How to Use Philosophy as a Personal Operating System: From Seneca to Musashi (opens in new tab)

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32 pointsvinnylohan13y ago19 comments

19 comments

If you want to know where the metaphor of philosophy as an operating system comes from:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c8an2XZ3MU

(The video is called Culture Is Your Operating System, but what he's talking about is the philosophical assumptions that are completely invisible unless you find a way to step outside your culture.)

davidtanner13y ago

Not to belabor the point, but I think it bears repeating that Terence McKenna recommended a chemical perturbation of the brain, that is, a visionary substance, be used in order to 'step outside your culture'.

Some substances can temporarily remove/obscure one's entire personality structure and linguistic faculties while enhancing awareness. Such an experience offers one the opportunity to truly exist outside their biographical circumstances for a time.

Alex391713y ago

"Terence McKenna recommended a chemical perturbation of the brain, that is, a visionary substance, be used in order to 'step outside your culture'."

So does Tim Ferriss. Here is a short YouTube clip of him talking about his views:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcqXRDqjIpo

But the better source is probably his original interview with Joe Rogan.

1 more reply

vinnylohanOP13y ago

Awesome mate!

tangue13y ago

Well, one of the most famous disciple of Seneca, was Nero (yes the infamous emperor)... As long as you believe that there is such a thing like a "Personal operating system", it's a long way to understand stoicism. If you really spend a lot of time reading Seneca and Marcus Aurelius (I don't encourage you to do so, I did because I learned latin as a teen ) you'll realize that these writings are deeply connected to the context of the first century in the Roman Empire. Many of these thoughts have percolated through Christianism, that's why they're able to reach most westerners today, but remember that stoicism has failed to change romans, both individually and as a society.

zdw13y ago

Hedonism and capitalism have served us better as a society?

Judging a philosophy based on the merits of select adherents does not a representative sample make.

tangue13y ago

I suppose that by hedonism you mean materialism, and I get your point. What I was trying to say is that it's tempting to believe that some kind of ancient wisdom could guide your life (indeed I'm sure Tim Ferris doesn't believe it himself, but some readers might). But ideas are reactions to a very specific reality, and even in the context of this reality these ideas didn't work. It doesn't mean that there is nothing valuable in the stoics' writings, just that using these thoughts as a "Personal Operating System" is as useful as installing MS-DOS on a smartphone

friggeri13y ago

I can't recommend enough A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy[1]. It's a great and modern introduction to stoicism.

[1]: http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Good-Life-Ancient-Stoic/dp/01953...

Anth-ny13y ago

>Marcus Aurelius and his book Meditations, which was effectively a war campaign journal.

I don't think he understands what the book is about.

aristus13y ago

Of course he doesn't. This is Tim Ferris. He didn't spend more than 4 hours on this crap.

MDS10013y ago

Haha so true. All pareto all the time.

mgallivan13y ago

I think it's more of a comment on when/where the book was written rather than what it is about. It is a journal he kept while on campaign.

dschiptsov13y ago

Art Of War? Book of Five Rings? Huh?) Seems like 4 hours for research is not enough..

And, of course, Meditations isn't any war journal.)

pfortuny13y ago

If your philosophy starts in Seneca you've got a problem: missing the real thing (Plato & Aristoteles to boot but many others as well).

noirman13y ago

I can't believe he used "Operating System" as "Decision Making Framework".

vinnylohanOP13y ago

good read along similar lines - On War: Carl von Clausewitz

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/117031.On_War

deveshz13y ago

Philosophy and Technology mixed together.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

19 comments

Alex391713y ago

If you want to know where the metaphor of philosophy as an operating system comes from:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c8an2XZ3MU

(The video is called Culture Is Your Operating System, but what he's talking about is the philosophical assumptions that are completely invisible unless you find a way to step outside your culture.)

davidtanner13y ago

Alex391713y ago

"Terence McKenna recommended a chemical perturbation of the brain, that is, a visionary substance, be used in order to 'step outside your culture'."

So does Tim Ferriss. Here is a short YouTube clip of him talking about his views:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcqXRDqjIpo

But the better source is probably his original interview with Joe Rogan.

1 more reply

vinnylohanOP13y ago

Awesome mate!

tangue13y ago

zdw13y ago

Hedonism and capitalism have served us better as a society?

Judging a philosophy based on the merits of select adherents does not a representative sample make.

tangue13y ago

friggeri13y ago

I can't recommend enough A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy[1]. It's a great and modern introduction to stoicism.

[1]: http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Good-Life-Ancient-Stoic/dp/01953...

Anth-ny13y ago

>Marcus Aurelius and his book Meditations, which was effectively a war campaign journal.

I don't think he understands what the book is about.

aristus13y ago

Of course he doesn't. This is Tim Ferris. He didn't spend more than 4 hours on this crap.

MDS10013y ago

Haha so true. All pareto all the time.

mgallivan13y ago

I think it's more of a comment on when/where the book was written rather than what it is about. It is a journal he kept while on campaign.

dschiptsov13y ago

Art Of War? Book of Five Rings? Huh?) Seems like 4 hours for research is not enough..

And, of course, Meditations isn't any war journal.)

pfortuny13y ago

If your philosophy starts in Seneca you've got a problem: missing the real thing (Plato & Aristoteles to boot but many others as well).

noirman13y ago

I can't believe he used "Operating System" as "Decision Making Framework".

vinnylohanOP13y ago

good read along similar lines - On War: Carl von Clausewitz

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/117031.On_War

deveshz13y ago

Philosophy and Technology mixed together.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse