5 ideas
1477 | Being manly and brave is the result of convention, not of human nature [Plutarch] |
Full Idea: Manliness is not a natural human attribute, otherwise women would be just as brave. It is due to pressure from laws, and this pressure has no free will, but is a slave of convention and criticism. | |
From: Plutarch (64: Gryllus - on Rationality in Animals [c.85], 988c) | |
A reaction: This is the first glimmerings of seeing gender as a cultural creation, rather than as a fact. Presumably he takes the same view of some of the supposed feminine virtues. |
1478 | Animals don't value pleasure, as they cease sexual intercourse after impregnation [Plutarch] |
Full Idea: Animals of both sexes cease to have intercourse after impregnation; that shows how little animals value pleasure, and that nature is all that counts. | |
From: Plutarch (64: Gryllus - on Rationality in Animals [c.85], 990d) | |
A reaction: A famous monkey had an implant to stimulate pleasure, and a button to trigger it. It apparently would have starved to death rather than release the button. Animal sex is dull? |
7903 | The six perfections are giving, morality, patience, vigour, meditation, and wisdom [Nagarjuna] |
Full Idea: The six perfections are of giving, morality, patience, vigour, meditation, and wisdom. | |
From: Nagarjuna (Mahaprajnaparamitashastra [c.120], 88) | |
A reaction: What is 'morality', if giving is not part of it? I like patience and vigour being two of the virtues, which immediately implies an Aristotelian mean (which is always what is 'appropriate'). |
21996 | Freedom only comes when labour is no longer necessary [Marx] |
Full Idea: The realm of freedom actually begins only where labour which is determined by necessity and mundane considerations ceases. | |
From: Karl Marx (Capital Vol. 3 [1873], p.496), quoted by Peter Singer - Marx 8 | |
A reaction: This is a bit discouraging fo idealistic dreamers. Modern political thought needs an ecological dimension to this problem. If society always needs a fair degree of labour, there must be a way to maximise freedom in that context. |
1479 | Animals have not been led into homosexuality, because they value pleasure very little [Plutarch] |
Full Idea: Because animals value pleasure very little, they have not been led into sex between males or between females. | |
From: Plutarch (64: Gryllus - on Rationality in Animals [c.85], 990d) |