By Philosophy Club Members Thales of Miletus, often considered the father of Western philosophy, is famous for two reasons. First, he is one of the first known figures to replace supernatural explanations with natural ones. And second, for doing one of the most stereotypical philosopher things ever: tripping into a well because he was looking…
By Philosophy Club members In the late 1970s, a number of reporters in a small suburb east of Niagara Falls noticed some alarming health issues: miscarriages, asthma, birth defects, cancers, and more. They investigated, discovering that the Hooker Chemical Company had dumped about 21,800 tons of toxic waste at the site before selling it. Chemicals…
By Philosophy Club members Imagine being poor, single and forced into a diet of water, vegetables, and no alcohol. Vision-bending migraines are common. Your books rarely sell, you have few friends and you dine alone for almost every meal. Oh, and you may be dying from syphilis. If you can enter this headspace, you may…
By Philosophy Club members Perhaps one day, like Neo, we’ll end up discovering we’re actually in pods being fed sensations from machines. We might “see” that woman in the red dress or cringe as we “bite” a Popsicle stick between front teeth, but these sensations and the supposed world they construct could be false. I…
By Philosophy Club members Hello, readers of The Bona Venture! Philosophy Club has a brief announcement. We’ll be around to greet you in the BV with a regular column now, but need a little help. While we could talk on and on about philosophy, as we often like to do, we’d love some input from…
By: Nocholas Coyne Wabi-sabi is an Eastern philosophy that emphasizes the beauty of solitude, imperfection and humility. Wabi-sabi celebrates the things we correct on a daily basis; like an erratic part in hair we quickly scruff away or an indiscernible stain in a shirt that can’t be washed away. While many modes of aesthetic philosophy…
By Taylor Nigrelli Digital Media Strategist When news of Dr. Roderick Hughes’ death spread through social media this week, I was struck by the variety of ways he seemed to have touched lives. Some lauded his kindness, others his humor, others still his unique teaching style. To me, it was both his near-constant questioning of…
By Jordan Morey Staff Writer Tucked away in his townhouse sitting at a kitchen table, Brett Keegan interprets excerpts from Albert Camus’ novel “L’Étranger.” Keegan wields a highlighter the size of a carrot in his right hand, and a fresh cup of Egyptian hibiscus tea in his left. He scans the existential writings picking out…