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...
Homo Deus (Is Human Originality Solely Due to Communication and Cooperation?)
In this blog post, I question Yuval Noah Harari’s argument about human originality presented in ‘Homo Deus’. In the book ‘Homo Deus’, Yuval Noah Harari states that the human trait enabling humanity to dominate Earth is the ability to communicate and cooperate. Harari’s claim that this ability is the fundamental capacity distinguishing humans from other species rests on two main...
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...
Programming the Universe (Does the Universe Really Operate Like a Quantum Computer?)
In this blog post, we explore how the universe operates like a quantum computer and the new paradigms this creates, based on Seth Lloyd’s ‘Programming the Universe’. ‘In the beginning, there was the bit.’ Anyone unfamiliar with this book might find this statement somewhat puzzling. They likely know bits only as a unit of data size. Modern physicists are primarily interested in two...
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...
Book Review – Sapiens: The Birth of a New Humanity, or the End of Humanity?
With advances in genetic engineering and biotechnology, will humanity evolve or go extinct? An intriguing Sapiens book review exploring the future of humanity transformed by technology! “Seventy thousand years ago, Homo sapiens were just another insignificant animal in a corner of Africa, concerned only with their own survival. Over the next tens of thousands of years, this species became...
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...
Is it true love when parents try to design and control their children’s lives?
This blog post deeply examines whether control exercised under the guise of choices made for children is truly love, exploring it from the perspectives of freedom and dignity. People often call children ‘a gift from God’. For the giver, a gift signifies celebration and blessing; for the recipient, it brings happiness. The phrase ‘a gift from God’ signifies how profoundly children are a...
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’...