Samarth Bansal
@samarthbansal
Samarth Bansal
On dealing with the thorny question of separating art from the artist and what it takes to be an artist
The Benevolent Dictator: Would you prefer a perfectly just and efficient dictatorship or a flawed democracy? This experiment prompts us to consider the value we place on individual freedom and political participation versus effective governance.
The Experience Machine: If you could plug into a machine that would give you any experience you desired, would you do it? This experiment, proposed by philosopher Robert Nozick, questions the value of living in the real world versus a simulated reality tailored to one's preferences. It challenges the notion of hedonism, the idea that pleasure is th
... See moreWhen you have trouble writing, it’s usually because you don’t know what you’re trying to say. Most writing problems are actually thinking problems. And you can't copyedit your way out of poor thinking.
A system which lasted so long and ended so recently has naturally left a profound impression upon men’s thoughts and opinions. Much that we take for granted about the desirability of work is derived from this system and, being pre-industrial, is not adapted to the modern world. Modern technic has made it possible for leisure, within limits, to be n
... See moreBertrand Russell • In Praise of Idleness and Other Essays
The Trolley Problem: A runaway trolley is about to kill five people on the tracks. You can pull a lever to divert it to another track where it will kill only one person. What is the ethical choice? The dilemma explores the conflict between utilitarianism (the greatest good for the greatest number) and deontological ethics (the belief that some acti
... See moreIn a world where no one is compelled to work more than four hours a day every person possessed of scientific curiosity will be able to indulge it, and every painter will be able to paint without starving, however excellent his pictures may be. Young writers will not be obliged to draw attention to themselves by sensational pot-boilers, with a view
... See moreBertrand Russell • In Praise of Idleness and Other Essays
“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps... See more