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[untiltheend]

This is Sebastian Michaelis. I am unavailable at present, but please leave a message. Should a response be needed I will reply when time permits me. Please do keep your message brief.

Comments

[deuceoftears]

Hmm. You care about doing things well.

Therefore, I imagine a first step toward caring about putting good into the world might be to identify what you believe it would look like, hypothetically, to perform that task well, versus poorly. Perhaps in three to five specific, concrete ways, to avoid an impossibly broad question which all the philosophers of the world have so far died before answering.

[untiltheend]

[Sebastian has never expressed to Jedao that he cares about doing things well. That it's evident to Jedao nonetheless is very pleasing. His suggestion makes sense, too - Sebastian nods in agreement.]

Reading the writings of human philosophers beating their heads against the same wall over and over again can be... tiring, certainly. Personally I find utilitarianism the more sensible viewpoint rather than, say, Kant's ideas. Although if the idea is for me to lean more into "kindness", consequentialism might be the preferable option.

--Your pardon. Of course I cannot know if these terms mean anything to you. [Different worlds, etc.]

[deuceoftears]

A little - it aligns with my interests, but I've read more deeply among the Greek and Roman philosophers.

How would they apply differently to the choices you in your day-to-day life now?

[If reading them going in circles is tiring, best get out of the circles and onto the road.]

[untiltheend]

Hmm. I must confess that, at the time when the Romans' and Greeks' thoughts were largely studied by their individual works rather than grouped together into schools of thought, I... shall we say, had a very limited interest in philosophical matters.

[He was young and stupid and thought only with his stomach.]

Thus I have not studied them as intensely. I did, however, always find the idea of Cyrenaicism amusingly close to a demon's perspective on life.

[deuceoftears]

I can see how that would appeal.

I'll re-read some of their work. Perhaps we can discuss it in another week or two?

[untiltheend]

I would be glad to. Needless to say I shall have to do some reviewing myself. [He spends most nights reading anyway, so might as well make this this week's reading list.]