zuihitsu.org

Therefore, Strange were my Travels

2012-02-16T22:39:00+00:00

So Much for the Whole and the Part

2012-02-08T23:48:00+00:00

Let us imagine, with your permission, a little worm, living in the blood, able to distinguish by sight the particles of blood, lymph, &c., and to reflect on the manner in which each particle, on meeting with another particle, either is repulsed, or communicates a portion of its own motion. This little worm would live in the blood, in the same way as we live in a part of the universe, and would consider each particle of blood, not as a part, but as a whole. He would be unable to determine, how all the parts are modified by the general nature of blood, and are compelled by it to adapt themselves, so as to stand in a fixed relation to one another. For, if we imagine that there are no causes external to the blood, which could communicate fresh movements to it, nor any space beyond the blood, nor any bodies whereto the particles of blood could communicate their motion, it is certain that the blood would always remain in the same state, and its particles would undergo no modifications, save those which may be conceived as arising from the relations of motion existing between the lymph, the chyle, &c. The blood would then always have to be considered as a whole, not as a part. But, as there exist, as a matter of fact, very many causes which modify, in a given manner, the nature of the blood, and are, in turn, modified thereby, it follows that other motions and other relations arise in the blood, springing not from the mutual relations of its parts only, but from the mutual relations between the blood as a whole and external causes. Thus the blood comes to be regarded as a part, not as a whole. So much for the whole and the part.

(Spinoza to Oldenburg, Correspondence, Letter XV (XXXII)).

The Know It All

2011-10-31T00:00:00+00:00

The theory’s explaining everything will mean, at least, that the theory is probabilistically relevant to every statement about the world—like the know-it-all, such a theory says something about everything.

(Sherrilyn Roush. 2004. “Testability and the Unity of Science”, in The Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 101, No. 11, p. 556).

When Need Arises

2011-02-25T19:11:55+00:00

Meanwhile, as they read, they should have notebooks at hand, in which they may copy out the more elegant phrases and sentences; or let them have some blank pages bound in at the end of the books they read, and on them they may note down the number of the page in question and the heading of some remarkable topic. Then, when need arises, they will be able to make reference to it.

(Caspar Barlaeus, “Methodus Studiorum”, in Hugo Grotius et al., Dissertationes de studiis instituendis, Apud Ludovicum Elzevirium, Amsterdam, 1645, p. 353).

Not Sufficiently Removed

2011-02-25T14:59:41+00:00

And therefore as in the cognitive faculties reason, so in the motive curiositie, are the markes that part ye bounds of man's nature from that of beastes. Which makes mee, when I heare a man, upon the discovery of any new and ingenious knowledge or invention, aske gravely, that is to say, scornefully, what 'tis good for, meaning what monie it will bring in, (when he knows as little, to one that hath sufficient what that overplus of monie is good for), to esteeme that man not sufficiently removed from brutalitie.

(Thomas Hobbes, “To the Marquis of Newcastle,” in Sir William Molesworth (Ed), The English Works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, London, 1839-1845, Vol. 7, pp. 467–468).

It Manifests Itself Like a Stream

2010-12-11T21:36:36+00:00

In the early 1920s, Erik Satie came to briefly dominate the pages of Vanity Fair, with articles either by or about him appearing in most issues published in 1921–1922¹. Here follows his “Igor Stravinsky: A Tribute to the Great Russian Composer by an Eminent French Confrère”, in Vanity Fair, February 1923, p. 39, 88². Click on the images for larger versions.

See Mary E. Davis, Classic Chic: Music, Fashion, and Modernism, University of California Press, Berkeley, 2006, pp. 145–152. For facsimile copies of a selection of these articles, see here.↩
Reprinted in Ornella Volta (Ed), Antony Melville (Trans), A Mammal's Notebook: Collected Writings of Erik Satie, Atlas Arkhive Documents of the Avant-Garde, Atlas Press, 1996.↩

Philosophers Falling and Fearing Falling

2010-11-05T00:14:48+00:00

Socrates.
Why, take the case of Thales, Theodorus. While he was studying the stars and looking upwards, he fell into a pit, and a neat, witty Thracian servant girl jeered at him, they say, because he was so eager to know the things in the sky that he could not see what was there before him at his very feet. The same jest applies to all who pass their lives in philosophy. For really such a man pays no attention to his next door neighbour; he is not only ignorant of what he is doing, but he hardly knows whether he is a human being or some other kind of a creature; but what a human being is and what is proper for such a nature to do or bear different from any other, this he inquires and exerts himself to find out. Do you understand, Theodorus, or not?

Theodorus.
Yes, I do; you are right.

(Plato, Theaetetus, in Loeb Classical Library, Plato II, Translated by H. N. Fowler, p. 121).

Now, pray tell me, what wisdom is there in this hankering after conjectural speculations? What proof is afforded to us, notwithstanding the strong confidence of its assertions, by the useless affectation of a scrupulous curiosity, which is tricked out with an artful show of language? It therefore served Thales of Miletus quite right, when, star-gazing as he walked with all the eyes he had, he had the mortification of falling into a well, and was unmercifully twitted by an Egyptian, who said to him, “Is it because you found nothing on earth to look at, that you think you ought to confine your gaze to the sky?” His fall, therefore, is a figurative picture of the philosophers; of those, I mean, who persist in applying their studies to a vain purpose, since they indulge a stupid curiosity on natural objects, which they ought rather (intelligently to direct) to their Creator and Governor.

(Tertullian, Ad Nationes, Book II, Chapter IV).

When he is threatened by a blow nothing can stop a man closing his eyes, or trembling if you set him on the edge of a precipice, just like a child.

(Montaigne, Essays, Translated by M. A. Screech).

Put the world’s greatest philosopher on a plank that is wider than need be: if there is a precipice below, although his reason may convince him that he is safe, his imagination will prevail. Many could not even stand the thought of it without going pale and breaking into a sweat.

(Pascal, Pensées, Translated by A. J. Krailsheimer, Penguin, Baltimore, 1966, Section 44)¹.

I often became quite absorbed, and once, whilst returning to school on the summit of the old fortifications round Shrewsbury, which had been converted into a public foot-path with no parapet on one side, I walked off and fell to the ground, but the height was only seven or eight feet. Nevertheless the number of thoughts which passed through my mind during this very short, but sudden and wholly unexpected fall, was astonishing, and seem hardly compatible with what physiologists have, I believe, proved about each thought requiring quite an appreciable amount of time.

(Charles Darwin, in Barlow, Nora (Ed), The Autobiography of Charles Darwin 1809–1882, Collins, London, 1958, p. 25).

From Saul Traiger, “Reason Unhinged: Passion and Precipice from Montaigne to Hume”, in Joyce Jenkins, Jennifer Whiting and Christopher Williams (Eds), Persons and Passions: Essays in Honor of Annette Baier, University of Notre Dame Press, 2005, pp. 100–115. [PDF]↩

Redback Spiders and the Meaning of Life

2010-08-26T00:18:29+00:00

After copulation, male redback spiders (Latrodectushasselti; relatives of the “black widow” spider), often somersault into the female’s mouthparts and are eaten (Figure 11.3A). This suicidal behavior might be adaptive, because males seldom have the opportunity to mate more than once, and it is possible that a cannibalized male fathers more offspring. Maydianne Andrade (1996)¹ tested this hypothesis by presenting females with two males in succession, recording the duration of copulation, and using genetic markers to determine the paternity of the females’ offspring. She found that females that ate the first male with whom they copulated were less likely to mate a second time, so these cannibalized males fertilized all the eggs. Furthermore, among females that did mate with both males, the percentage of offspring that were fathered by the second male was greater if he was eaten than if he survived. (Figure 11.3B). Both outcomes support the hypothesis that sexual suicide enhances reproductive success. This example suggests that prolonged survival is not necessarily advantageous, and illustrates how hypotheses of adaptation may be formulated and tested. Figure 11.3 (A) The small male redback spider somersaults into the large female’s mouthparts after copulation. (B) The proportion of eggs fertilized by the second male that copulated with a female was correlated with the duration of his copulation. On average, copulation by cannibalized males lasted longer than that by noncannibalized males. (A after Forster 1992²; B after Andrade 1996.)

(From Futuyma, Douglas J. 2009. Evolution, 2nd edition. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland MA, pp. 281–282).

Maydianne C. B. Andrade, “Sexual Selection for Male Sacrifice in the Australian Redback Spider”, in Science, 5 January 1996, Vol. 271, No. 5245, pp. 70–72. URI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.271.5245.70 ↩
L. M. Forster, “The Stereotyped Behavior of Sexual Cannibalism in Latrodectus-Hasselti Thorell (Araneae, Theridiidae), the Australian Redback Spider”, in Australian Journal of Zoology, Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 1–11. URI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ZO9920001 ↩

Szymborska on Vermeer

2010-08-02T17:09:00+00:00

In the latest issue of the New York Review of Books there is a short poem by Wisława Szymborska with the title “Vermeer”, translated by Stanislaw Baranczak and Clare Cavanagh. The painting that forms the subject of the poem is “The Kitchen Maid”. Here is the painting, and the poem.

Vermeer
So long as that woman from the Rijksmuseum
in painted quiet and concentration
keeps pouring milk day after day
from the pitcher to the bowl
the World hasn’t earned
the world’s end.

(The sense of arrested time in painting reminds me of the Gabriel Josipovici story “A Glass of Water”, which makes a nice counterpoint).

Cooking a meal; mending socks; squeeze a lemon; give Money; Body-contact, Tender; Fondness or even Sexuality.

2010-05-27T22:41:42+00:00

I have just received the following important email.

Jesus Testament

These are science Reports only with Facts and no emotional contends, if you are conflict-shay please don’t read it and delete it before. Like Jesus only talking in the wind. Günter

If you don’t like to read this letter please forgive and delete it. God and Jesus are rejected over 2000 Years, it is normal. Peace be with you, thank you Günter.

Jesus never said he comes back. He said only ones he comes back to his disciples, but not to the world {Pentecost}. Jesus said <I came on earth to bring the Love on earth, to save the world>. I bring back what goes lost, the Love the Holy Spirit. He doesn’t get through with his attempt to save the world. No body is listening to his teaching, or to the law of God. So the world is lost. For eleven years you could see the <Sign of Jesus> on the Night-Heaven {very bright and shiny, scanning the Earth for Human they are doing the law of God, how many and is it worth to save these World], exactly like before 2000 Years, special on the sign of Jesus was it reflected in every light, every light changed and chow the Sign of Jesus (compare with Ground-mosaic out of Jesus Time in Sidon Israel or in old Bibles from Calvin), it is gone now switched of, these Contact is closed. The Bible says this sign comes on the heaven short before the Apocalypse started. Now the Apocalypse is running for twelve years. {Glasshouse-effect? Global warming ?}.You can easy scientific prove, it is exactly the same. With Love it never happened it is homemade.

Jesus find out that no one in the world knows anymore what Love is and how to do it. It is the highest law of God, and no one of the human has any right to break this law. This could only lead to a world katastrove like God is warning, if the human get the idea to do not the law of God. God says: if you really get the idea and do not my law, I will punish you; I will even bring thatch a Misery over you that you eat your own children. That’s why Jesus said the End is near. The human where believing that Love is: suffer like Jesus on the Cross; cooking a meal; mending socks; squeeze a lemon; give Money; Body-contact, Tender; Fondness or even Sexuality. They filling up whole Libraries with books about Love, only in the explanation of the Old Testament {Torah; Koran; Kamathutra ;} or Jesus was never one interested. Jesus tried to teach Love and how to do it, the highest law of God. Out of the old scriptures he explained; proofing and showed in life what he is talking about. God says in the in the Old Testament; Torah; Koran; Kamathutra; <I m the Love and only the Love and only where the Love is can I be.> don’t make a picture or allegory {don’t compare me with nothing or nobody} of me. Never!! {The law of God}.God is Love. The Love {God} has to become in your body flesh, you have to feel it. John says <even when you are dying you have to feel love in your body>.Jesus explained: The kingdom of God takes place in your body; the house or the temple of God is your body, logo no where else. Jesus says :< be hot or cold between is nothing>, it says you have to feel in your whole body Love. Have only Love in your heart is impossible. Love is blissful happiness; a strong warm prickly feeling, that takes every negative feeling away; Love takes instantly every Sin of the world away; Love takes every mental illness away in seconds and is Rebirthing. Love brings every positive feelings and conditions to the highest form. It is like somebody switched the light on in your head {Delighting}. Without Love you have no life; you get no life; you never will have life; you loose your life and get never Eternity in Heaven. <Jesus>. If you feel not blissful happiness in your body, you have no Love, you are not able to love and/or do the highest law of God. You get no Eternity, you have to love is the highest law of God, what ever you like to believe .Jesus explains how to do Love, try it and you will understand. Jesus said< open your eyes to your heart and you can love>.But you have to do it really, day and night. If you stop half of the way to the heart, or have a brick between your eyes and your heart, it will with guarantee not work. You can not betray God! You have to make always a fresh and friendly face full of Love and the Love has to come from the Insight. Jesus said <you are only believing in me when you are doing what I say {that only is FAITH nothing else} and not only when you know about it>.Jesus said: sacrifice your self <you have to make always a fresh and friendly face, full of Love>.It says; you have not to make a grumpy Face while you find it distinguished. Trust ever in God. Jesus said <love your next, that you not loos the Holy Spirit, and that you be always in good exercise >. {Jesus never said love your Neighbour, this is misleading, the Nonbeliever and the Seducers are using it and ignoring the law of God, what says love your Parents, Husband, Children and every one without any condition. It says; when you stop to love the next person to you, in at least one week you will loos the Love in your body, trust in Jesus he is experienced. You don’t have to like them in any way, only give them Love and let God do his work, it is just amazing. You don’t need to have Eye-contact, only open your eyes to your heart and luck on a Body-part or hair it will work in every distance, so more next to you at so better. Love your Next! (Jesus) Without Love the Human is not functioning like a Human, more like a Robot or Zombie.

Jesus said <love your enemies> when you love your enemy, in the same moment when he takes actions, you change his negative feelings in seconds, about the same strength into Love and deep Pease. He becomes unable to attack you. A human becomes only aggressive {in witch form ever from mild anger to the highest form of Violence} in fact of fear or in fact of frustration; one another reason is impossible. Human with Love and Tender become after downloading of the pure Feeling-aggression instantly overwhelming happy. God is almighty. Why do you have to love unconditional? If you do love with any condition, you can be frustrated, and frustration is feeling empty, burnt out. But when you feel empty you have no Love in your body, so you can not love, you can only give what you have<Logo>! So always unconditional Love and nothing else. It is the highest and most distinguishes law of God (Jesus) and you have to do it, if you will have Eternity, there is sure no way around, no exempt, no pardon, no mercy, and no grace. Not even when somebody used your Authority-shyness like always, it is no excuse only you are responsible for you self nobody else and only God is the highest Authority out of Question. If you like a chitty life and reject God without any reason {nobody can be so stupid or deranged}, it is up to you. Jesus said don’t go to the empty Peoples don’t trust them never. Budda works exactly like Jesus for God only with pure Love and Truth, and said in the Kamathutra don’t go to the Meditation-Peoples they are cold and empty don’t trust them never ever. Luck the peoples in the Eyes you can always see the have the Holy Spirit or not, Peoples without the Holy Spirit are empty. The eyes are the mirror of the soul. The Love {God} and< falling in Love> are absolute different and have different reason. Jesus says your body died, but your Soul lives for ever in Eternity in Haven or Hell it is your choice {weight of the Soul ca 26 gr and left the Body when dying}. May be you like to have a life, think about it. Give the Emperor what’s the Emperor’s is the Money. Give God what’s God’s is, the Love. God {the Love} has to come always and in every case first…

What in the world has Love to do with the Apocalypse? (???)

Every thing, Love is a ground-need, without Love no Feelings are working on the right way, no human can find anymore satisfaction no matter what he trays to do and he consumed his own world away, every day quicker and quicker in the search for Satisfaction. With love he finds very quick satisfaction, that’s it. With Love the Apocalypse never happened. You can’t stop it anymore or slow it down, it is gone forget it, it accelerating in self. Live you’re Life so long you can and save your Soul with doing Love. Christianity is only possible in pure Truths and pure Love and only human they are doing what Jesus is teaching are Christian like Jesus says… The Holy War has to be without any Form of Power use, only through convincing and the Holy Spirit Love read it in Koran; Torah; Kamathutra; Old Testament.

Every word is like Jesus words only talking in the wind Günter.

Among other duties Seer-Prophet of the Aboriginal from Australia.

Günter von Heymann, 42 Old Laidley-Forest Hill Road, Forest Hill 4342, Qld Australia, Tel. {07}54654204