I just listened to the section in Crime and Punishment featuring the talk about Raskolnikov's article. (very minor spoilers) The article talks about what Raskolnikov calls 'ordinary' and 'extraordinary' people, and their differences. The ordinary people, he says, are happy to be ruled and told what to do, and have not many exciting or interesting …
A modern afterlife
Several scientists in recent news articles have been stating that they think we live in a computer simulation. They think the odds of this are very high. What question that leaves unanswered, is whether we are a creation of whoever wrote the simulation, or if we are self inserts in the simulation. In other words, …
Magic vs facts
Ritual, magic, mystical powers--these things seem to comfort and guide people much easier than facts or science. One of the short stories at the end of the glass bead game features a 'rain maker', a sort of shaman type figure who is in charge of when to plant crops, and is supposed to warn of …
Monastery life
I think I could be happy being a monk/scholar/priest, whatever you want to call it. A person who leaves behind 'life' in order to devote themselves to the world of the mind/spirit. If I could spend every waking hour studying, reading, learning, teaching, etc, I think I could give up material possessions and all the …
The waterless flood
I liked Oryx and Crake so much I got the sequel, The Year of the Flood--although I've heard several people say it can stand alone and doesn't need any knowledge of Oryx and Crake in order to read it. So far this is true. The story follows several characters who are a part of the …
Jonas David 