The game of life (according to Schlick)

The game of life (according to Schlick)

Last winter I visited Vienna, and while walking around the city and enjoying the omnipresent history, I noticed, by the Belvedere Gardens, a memorial plaque: “The distinguished philosopher and university professor Moritz Schlick (1882-1936).” The name somehow sounded...
Caroline’s beauty according to Plato

Caroline’s beauty according to Plato

About a month ago, a friend invited me to join an online mini-session of so-called “Deep Philosophy,” a weekly group activity which she had been attending enthusiastically. At first I excused myself, but after several such invitations I finally gave in and took part...
Stay with me  – Levinas

Stay with me – Levinas

I stand in the kitchen, a song playing in the background, while I cook some delicious vegetables and wait for the lovely pie in the oven to finish baking. At the same time I wonder which food I should cook first and which later, and which combinations of spices I...
Harmony in Vinci

Harmony in Vinci

Last summer I decided to spend my holidays in Tuscany, Italy, with my old friend Janet. We both had our personal reasons for this vacation. I was burnt out from work, and Janet was freshly divorced after a long and nasty separation that had left her exhausted and...
The Face of Compassion – Unamuno

The Face of Compassion – Unamuno

My sister died after suffering for several months from breast cancer, and her daughter Christine heard about her hopeless situation only when she was already sedated with morphine. My sister’s situation deteriorated very quickly, and it all ended about a year ago....
Montaigne’s Chains

Montaigne’s Chains

A few days ago I got a phone call from an editor of a prestigious magazine. “Hey Alma, I’ve got a new assignment for you: An article on Michel Montaigne. A thousand words.” “You mean Montaigne the Renaissance philosopher? What do I know about philosophy?” “A true...