Random quoteThe learning of many things does not teach understanding Heraclitus (about 540-480 BC ..read more

“a very beautiful little town and well built, standing in the bottom of the valley..." When the French philosopher Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) was 47 years old, he decided to make a long journey through Europe. Why exactly he made this journey is not known. Was it only for pleasure? A kind of “Grand Tour”? Did he have a secret mission? We don’t know. What we do know is when he made the trip and which places he visited, for Montaigne kept a diary of his journey. It has apparently been written for private purposes only. He didn’t mention it in his Essays and it was found 180 only years aft ..read more

The peatdigger It’s summertime. Many people go on holiday and many people visit the countryside. Or it’s just a beautiful day, and people decide to leave the city and to go for a stroll in nature or to take their bikes. It’s nice to be outdoors and to enjoy the sunshine and to feel the wind blowing through your hair. And so you took your bike and made a ride. You hear the birds singing, especially if it is yet early summer. Later in the season, you’ll see birds gathering together in the fields, preparing their soon to come long flights to southern countries, where they’ll stay in winter. By n ..read more

Random quoteMan will be daily or he will not be. Henri Lefebvre (1901-1991)  ..read more

Random quoteThe fool is fluttered at every word Heraclitus (about 540-480 BC ..read more

More and more I am intrigued by the simple things of everyday life, for often they appear to be not so simple as they seem on the face of it. Many simply daily activities appear to be basic. Look, for example, at the photo at the top of this blog. It is a picture of the hall of the most important railway station in the Netherlands: Utrecht Central Railway Station. I have used this photo before in another blog, but then in another context. Actually, I should have put here a photo of the Central Railway Station of Amsterdam or the one in Rotterdam, as will become clear in a few moments, but I ..read more

 Random quoteThought is common to all.                                                                     Heraclitus (about 540-480 BC ..read more

Actually, it is possible to philosophise about everything; about what is lofty till about what is banal. Take Montaigne. He wrote about the education of children and about friendship but also about thumbs. Here I have written about Montaigne (of course), about the philosophy of Descartes (and criticized him) and about such an everyday event like passing a square (is it really a banal action?) or even about banality. Often, things appear to be not so banal and unimportant as they are at first sight. Take waste, trash, or garbage, or how you would like to call it. What could be more banal? For ..read more

Random quoteAn image is more expressive than words and more often penetrates deeper into the heart. Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536 ..read more

If you want to change the world, you must first interpret the world, for if you don’t know what you want to change and why, in what way then would you change it? But once you have found a good reason to change the world and once you have a good theory that describes what is wrong in the world the next step consists of the practical measures to implement the changes considered necessary. In short this is the problem we face in this world that is threatened by a serious climate crisis, a crisis that is so serious that it could mean the end of the human civilization as it is. This is why these ..read more