Bacon's Essays 6 (Simulation And Dissimulation)

 Bacon's Essays 6 (Simulation And Dissimulation)

Bonus:

Sweet album art

Summary: When you hide yourself, you weaken yourself.

Commentary: 

I didn't think of dissimulation in this context before, but it appears aligned with the dictionary definition. (Hiding under a false appearance.) I always think of it as just not engaging with the situation.

There be three degrees of this hiding and veiling of a man's self. The first, closeness, reservation, and secrecy; when a man leaveth himself without observation, or without hold to be taken, what he is. The second, dissimulation, in the negative; when a man lets fall signs and arguments, that he is not, that he is. And the third, simulation, in the affirmative; when a man industriously and expressly feigns and pretends to be, that he is not.

I think that first is closer to how we use it today.

The third and greatest is, that it depriveth a man of one of the most principal instruments for action; which is trust and belief. The best composition and temperature, is to have openness in fame and opinion; secrecy in habit; dissimulation in seasonable use; and a power to feign, if there be no remedy.

Truth.  

 

 

 

 

Bacon's Essays 5 (Adversity)

 Bacon's Essays 5 (Adversity)

Bonus: 

Sure, I dunno, getting bulled by Powerful Rangers is adversity.

Summary: Learn to admire surviving adversity.

Commentary: 

The virtue of prosperity, is temperance; the virtue of adversity, is fortitude; which in morals is the more heroical virtue

Someone call Ben Franklin.  

Bacon's Essays 4 (Revenge)

 Bacon's Essays 4 (Revenge)

Bonus: 

The R Movie is the best one.

Summary: Revenge good. Pardon princely.

Commentary: 

REVENGE is a kind of wild justice; which the more man's nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out.

That one guy ruined revenge for everyone by doing 12 degrees of family punishment or something. 

Bacon's Essays 3 (Unity In Religion)

 Bacon's Essays 3 (Unity In Religion)

Bonus: 

I have no idea where this song is in the show, and the internet is not helping.

Summary: Be the good kind of religious, not an asshole.

Commentary: 

 The quarrels, and divisions about religion, were evils unknown to the heathen. The reason was, because the religion of the heathen, consisted rather in rites and ceremonies, than in any constant belief. For you may imagine, what kind of faith theirs was, when the chief doctors, and fathers of their church, were the poets. But the true God hath this attribute, that he is a jealous God; and therefore, his worship and religion, 

Bacon is making a stunning argument for paganism here. 

 Short essay even shorter: religion is good when it brings us good things (fellowship, charity, etc.) Don't get overly freaked out about minor differences between groups (THE WINE IS BLOOD‽). Especially don't start religious wars over them.

This should've been in 15MAD, it was much better than most of the other religious readings. 

 

Bacon's Essays 2 (Death)

 On Death

Bonus: 

But why no audio?

Summary: Dying isn't as bad as it looks.

Commentary: 

It's like the whole (non-bullshit parts of) Phaedo in one paragraph!

So much Latin. Some of which almost turn into Tom Swifties.

Bacon's Essays (1625? Edition) Dedication and 1 (Truth)

Bacon's Essays (1625? Edition)

Bonus: 

Somehow, we were assigned A Few Good Men in 7th or 8th grade. Maybe it was just excerpts?

Summary: Truth is good, but lies can be fun (as long as you don't believe them).

Commentary: 

This is going to be kind of like Fruits of Solitude, but with one number for the whole set instead of one per maxim. I think.

This is the oldest (actual prose) I've read so far (dating back to the 1500s, ) in the reading. Some of the Greek stuff is older, but it's translated into (oldish) modern English instead of EME. I'll manage, but it will slow me down a bit.. Also, gratuitous Latin.

One of the fathers, in great severity, called poesy vinum daemonum, because it fireth the imagination; and yet, it is but with the shadow of a lie. 

POETRY IS DEMON WINE!

 I like Bacon's distinction here between poetry, fantasy, etc. A lot of the "truthiness" writers wind up ranting about how plays are evil or something, but we can all be adults and realize Jack Nicholson isn't actually a murderous hotel custodian, asylum patient, colonel, etc.

Phaedo Part ̡

Phaedo

Bonus: 

Why don't we get drunk and read shitty philosophy.

Summary: I got drunk and finished Phaedo.

Commentary: 

')

Almost a winky face.

misologists

A person who hates reason and logic.       

 Phaedo done: 0/5. Dialogues are terrible, and this one is extra bullshit.