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"The Social Contract" and "After Virtue" Review

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     Due to the continued pervasiveness of technology in our daily lives, political decision-making and statecraft have become increasingly influenced by technology. Much of the foundation of Western politics has been shaped by Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s The Social Contract , and its contractualist principles, such as sovereignty, the general will, and the social contract. However, Rousseau’s abstract collectivist perspective has been abused by authoritarian regimes throughout history. This is a symptom of a broader realization of the Enlightenment’s failure to address modern ethical dilemmas due their abstract and subjective ethical frameworks. Alasdair MacIntyre’s After Virtue argues for a return to moral and ethical reasoning rooted in virtue ethics. This essay will offer my personal review of these two philosophical works, and how I have analyzed their similarities and differences.      Rousseau’s The Social Contract asserts that mankind was initially fr...
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A Short Wandering Tale

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      Originally written on September 21, 2023       Once upon a time, there was a young high school student who was lost and aimless in his life. He was very creative and ambitious, but he was unsure how to collect his ideas and dreams and point them in a direction for him to follow. One day, he dreamt of being a writer, so that he could spread his new ideas to the world and inform the world the logical steps needed to fix society’s problems (this teenager thought he had it all figured out). However, the previous day, he had dreamt of being a creative director, as he wanted to express his emotions and ideals to captivate audiences and inspire others with his creation. The next day, he would dream about being an architect, so that he could devote his time and energy to using his hands and brain to build tall awe-inspiring structures. The week before, he dreamed about leading a tech start-up, to contribute to the technological progress of society. Clear...
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"Little Dark Age" Song Review

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     Melancholic and alarmist feelings for the future are often not discussed in daily life. It is comparatively more appropriate to discuss the past or present in a negative light than the future trajectory of one’s personal life or of the world. For people like me, however, it is often what we think about the most. The rising income inequality, climate change, and political unrest that the modern world is headed towards can give way to despair and anxiety for the future. It is for this reason that the viral Internet meme Little Dark Age by MGMT has resonated with many who feel these sentiments for the future. The song’s lyrical message evokes hope for a better future by recalling memories of a better past. Little Dark Age is an inspirational piece amidst a worrisome future that is capable of evoking strong and powerful feelings, and its Internet virality is a testament to that. The timing of its popularity couldn’t have been more appropriate.      It ha...
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Zero Day

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- “We’re getting off here?” - “Yes, this is as far as the hover tracks will take us out here. We’ll have to drive from here.”      As Hilda and Jürgen stepped out of the hover train and out of the hover station, Hilda looked around the new environment curiously through her over-sized BT Visor. She had never been outside the city of Hallow, and she was struck with awe and curiosity. She noted how sharply the futuristic neon colored and advertising-plastered walls of the hover station contrasted with the rustic and dilapidated buildings and streets that surrounded the sole beacon of civilization. It was as if she had just stepped out of a time machine, and she felt uneasy as the two crossed the gravel road to approach a run-down charging station. - “Drive? Jürgen can drive?? Ha, I guess that ‘ trad ’ LARP of yours isn’t such a LARP afterall!” - “Oh, shut it. It’s really not that special. Besides, we aren’t that far behind. We at least drive solar-powered EVs here.” Jürgen ...
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