Daily Read 2: Essay Aeon | 100 RCs for Practice - CAT PDF Download

Essay 1

Essay Name: Whither philosophy?
By: Siobhan Lyons (Edited by Sam Dresser) 

As long as there has been such a subject as philosophy, there have been people who hated and despised it,’ reads the opening line of Bernard Williams’s article ‘On Hating and Despising Philosophy’ (1996).

Read the full essay here: https://aeon.co/essays/since-when-is-philosophy-a-branch-of-the-self-help-industry

Summary and Theme

The article examines the current state of philosophy, caught between the extremes of inaccessible specialization and its commodification as a branch of the self-help industry. It traces the historical evolution of philosophical practice from its roots in ancient Greece, through the Enlightenment, to the present day, highlighting the shift from philosophy as a broad, integrative discipline to its current fragmented and specialized state. 
The piece critiques the trend of reducing philosophy to a tool for personal betterment, as seen in the rise of pop philosophy books and the self-help movement, which often dilute the discipline's depth and complexity. It argues for a return to a more profound engagement with philosophical ideas, beyond their marketability or utility in addressing life's practical concerns.

Difficult Words

• Precariously: In a way that is not securely in position and is likely to fall or collapse.
  
• Aphoristic: Containing aphorisms, which are pithy observations or statements that express a general truth.
• Hermeneutics: The branch of knowledge that deals with interpretation, especially of the Bible or literary texts.
• Semiotics: The study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation.
• Pragmatism: A philosophical approach that assesses the truth of meaning of theories or beliefs in terms of the success of their practical application.
• Phenomenology: The philosophical study of the structures of experience and consciousness.
• Ubiquitous: Present, appearing, or found everywhere.
• Corporatisation: The process of transforming state assets, government agencies, or municipal organizations into corporations.

Essay 2

Essay Name: Disorient yourself
By: Javier Moscoso (Edited byCameron Allan McKean)

Long before it entered the urban playgrounds of the 20th century, the swing was a ritual instrument of healing, punishment and transformation.

Read the full essay here: https://aeon.co/essays/the-swing-has-a-universal-history-of-transgression

Summary and Theme

The article explores the rich and complex history of the swing as an object of play, ritual, and transformation across various cultures and eras. Initially a ritual instrument for healing, punishment, and transformation, the swing has been used to celebrate gods, ward off evil, and express sexual dominance. It has a near-universal history of ritual transgression and transformation, challenging established hierarchies and offering emotional relief. 
The piece delves into the swing's role in mythology, its therapeutic and punitive uses, and its symbolic significance in expressing power dynamics, particularly related to gender. It also discusses the swing's capacity to disorient and reorient, both physically and metaphorically, and its eventual relegation to children's playgrounds, where its deeper cultural significance has been largely forgotten.

Difficult Words

• Apotropaic: Intended to ward off evil.
• Jouissance: Physical or intellectual pleasure, delight, or ecstasy.
• Punitive: Inflicting or intended as punishment.
• Therapeutic: Having a healing or curative effect.
• Vertigo: A sensation of whirling and loss of balance, often associated with looking down from a great height.
• Apollonian and Dionysian: Terms used to denote the dichotomy between the rational, orderly, and aesthetic (Apollonian) and the chaotic, ecstatic, and emotional (Dionysian).
• Sympathetic magic: A type of magic based on imitation or correspondence.
• Vestibular system: The sensory system that contributes to balance and spatial orientation.
• Metronome: A device used by musicians that marks time at a selected rate by giving a regular tick.
• Transgressive: Involving a violation of accepted or imposed boundaries, especially those of social acceptability.

Essay 3

Essay Name: The final ethical frontier

By: Philip Ball (Edited bySam Dresser)

When he rode to the edge of space on board Jeff Bezos’s reusable New Shepard rocket, William Shatner found the experience was not quite as he’d imagined. 

Read the full essay here: https://aeon.co/essays/as-space-gets-more-commercial-how-can-it-be-governed-ethically

Summary and Theme

The article delves into the ethical considerations and governance challenges posed by the increasing commercialization of space exploration. It discusses the shift from state-led space missions to private ventures by companies like Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Virgin Galactic, which aim to profit from space tourism and resource extraction. 
The narrative questions the motives behind human spaceflight in the modern age, the potential exploitation of workers in space, and the environmental impact of space activities. It highlights the inadequacy of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty in addressing the complexities of private space exploration and the need for new regulations to prevent the 'tragedy of the commons' in space. 
The piece also touches on the ethical implications of exposing astronauts to high levels of radiation and the broader philosophical debate about the value of human life in space versus scientific research. It calls for a more critical examination of the reasons for human space exploration and the potential consequences for future generations.

Difficult Words

• Astrophysicist: A scientist who studies the physical properties of celestial bodies.
• Colonialism: The policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.
• Cosmocentrism: An ethical viewpoint that asserts the intrinsic value of the cosmos.
• Extraterrestrial: Of or from outside the earth or its atmosphere.
• Neoliberal techno-utopians: Individuals who believe in the power of technology and free-market capitalism to improve society.
• Parastronaut: A term used by the European Space Agency for astronauts with physical disabilities.
• Planetary protection: The practice of protecting solar system bodies from contamination by Earth life and protecting Earth from possible life forms that may be returned from other solar system bodies.
• Terraforming: The hypothetical process of deliberately modifying the atmosphere, temperature, surface topography, or ecology of a planet, moon, or other body to be similar to the environment of Earth to make it habitable by Earth-like life.
• Tragedy of the commons: A situation in a shared-resource system where individual users acting independently according to their own self-interest behave contrary to the common good of all users by depleting or spoiling that resource through their collective action.
• Utopian democracies: Idealistic forms of government in which all citizens are equal and hold some form of political power, often seen as an aspirational model.