This blog post examines why Karl Popper emphasized the importance of conjecture in the process of theory formation and how his definition of observation influenced his argument. It analyzes the difference between Popper’s observational inference and direct observation, exploring the meaning of theory development through the interaction between the role of observation and conjecture. ...
Book Summary – Crime and Punishment (Can Crime Be Justified?)
Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment is a psychological novel exploring crime and inner conflict. Was Raskolnikov’s choice justified? Can his crime be forgiven? Crime and Punishment Synopsis Raskolnikov, a young man living in an old boarding house in St. Petersburg, is contemplating murdering an old woman who runs a nearby pawnshop. However, he lacks the courage to carry out the...
Le Petit Chose (How Could Daniel Eyssette Overcome His Fate?)
Alphonse Daudet’s autobiographical novel ‘Le Petit Chose’ tells the coming-of-age story of Daniel Eyssette, who never loses hope despite his unfortunate circumstances. What meaning does his journey—striving to preserve his innocence while enduring poverty and hardship—hold for us today? Who is Daniel Eyssette, the protagonist of Alphonse Daudet’s (1840–1897) first novel ‘Le...
Status Anxiety (What is the nature of the social status anxiety that shakes me, and what is the solution?)
In this blog post, we explore the causes of the social status anxiety that shakes me and its solutions through Alain de Botton’s ‘Status Anxiety’. Motivation for Reading Status Anxiety I read this book when I transitioned from student life into society, moving from the consumer class to the producer class. I encountered it at a time when I needed to become financially independent...
Les Misérables (An Eternal Monument to the Human Spirit for Justice and Peace)
“Les Misérables” is Victor Hugo’s masterpiece exploring human suffering, love, forgiveness, and justice. It delves into the nobility of the human spirit striving for justice and peace, offering timeless inspiration and lessons. Victor Hugo Victor Hugo was born in Besançon, France, in 1802. Because his father was a soldier, he spent his childhood moving around various regions of...
Is life truly nothing more than a machine for the survival of genes?
This blog post critically examines whether life is merely a means for the survival of genes, focusing on ‘The Selfish Gene’. What is the reason for human existence? What is the origin of humankind, and what is the meaning of living? Countless thinkers and philosophers have debated and researched these questions over the centuries. Notable theories include the multiregional origin...
Book Review – Antigone: Does Fate Control Humans?
How powerless are humans before fate? Through Sophocles’ Antigone, we explore the essence of tragic fate and the meaning of human choice. With them the Seed of Wisdom did I sow, And with my own hand labour’d it to grow: And this was all the Harvest that I reap’d— “I came like Water, and like Wind I go.” This is a poem from Omar Khayyam’s Rubáiyát. Reading Sophocles’...
Science and Technology and Values as Seen in Heisenberg’s ‘Physics and Beyond’
This blog post examines how science and technology intertwine with human values through Heisenberg’s ‘Physics and Beyond’. Heisenberg’s Atomic Theory Heisenberg’s book ‘Physics and Beyond’ begins with a chapter titled ‘Encounter with Atomic Theory,’ which recounts discussions Heisenberg had with friends during his high school years. Here, Heisenberg and his friend Robert...
Heisenberg’s ‘Part and Whole’: Why Is an Engineer’s Responsibility So Important?
In this blog post, we explore the essence and importance of the responsibility engineers must uphold amid scientific and technological progress, through Heisenberg’s ‘Part and Whole’. Heisenberg is a physicist renowned for the ‘Uncertainty Principle,’ one of the core theories of quantum physics. ‘Part and Whole’ is a book Heisenberg authored, compiling debates he engaged in with...
How to Understand and Interpret Franz Kafka’s Works?
Kafka’s literary world explores the essence of human existence amidst absurdity and solitude. This guide presents an interpretive approach to deciphering reality and inner worlds through his symbols and metaphors. Franz Kafka was born on July 3, 1883, in Prague, the son of a Jewish merchant. He received a German education and earned a doctorate in law from Charles Ferdinand...