CJ Faderogao

The pursuit of happiness is at the core of everything we do. It's what drives us to improve our careers, our relationships, and our well-being.   It can come to us through simple things like seeing a child's smile or a beautiful scenery. It could be in the form of material wealth; through money, estates, and other displays of possession. It could also be found in the conquest of truth; in discovery, in finding meaning; in creating an integration of the natural world and our psyche. Each of us have diverse paths toward our jubilations, and there are complex choices we have to make to attain them. Given this, how can we make sure that our choices always lead to happiness? It is helpful to know that people across history have asked this same question. In ancient Greece, in particular, the philosopher Aristotle has realized a helpful concept that can keep us in the path of wellness. He puts forward that the happiness we seek is analogous to what he calls the golden mean. * * * The...

Photo by Linus Sandvide on Unsplash The subject of truth is not as simple as it ought to be. As we grow and learn more about the world, it seems that our path, or at least our conception of what reality is, tends to get more hazy. We tend to experience confusion; we become doubtful in distinguishing right from wrong; hesitant on what to put our trust; and we can lose our touch with what once we consider as a "solid" foundation that we use to make sense of our reality.  It is of my realization that this inner dilemma arises because the world presents us with diverse and often contradictory ideas and beliefs. We get confused because we experience that the world-the real world-is filled with other beliefs, challenging the ones that we hold dear during our younger years. We realize that it is not only our belief that matters, but that every perspective by every other people contains within them a sliver of truth-even if it may seem opposite to what we believe. It becomes then ted...

The wound is the place where light enters you. This simple yet profound quote is by Jalal al-Din Muhammad R umi   or simply, Rumi . A Sufi ¹  mystic, Islamic scholar and poet from the 13th century. He spent most of his life in the city of  Konya of modern day  Turkey.   A Millenia after his death, his poetry verses continue to inspire people-be it academics, artists or lay people. His works still top book bestsellers list, and he is even recognized as the most read poet in the United States today.  A portrait of Rumi by Hossein Behzad. His poetry which covers humanity, divinity, and love endured the passage of time proving that there's much for us to learn from his teachings. I will continue to spread his acclaim by sharing a brief of his teachings, in the hopes that more people to know his message.  His enigma lies in the beauty of his preaches; poetic verses inspired by universal spirituality. And in order for us to know his creeds, we must first kno...

Philosophy, as a field of study, is often conceived as something unpractical. A thing that only has merits in contemplation but has no implication in daily living. However, this notion, just like any other idea, contains only a sliver of truth. Philosophy remains an armchair activity if it is really done only in contemplation. We forget that the other half of the responsibility lies in ourselves, in the way we translate philosophical ideas into real world actions.  Philosophy must have practical implications. Although it involves thinking most of the time, we should not forget that the reason Philosophy is there in the first place is to serve as a discipline that will help us discover, make sense, and interact with reality in a harmonious way. Through it, we know lessons that we can use to live justly, courageously, moderately, and wisely. There is one Philosophy in particular that seeks this same reconciliation. A school of thought that has seen a revival in interest in our contem...

Searching for meaning is nothing new to us.  Finding purpose in our work, relationships, and environment is the engine that keeps us running. Purpose provides us with a sense of direction and allows us to navigate the complex maze that is our daily lives. It is one thing to find meaning. But it is another to realize that there could be nothing at all. As we grow older, our ever increasing awareness sheds light on the arbitrariness and partiality of our personal beliefs, preferences, and aspirations. We become accustomed to the indifference that the world has on them. Our lives become stripped of certainty, realizing that real meaning is not out there but rather something that we ourselves are creating, projecting to reality. This outstripping of meaning is inherent in our getting caught up in routines, mundane tasks that take up most of our time. Waking up, eating, commuting to work, work for hours, then commute again, eat and go to sleep. Then rise up and do all these again for d...

What makes a good life? This question has been asked throughout history by philosophers, academics, religious leaders and politicians. Although answers differed from each culture, there remained themes that unites them all. Certain values that are central to our common humanity regardless of our country, race, and traditions. In Greek thought, they call these the four cardinal virtues. They are Justice, Fortitude, Temperance and Prudence. In his book The Republic, Plato referenced these four virtues as necessary traits that people must uphold in order to create a just society. Where each citizen has their distinct role to fill and everyone lives according to the maxims of balance and equanimity. Aristotle expanded on these thoughts on his idea of  the golden mean. A moral norm that suggest living in moderation between the excesses and lacks of the human character.  Although Greek in origin, these virtues have also made mark in the tenets of Christianity. They were named as T h...

Starting a reading journey in Philosophy can be intimidating. With numerous topics to cover, it can easily be confusing and drudging. It is, however, normal to feel these things. It's the point of Philosophy after all to get us to question and reflect upon our society, ourselves, and the world that we live in. Nevertheless, it would be of help to have a starting point. A place where we can plant the seed of our curiosities and nurture it as we go along the journey. The internet is teeming with recommendations: "Start with Greek Philosophers" or "Begin with Stoicism" and there are also some that encourages starting with anything we find interesting.  In my case, I went about it by going through Philosophy's History. I decided to make a survey of the subject's landscape first. Doing this allowed me to be familiar with key themes, people and the timeline that occurred within the history of thought.  I think this approach can also be helpful to other people....