Gary Sugar
@garysugar.bsky.social
I post about rationalist philosophy, mainly Yajnavalkya, Parmenides, Shankara, Descartes, and Spinoza.
This is my book on metaphysics. I forgive you if you're not interested. https://www.docdroid.net/Fkh2Xam/rational-metaphysics-gary-sugar-pdf
This is my book on metaphysics. I forgive you if you're not interested. https://www.docdroid.net/Fkh2Xam/rational-metaphysics-gary-sugar-pdf
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Gary Sugar
@garysugar.bsky.social
· Mar 21
In his second reply to Blijenbergh, Spinoza tells him that because they disagree on first principles he doesn't think they can profit from discussing philosophy. I wouldn't go that far, but fwiw my first principles are I think therefore I am and being cannot be non-being.
I don't know the answer, but I've always at least wanted to believe the modern reconstructions are just simplistic and amateurish.
worksinprogress.co/issue/were-c...
worksinprogress.co/issue/were-c...
Were classical statues painted horribly? - Works in Progress Magazine
Many claim that modern viewers dislike painted reconstructions of Greek and Roman statues because our taste differs from theirs.
worksinprogress.co
December 20, 2025 at 1:19 PM
I don't know the answer, but I've always at least wanted to believe the modern reconstructions are just simplistic and amateurish.
worksinprogress.co/issue/were-c...
worksinprogress.co/issue/were-c...
Well, definitely don't ask me to trade seats with your kid after you pull out the guitar. I've never enjoyed saying no more than that time.
December 19, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Well, definitely don't ask me to trade seats with your kid after you pull out the guitar. I've never enjoyed saying no more than that time.
I only hate it for a day or two every few years; but it's the same with Photoshop. Don't listen to the first ten experts who say what you want can't be done. Keep digging until you find the one person on earth who does know how to do it.
December 19, 2025 at 5:48 PM
I only hate it for a day or two every few years; but it's the same with Photoshop. Don't listen to the first ten experts who say what you want can't be done. Keep digging until you find the one person on earth who does know how to do it.
His "freedom to dispose one's volitions" is really the same thing as rational understanding; so "generosity consists in knowing that nothing truly belongs to one except understanding". If that's still too obscure, he could work love of all things or something like that into it.
December 19, 2025 at 3:56 PM
His "freedom to dispose one's volitions" is really the same thing as rational understanding; so "generosity consists in knowing that nothing truly belongs to one except understanding". If that's still too obscure, he could work love of all things or something like that into it.
Okay, I agree that Gaza hurt Dems, especially after Bill Clinton made the worst speech he possibly could in Dearborn. But I'm sticking with Harris was the weakest candidate I've ever seen in any election for any office. That's without even considering all the lying about Biden's health.
December 19, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Okay, I agree that Gaza hurt Dems, especially after Bill Clinton made the worst speech he possibly could in Dearborn. But I'm sticking with Harris was the weakest candidate I've ever seen in any election for any office. That's without even considering all the lying about Biden's health.
Just try a different time of day. The sixty minutes between 5am and 6am when my cat is waiting for me to wake are at least five times longer than the sixty between 3pm and 4pm when she's again waiting for me to wake.
December 19, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Just try a different time of day. The sixty minutes between 5am and 6am when my cat is waiting for me to wake are at least five times longer than the sixty between 3pm and 4pm when she's again waiting for me to wake.
Iamblichus gives a few pages on the Pythagorean admissions requirements. They're pretty rigorous, but they did get it right and told Plato to go away, because he was too decadent. Otoh like some of my Indian sages, they said if someone somehow already understood it they didn't have to do all that.
December 19, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Iamblichus gives a few pages on the Pythagorean admissions requirements. They're pretty rigorous, but they did get it right and told Plato to go away, because he was too decadent. Otoh like some of my Indian sages, they said if someone somehow already understood it they didn't have to do all that.
It's easy. There are a zillion 99-1 issues. If you stick with 50-50 issues because your rich donors say they don't really mind them, you're going to lose half the time.
December 19, 2025 at 12:31 PM
It's easy. There are a zillion 99-1 issues. If you stick with 50-50 issues because your rich donors say they don't really mind them, you're going to lose half the time.
I never imagined I could end up cheering for Taylor, but this is the second time in a few weeks.
December 19, 2025 at 3:59 AM
I never imagined I could end up cheering for Taylor, but this is the second time in a few weeks.
I think getting caught and humiliated after years of lying about Biden's health and then running a candidate hardly anyone remembered ever hearing of before probably explains it.
December 19, 2025 at 3:45 AM
I think getting caught and humiliated after years of lying about Biden's health and then running a candidate hardly anyone remembered ever hearing of before probably explains it.
If the choice is boys are dumb vs girls are stupid, it is all stupid and dumb.
December 18, 2025 at 11:16 PM
If the choice is boys are dumb vs girls are stupid, it is all stupid and dumb.
I don't recommend trying to hold him to anything for more than one page.
December 18, 2025 at 11:00 PM
I don't recommend trying to hold him to anything for more than one page.
These are all synonyms. Being or the necessary or whatever can't exist unless existence exists. It's all the same thing.
December 18, 2025 at 5:43 PM
These are all synonyms. Being or the necessary or whatever can't exist unless existence exists. It's all the same thing.
I want to go back and tell Spinoza my favorite people in 2025 politics are Ultra-Orthodox rabbis and the Pope.
December 18, 2025 at 3:50 PM
I want to go back and tell Spinoza my favorite people in 2025 politics are Ultra-Orthodox rabbis and the Pope.
I saw the same kind of thing yesterday when I looked for something else political. There's no point in looking for anything nonfiction on Youtube now. You have to open the search results one by one to check whether they're fake.
December 18, 2025 at 2:59 PM
I saw the same kind of thing yesterday when I looked for something else political. There's no point in looking for anything nonfiction on Youtube now. You have to open the search results one by one to check whether they're fake.
Reason is why there isn't any magic or miracles.
December 18, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Reason is why there isn't any magic or miracles.
They gave me miracles in nursery school, pledging allegiance in kindergarten, and phonics and flash cards in first grade; so I already knew they were stupid by the time I was six and have never had a different opinion.
December 18, 2025 at 2:31 PM
They gave me miracles in nursery school, pledging allegiance in kindergarten, and phonics and flash cards in first grade; so I already knew they were stupid by the time I was six and have never had a different opinion.
You are so lucky I don't know much math. I can say when set theory concepts get general enough they stop making sense even to people who are used to them; but I don't know what to say next about how to fix it.
December 18, 2025 at 2:24 PM
You are so lucky I don't know much math. I can say when set theory concepts get general enough they stop making sense even to people who are used to them; but I don't know what to say next about how to fix it.
You can just check on your Google watch and turn them off, except that almost anything you check or change takes thirty seconds; and if it decides to disconnect for no reason, that can take hours to fix. I guess Apple probably has something like it that does work.
December 18, 2025 at 2:07 PM
You can just check on your Google watch and turn them off, except that almost anything you check or change takes thirty seconds; and if it decides to disconnect for no reason, that can take hours to fix. I guess Apple probably has something like it that does work.
I like it much better than having to imagine sniffing used diapers. I also like it better than the absurd idea that Anna's light went out forever. He's still trying to make bigshots like Napoleon look like little puppets, but the determinism and skepticism about understanding history are correct.
December 18, 2025 at 1:56 PM
I like it much better than having to imagine sniffing used diapers. I also like it better than the absurd idea that Anna's light went out forever. He's still trying to make bigshots like Napoleon look like little puppets, but the determinism and skepticism about understanding history are correct.
Trump's whole thing has turned into nothing but arrogant assholery and a war against kindness just for the lulz; but unfortunately a lot of childish people like lulz. Dems could at least point out that old people care about legibility and everyone gets old.
December 18, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Trump's whole thing has turned into nothing but arrogant assholery and a war against kindness just for the lulz; but unfortunately a lot of childish people like lulz. Dems could at least point out that old people care about legibility and everyone gets old.
I'm almost always glad when a politician is defeated. The problem is I'll eventually end up hating the victor too. But I will definitely celebrate this annihilation for at least two years.
December 18, 2025 at 1:08 PM
I'm almost always glad when a politician is defeated. The problem is I'll eventually end up hating the victor too. But I will definitely celebrate this annihilation for at least two years.
You have to admit it's funny that the minute America said, "do whatever you want, we don't care", France and Germany immediately decided another war with Russia is what they want.
December 18, 2025 at 1:02 PM
You have to admit it's funny that the minute America said, "do whatever you want, we don't care", France and Germany immediately decided another war with Russia is what they want.
I'll allow this "insecure", because the rest makes it clear this isn't Rosebud stuff trying to imagine he's secretly dejected. He's really just arrogant; but arrogance is also bondage and misery. The difference is no matter how obviously unhappy he is, he thinks his arrogance is happiness.
December 18, 2025 at 12:58 PM
I'll allow this "insecure", because the rest makes it clear this isn't Rosebud stuff trying to imagine he's secretly dejected. He's really just arrogant; but arrogance is also bondage and misery. The difference is no matter how obviously unhappy he is, he thinks his arrogance is happiness.