Essays and Philosophy - the Foreword

For years now, I've had a long series of essays forming in my mind.  At various points in this blog, they've slipped out, or colored my other topics.  When trying to think of an overarching theme for this series, I've toyed with several ideas.  One of these ideas would be the title of the collected essays if anyone were ever to care to collect them -- or if I were ever industrious enough to write them.  Anyway, some of these ideas are:

• INTS - It's Not That Simple   (or)
• You're Wrong - But We All Are  (or)
• You Don't Really Know That
• Don't Be So Sure

(Now wouldn't it be amazing if someone comes out with a book with one of those titles?  It'll be on the New York Times Bestseller List for six months, the author will be a guest on Ellen and The View.  Or at least on Fresh Air with Terry Gross.  I'll kick myself for not writing the book first.  Especially because I'd miss talking about my ideas with Terry Gross.  Wouldn't that be amazing?  But I digress.)

Perhaps its clear, perhaps it's not, but I am fascinated by the uncertainty -- the incompleteness -- of human knowledge.  And in my fascination, I am frequently dismayed by how strongly others act on their beliefs that their personal knowledge is certain.

Well, anyway, because I have this particular attraction, I have been attracted to Philosophy.  If you have read any of my "Knowledge Series" you have probably guessed as much.  If you have followed along as I have described the Great Courses I've read, you would have noticed the same thing.

"So what?" you say.  Well, see, if I'm ever going to write this series of essays, I am going to have to write some introductory essays.  "Why?" you ask.  Glad you asked.

There are some concepts in Philosophy which were very powerful in getting me thinking about the whole topic of knowledge in the first place, so I will want to refer to them in my essays.  While most people who have studied some Philosophy will know about these concepts, I would guess most people who read this blog won't. 

So, today, I am going to start writing blog posts about some of those concepts.  And they will become the "foreword" for the series I really want to write.  If you read my blog for movie reviews, or discussions about games, or even just to see Favorite Foto Friday photos, you are welcome to skip what follows.  But I hope some of you will stick around to read some of what I find fascinating.

Next time: The Ship of Theseus