Philosophy Matters. Each week, I will present Jimmy questions about the readings for that… Continue reading Philosopher vs. Priest: God As Shepherd
Weekend Meditation: Change Is Inevitable
“Nothing endures but change.” – Heraclitus I recently visited Red Bluff, the “little grand canyon” of Mississippi, where the road continues to erode away. Seeing this man made road overcome by nature always serves as a reminder to me that things will always change, whether we want them to or not. Part of finding joy… Continue reading Weekend Meditation: Change Is Inevitable
Film Friday: Man on the Moon – Madness, Illness, and Genius
“There is no great genius without a mixture of madness” – Aristotle JJ: This week, we watched [amazon_link id=”B000I9VOIK” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Man On the Moon[/amazon_link], which featured Jim Carey’s portrayal of Andy Kaufman. I’m an Andy Kaufman fanatic, and I was so happy to get to share this with someone who wasn’t familiar with… Continue reading Film Friday: Man on the Moon – Madness, Illness, and Genius
Is struggle necessary for happiness?
A passing comment on Twitter recently started an interesting conversation about how a person can achieve true happiness and peace of mind in life. In religious discussions, the presence of evil in the world despite the existence of an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present God is often reconciled by arguing that evil is necessary. In other… Continue reading Is struggle necessary for happiness?
Introducing Our Newest Co-Author: Fr. Jim Morrison
I’m excited to welcome our second new co-author to Philosophy Matters, my long-time friend Jimmy Morrison. Jimmy will be bringing his own personal religious insight into the discussions that we have here in order to help us continue to broaden our perspectives. Please join me in giving a warm welcome to Jimmy! Rev. James N.… Continue reading Introducing Our Newest Co-Author: Fr. Jim Morrison
How To Quit Soda – An Update
I have previously written on my battle with quitting soda and the surprisingly tough experience that this was. I recently had a reader, Jamie, write in and ask me for some more details about my experience, so I thought I would share them here as an update on the progress that I’ve made. My goal was never to… Continue reading How To Quit Soda – An Update