In this blog post, we delve into Hemingway’s eventful life and the true stories concealed within his masterpieces. Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, in Oak Park, Illinois. As the eldest son of his father, Clarence Edmonds Hemingway, a physician, and his mother, Grace Hall, who possessed exceptional musical talent, both parents frequently visited Lake Wilean in northern Michigan...
What did The Old Man and the Sea mean to Ernest Miller Hemingway?
In this blog post, we delve deeply into what Hemingway’s masterpiece ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ meant to the author. Discover insights into life, literature, and the essence of the human spirit. Ernest Miller Hemingway (1899–1961) was born on July 21, 1899, in Oak Park, Illinois, USA. His father was an obstetrician who enjoyed hunting and fishing, while his mother was a deeply...
The Old Man and the Sea (Is the Old Man Who Lost the Fish a Loser?)
The Old Man and the Sea is a work that contains deep reflection on defeat and victory in the struggle between man and nature. Through the story of the old man who lost the fish, it explores what true victory is. It must have been when I was in high school. I once stayed up all night reading Hemingway’s (1899–1961) The Old Man and the Sea. Overcome with emotion, I watched the dawn...
The Geography of Thought (The Age of Imitation and Fusion)
In this blog post, we explore the differences between Eastern and Western ways of thinking and the processes of cultural imitation and fusion through ‘The Geography of Thought’. The book I read this time is Richard Nisbett’s ‘The Geography of Thought’. Comprising eight chapters, the author—a social psychologist—uses experiment-based data in each chapter to explain the differences in...
The Kite Runner: Is Amir a True Hero or a Man Trying to Ease His Guilt?
This blog post deeply explores whether Amir in ‘The Kite Runner’ is a true hero or a man who acted to ease his guilt. Chocolate is sweet. Anyone who puts chocolate in their mouth can feel the sweetness surge instantly. Yet, paradoxically, the reason chocolate is cherished more than equally sweet candies or jellies is precisely because of its bitterness. That absurd sensation—both sweet and...
The Era of Designing Children: How Far Is Ethical?
This blog post explores how far it is ethically permissible to ‘design’ children amid advances in genetic technology. Professor Michael Sandel unpacks the philosophical and ethical debate surrounding ‘designing children’ in his book ‘The Case Against Perfection’. While we can consider a partner’s character or qualities when choosing a friend or spouse, children are beings we cannot...
Why did Hemingway use the battle on the sea to speak of humanity?
This blog post takes a deep look at the meaning of human existence and attitudes toward life through Hemingway’s ‘The Old Man and the Sea’. ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ is Ernest Hemingway’s masterpiece, first published in the September 1952 issue of Life magazine. It earned him the Pulitzer Prize the following year and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. As the last novel...
Can Kin Selection Theory Explain Altruistic Behavior Through Shared Genes?
This blog post explores whether shared genes can explain an individual’s altruistic behavior through kin selection theory, examining its limitations and issues. Introduction Richard Dawkins’ book ‘The Selfish Gene’ argues that all living beings, including humans, act according to how they are pre-programmed by their genes. Dawkins explains that individuals fulfill the task of...
Pauline Chen: How Did She Achieve Success and Family Life as a Female Asian Surgeon?
This blog post explores how Pauline Chen, a woman and Asian who pursued the path of a surgeon, achieved a balance between success and family life. I happened to read a book about the lives of surgeons. The book I read was Final Exam: A Surgeon’s Reflections on Mortality, written by Pauline Chen. This book goes beyond simply conveying medical knowledge; it contains profound reflections on...
Can human cloning truly increase social utility from a utilitarian perspective?
This blog post analyzes human cloning from a utilitarian viewpoint, examining whether its process and purpose increase social utility. American philosopher Hilary Putnam outlined his reasons for opposing human cloning in Chapter 1 of his book ‘The Genetic Revolution and Human Rights’. He introduced the concept of “moral intuition,” arguing that his opposition to human cloning was based on...