Philosophy – Page 6 – UpLive.Life

Lost Memories: The Impact of Dementia on Identity and the Hope for Neuronal Repair

I’ve been thinking a lot about memory lately. Sadly, my grandmother, who is over 90, no longer recognizes me. Just last year, she could recall a few stories from my childhood and share them with affection every time we spoke on the phone. Now, those memories have vanished, and to her, I’m just another stranger.ContinueContinue reading “Lost Memories: The Impact of Dementia on Identity and the Hope for Neuronal Repair”

The Eternal Flow of the Dao

Verse 6 by Lao Zi: 谷神不死，是谓玄牝。玄牝之门，是谓天地根。绵绵若存，用之不勤。 “The valley spirit never dies—It is called the Mysterious Female.The gateway of the Mysterious Female—It is called the root of Heaven and Earth.Softly, continuously, it seems to remain—Yet its use is never exhausted.” Related verses: Verse 4 by Lao Zi: 道冲而用之或不盈。渊兮似万物之宗。挫其锐，解其纷，和其光，同其尘。湛兮似或存。吾不知谁之子，象帝之先。 Verse 1 by Lao Zi: 道可道，非常道。名可名，非常名。无名天地之始；有名万物之母。故常无欲，以观其妙；常有欲，以观其徼。此两者，同出而异名，同谓之玄。玄之又玄，衆妙之门。 [Written byContinueContinue reading “The Eternal Flow of the Dao”

Impartiality, Balance, and Simplicity

Verse 5 by Lao Zi: 天地不仁，以万物为刍狗；圣人不仁，以百姓为刍狗。天地之间，其犹橐龠乎？虚而不屈，动而愈出。多言数穷，不如守中。 “Heaven and Earth are not benevolent;They treat all things as straw dogs.The sage is not benevolent;He treats the people as straw dogs. The space between Heaven and Earth,Is it not like a bellows?Empty, yet it does not collapse,Moving, it produces more. Too many words lead to exhaustion;Better to holdContinueContinue reading “Impartiality, Balance, and Simplicity”

It’s All Connected

[Image] I recently finished binge-watching “The Manifest”. There’s a line from the series that has etched itself into my brain: “It’s all connected.” A bit spooky if you dwell on it, and yet, it perfectly describes where I’ve landed with my recent reads and discoveries. A couple of days ago, I stumbled upon the bookContinueContinue reading “It’s All Connected”

Paths Taken and Untaken: Living Fully in the Life We Choose

“What might have been and what has beenPoint to one end, which is always present.Footfalls echo in the memoryDown the passage which we did not takeTowards the door we never opened” – Burnt Norton [Written by ChatGPT] Life is a series of choices, each one shaping the path we walk and the person we become.ContinueContinue reading “Paths Taken and Untaken: Living Fully in the Life We Choose”

The Subtle Power of the Dao: Source of All and Harmonizer of Extremes

Verse 4 by Lao Zi: 道冲而用之或不盈。渊兮似万物之宗。挫其锐，解其纷，和其光，同其尘。湛兮似或存。吾不知谁之子，象帝之先。 “The Dao is like an empty vessel;Though used, it is never filled.Profound, it seems to be the source of all things. It blunts sharpness,Unties knots,Softens its brightness,And mingles with the dust. Deep and clear, it seems to exist eternally.I do not know whose child it is,It appears to precedeContinueContinue reading “The Subtle Power of the Dao: Source of All and Harmonizer of Extremes”

Harmony or Control? Examining the Authoritarian Implications of the Third Verse of the Dao De Jing

Verse 3 by Lao Zi: 不尚贤，使民不争；不贵难得之货，使民不为盗；不见可欲，使心不乱。是以圣人之治，虚其心，实其腹，弱其志，强其骨。常使民无知无欲。使夫知者不敢为也。为无为，则无不治。 “Do not exalt the worthy, so that the people will not compete.Do not value rare treasures, so that the people will not steal.Do not display what is desirable, so that the hearts of the people will not be disturbed. Therefore, in the governance of the sage:He empties their minds andContinueContinue reading “Harmony or Control? Examining the Authoritarian Implications of the Third Verse of the Dao De Jing”

The Harmony of Opposites: The Way of Balance

Verse 2 by Lao Zi: 天下皆知美之为美，斯恶已。皆知善之为善，斯不善已。故有无相生，难易相成，长短相较，高下相倾，音声相和，前后相随。是以圣人处无为之事，行不言之教；万物作焉而不辞，生而不有。为而不恃，功成而弗居。夫唯弗居，是以不去。 “When the world recognizes beauty as beauty, ugliness arises.When the world recognizes good as good, evil arises. Thus, being and non-being produce each other;Difficult and easy complete each other;Long and short contrast with each other;High and low lean on each other;Sound and silence harmonize with each other;Front and back followContinueContinue reading “The Harmony of Opposites: The Way of Balance”

Book Club: To Be a Machine: Adventures Among Cyborgs, Utopians, Hackers, and the Futurists Solving the Modest Problem of Death

For years, I thought I was the lone weirdo harboring the dream of living forever—healthy, of course. Imagine my surprise when I discovered an entire community of people who not only share that dream but are actively working to make it a reality, transcending humanity itself. Enter the transhumanists, the fascinating subject of To BeContinueContinue reading “Book Club: To Be a Machine: Adventures Among Cyborgs, Utopians, Hackers, and the Futurists Solving the Modest Problem of Death”