“But remember this, Japanese boy... airplanes are not tools for war. They are not for making money. Airplanes are beautiful dreams. Engineers turn dreams into reality.”
― The Wind Rises
― The Wind Rises
“The artist brings something into the world that didn't exist before, and he does it without destroying something else. ”
―
―
“After all, no one is stupid enough to prefer war to peace; in peace sons bury their fathers and in war fathers bury their sons.”
―
―
“And what's strange, what would be marvelous, is not that God should really exist; the marvel is that such an idea, the idea of the necessity of God, could enter the head of such a savage, vicious beast as man.”
― The Brothers Karamazov
― The Brothers Karamazov
“Science seeks to understand complex processes by reducing them to their essential actions and studying the interplay of those actions--and this reductionist approach extends to art as well. Indeed, my focus on one school of art, consisting of only three major representatives, is an example of this. Some people are concerned that a reductionist analysis will diminish our fascination with art, that it will trivialize art and deprive it of its special force, thereby reducing the beholder's share to an ordinary brain function. I argue to the contrary, that be encouraging a focus on one mental process at a time, reductionism can expand our vision and give us new insights into the nature and creation of art. These new insights will enable us to perceive unexpected aspects of art that derive from the relationships between the biological and psychological phenomena.”
―
―
Classics and the Western Canon
— 4958 members
— last activity 10 hours, 58 min ago
This is a group to read and discuss those books generally referred to as “the classics” or “the Western canon.” Books which have shaped Western though ...more
philosophy, psychology and other long words beginning with p.
— 144 members
— last activity Nov 12, 2014 07:03AM
This is club is ideal for anyone who is interested in Philosophy or Psychology, and is also up for a good time! Experts and amateurs welcomed with equ ...more
Laid-back Philosophy club
— 211 members
— last activity Apr 23, 2016 09:10AM
A Laid back, casual place to talk Philosophy, logic and to a lesser degree ethics, morality and theology.
Write, Wrote, Written
— 1531 members
— last activity Jan 29, 2025 01:30PM
This group is no longer active! Go to Write, Wrote, Written II if you want to be active. “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a ty ...more
Ben’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Ben’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Ben
Lists liked by Ben






































