I know of no better statement of Stoic philosophy than what follows—the 3rd maxim by which Descartes lived his life. It is truly a piece of wisdom. Three long sentences that are worth continual re-reading. Continue reading Descartes’ Third Maxim →

Kahlil Gibran

We never have perfect relationships with others. We might find that we can discuss sports or the weather with some acquaintances, but any more substantive topics get us into trouble. Continue reading How Close Can You Be To Another Person? →

Carl Sagan (1934–1996) is one of my intellectual heroes. I first encountered his work in 1980 watching the 13-part PBS mini-series “Cosmos.” While I had taken many college science courses before that, there was something special about his presentation that excited me, especially his poetic, philosophical monologues. Continue reading Sagan: The Universe Isn’t Made For Us →

I wanted to call attention to Carl Sagan’s wonderful but often overlooked book: The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark. It was an excellent text for my college courses in critical thinking, deftly distinguishing science from pseudo-science and the reasonable from the unreasonable. Continue reading Sagan: Science as a Candle in the Dark →