Dans Les Patients de Freud, Borch-Jacobsen reconstitue minutieusement les trajectoires biographiques de la plupart des patients de Freud à partir d’archives et de sources indépendantes.
When evaluating the conspiracy beliefs of someone, I always use Mercier's framework... What does this belief allow that person to do?
Ppl usually have all sorts of conspiracy beliefs until consequences happen and they usually revert back to believing normal stuff
I'm concerned about several ideas promoted in this article on overdiagnosis, which argues that people are now excessively and unnecessarily seeking medical diagnoses for a range of difficulties. I describe my concerns below
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
La littérature scientifique moderne est unanime: la masturbation anale est extrêmement rare chez les enfants et souvent associée à des abus sexuels. Rien ne corrobore l'affirmation freudienne selon laquelle ce comportement serait normal ou répandu.
Quand on analyse les textes de Freud sur le stade anal, on découvre qu'il multiplie les affirmations péremptoires mais n'offre aucune preuve empirique solide. Des "on-dit" et des généralisations hasardeuses remplacent les données cliniques. Classique Freud quoi !
L'argument central de Freud repose sur une simple analogie avec le suçotement: si téter son pouce est sexuel, alors la défécation l'est aussi. Ce raisonnement analogique ne résiste pas à un examen logique rigoureux.
Je viens de publier un nouvel article ou je critique Freud. Je m'attaque cette fois à la sexualité de la défécation. Une idée qui est à l'origine du stade anal.
www.lafindelillusion.com/p/la-sexuali...
Quick summary : In Sri Lanka, Padmavati is born glowing like the sun itself. At age 12, she confides in Hiramani, her Parrot companion, about finding a worthy spouse, but when the king learned of their talks, he orders the parrot's death.
New post on The World between the Line. I'm continuing to modernize the 1898 translation of Jayasi's Padmavat. This week. Canto 3: The Birth of Padmavati
niespika.substack.com/p/jayasis-pa...
Within the women's quarters, sixteen thousand beautiful queens reside under Queen Campavati's rule, setting the stage for Padmavati, the "Perfect Woman" mentioned at the poem's beginning.
You can read the whole canto there : niespika.substack.com/p/jayasis-pa...
In Canto II "Simhala," we visit Sri Lanka ruled by King Gandharva-sena, a land of unmatched splendor with mango groves, countless fruits, beautiful birds, sacred lakes, and temples where ascetics gather.
Second instalment of the modernized translation of Jayasi's poem, the Padmavat.
In the first canto, Jayasi promises to tell the tale of Queen Padmavati, and begins to praises the Creator, while acknowledging his spiritual guides and close friends.
In an age of quick fixes and shallow engagement, these ancient texts remind us that living well requires embracing complexity, thinking deeply, and maintaining intellectual rigor.
These epics aren't relics—they're dynamic frameworks for understanding life's complexity. They demand careful study and reward readers with insights that transcend their historical context.
The Mahābhārata explores the complex web of duty and desire. Its characters face moral dilemmas that mirror our own struggles, teaching us that ethical choices rarely have simple solutions.
The Life of the Buddha presents a path of disciplined introspection. It shows that liberation comes not from withdrawal, but from mastering our inner state through mindful engagement with life.
The Iliad teaches us to pursue excellence while accepting limitations. True strength lies in striving for greatness while understanding that all achievements are ultimately temporary.
New Article for the Artificial writer: Ways to the Good Life
open.substack.com/pub/theartif...
Three ancient epics—Homer's Iliad, Ashvagosha's Life of the Buddha, and the Mahābhārata—offer profound guidance on living well, challenging our modern preference for simple narratives and quick solutions.
For more, see here : theartificialwriter.substack.com/p/babur-the-...
By founding the Mughal Empire, Babur proved himself a “motivated agent”: his curiosity, drive, and resilience turned hardship into opportunity. His story shows how ambition and environment forged a conqueror who wielded both sword and pen.
Babur’s environment shaped his traits into purpose. His cultural heritage—the Timurid Ideal—demanded both martial prowess and refinement. Amid war and wine, he crafted an identity: not just a conqueror, but a patron of poetry, gardens, and learning.
Exile hardened him. Losing Samarqand taught Babur the art of survival: adapting to hostile terrain, forging alliances, and mastering strategy. These years honed his ambition, blending courage with self-reflection, as seen in his deeply candid Baburnama.
His personality was a mosaic of contrasts. High Openness made him a poet and lover of beauty; strong Extraversion gave him charisma to rally men. Yet life’s brutality demanded cunning and the fortitude to endure exile, loss, and endless warfare.
New post for The Artifical Writer
Babur’s journey began at 12, inheriting Ferghanah in a world of Timurid chaos. Born into a legacy of conquest and culture, his early trials shaped him: a boy forced to grow up fast, balancing ambition, resilience, and the weight of his lineage.
Last is Nietzsche's Gay Science. Though it has the brilliance of Nietzsche, this book is less well constructed and incisive than later ones.
The Upanishads are an incredible work of philosophy. The ritualistic aspects are insanely precise, but the psychological descriptions are fascinating and still fairly modern
This year's readings have convinced me i'm no buddhist (quite an understatement). However Ashvagosha's Life of the Buddha is an incredible poem. Both a biography and a polemic against brahmanism. Weirdly enough, throughout the whole thing it made me root for the brahmins
Tiruvalluvar's Tirukkural is probably the book i loved the most this year. It's a simple book, part Epictetus's Enchiridion, part love poetry, part mirror for princes. It's beautiful. Timely. It should be so much more well known
For the past 4 years, I've set myself up a #readingthegreats challenge. Here are this year's best.
First up is Khaldun's Muqaddimah. Everything is in that book. History, philosophy, literary criticism, anthropology. The abridged version is great. Apparently the full version is even better
