Footnotes to a Conversation, February 6, 2023
“Any technology that does not appear magical is insufficiently advanced.” – Gregory Benford
Think Like a Philosopher
An excerpt from the newly released book, How to Think Like a Philosopher by Julian Baggini, provides 10 practical tips for how to more successfully live our lives. Here are two excerpts, but I highly recommend reading the entire article:
“To avoid what David Hume called the ‘vulgar error’ of ‘putting nothing but nonsense into the Mouth of the Adversary’ we should employ the principle of charity. This requires us to consider the best, strongest version of an opponent’s argument, not only the worst. This may be a better case than they themselves can muster.”
“Getting words right sometimes requires changing them. ‘Gay marriage’ used to be an oxymoron but most have come to agree that it is right that the meaning of ‘marriage’ has evolved. Right now, there is a heated debate about what ‘woman’ and ‘man’ mean in relation to trans people. There is no way of resolving this unless both sides acknowledge that they are engaged in advocacy for their preferred usages, not simply trying to show that one set of meanings is objectively correct.” [The Guardian]
From Mining to Tourism
Salt Spring Island is the perfect holiday location. Unfortunately, the result is that housing has become unaffordable or simply unavailable for people who actually work there. The pattern repeats itself, particularly in coastal communities. The steep hillsides of Porthowan, Cornwall, overlook a bay loved by surfers, dog walkers, and ocean lovers. But in winter, many of the houses are vacant. The community is working hard to maintain year-round activity. There’s pre-school in the village hall, a surf lifesaving club, and many of the restaurants and cafes are open year-round. But housing is a key issue:
“We need homes for people to live and work here. We need homes that are rentable. Long-term secure rented accommodation is what's needed in the village . . . Porthtowan will only continue to be a community if people are able to live here all year round . . . If you want to save communities Cornwall can't just be about second homes or holiday lets. Cornwall can't become a holiday park. It's not sustainable.” [Cornwall Live]
PS The old mine building in the photograph is now an Airbnb.
Nature vs. Consumerism
Take one old pair of sneakers, add in some flowers, mushrooms, and plants, and you have a piece of art by Monsieur Plant. He says, “The eloquence of the plants combats the excesses of consumerism. I think nature will always triumph over man.” Do check out the photographs. [The Guardian]
Footnotes to a Conversation is a weekly Monday feature covering an assortment of topics that I’ve come across in the preceding week – books, art, travel, food, and whatever else strikes my fancy. I also post occasional articles on other dates, including frequent book reviews and travel tales.
If you share my love of nature, check out EcoFriendly West, an online publication encouraging environmental initiatives in Western Canada, and Nature Companion, a free nature app for Canada’s four western provinces.