How To Preserve Power

It is fitting also that the magistrates on entering office should offer magnificent sacrifices or erect some public edifice, and then the people who participate in the entertainments, and see the city decorated with votive offerings and buildings, will not desire an alteration in the government, and the notables will have memorials of their munificence. - Aristotle, Politics, Book 6, Part VII, trans. Benjamin Jowett

Here Aristotle was referring to the efforts of oligarchs to remain in power.

Goodhart's Law

What does Goodhart's Law say about monetarism? It does lead to me lack confidence in it.

Brothers

This is my favorite scene from "Band of Brothers." That is the "servile scum" portion.

How To...

Destroy An F-14

Of Philosophy & Frogs

Blessed is the man having
perfected intelligence.
One can learn this in many ways.
For this man of proven good sense
will go back home again
for the good of his citizens,
for the good of his own
relatives and friends,
on account of being intelligent.
So it is refined not by Socrates
to sit and chatter
casting aside the pursuits of the Muses
and neglecting what's most important
in the art of tragedy.
But to spend time idly
in pompous words
and frivolous word-scraping
is the act of a man going crazy.

-- Aristophanes, The Frogs, ed. Matthew Dillon

Keep in mind that this isn't the first time that Aristophanes has mentioned Socrates; he presents him in The Clouds as representative of the pompous nature of Fifth Century Athenian "academia."

This Blog Is Rated...

It seems that I am a rather tame fellow.

Go here to get your blog rated.

Animal Of The Day

Strix aluco

Some images and movies of this owl species can be found here.

Today's Word

Periphrasis

1-800-MAGIC

The folks who brought you Red v. Blue have created a new machinima series based on Shadowrun. The first episode can be found here. It has some of the same humor as the original series, but it is a bit early in the series to say anymore.

Hume On Miracles

The plain consequence is (and it is a general maxim worthy of our attention), 'That no testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle, unless the testimony be of such a kind, that its falsehood would be more miraculous, than the fact, which it endeavours to establish; and even in that case there is a mutual destruction of arguments, and the superior only gives us an assurance suitable to that degree of force, which remains, after deducting the inferior.' When anyone tells me, that he saw a dead man restored to life, I immediately consider with myself, whether it be more probable, that this person should either deceive or be deceived, or that the fact, which he relates, should really have happened. I weigh the one miracle against the other; and according to the superiority, which I discover, I pronounce my decision, and always reject the greater miracle If the falsehood of his testimony would be more miraculous, than the event which he relates; then, and not till then, can he pretend to command my belief or opinion. - Sir David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (1748)

In other words, which is more miraculous, that someone might be speaking a falsity or the miracle itself?

How The Matrix Revolutions...

Should Have Ended?*

Though the final installment of the series left much to be desired, I didn't think it was terrible. Still, it could have been improved.

*Fixed the link.

Heidegger

One can no longer deny Heidegger's relationship with National Socialism as a short-natured gaff. It seems to bug people because Heidegger was quite clearly a brilliant man whose thoughts were in some way a culmination of a pattern inquiry, etc. stretching back to Kant. Indeed, in many ways Heidegger remains an influential presence despite his association with the Nazis.

Anyway, recently I ran across a statement by another influential 20th century philosopher (Leo Strauss) that I found useful in describing Heidegger's thinking. Namely - to paraphrase - that Heidegger was more interested in being than human beings.

Animal Of The Day

Talking Cat

First They Came For The Qibla

John Safron talks about God and Guns.

Don't Call It A Comeback

With 303 preliminary orders also revealed this week [on top of 425 orders at the Paris Airshow], "Airbus has more than doubled the record for previous air shows set in 2005," said Leahy, chief operating officer for customers. Airbus won a total of 280 orders and purchase commitments at the last show in Paris, two years ago.

So much for the demise of Airbus. I wonder if Airbus will now still go forward with the cuts proposed earlier this year.