Home Philosophy Kit

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I was trying to come up with a suitable gift for a truly amazing young woman.  I first met this lady over a decade ago when she was a struggling single mum with little or no support system.  My wife, Dianne took her under her wing and the friendship followed.  Far from being a stereotype, this young lady has not only entered and graduated from university, but is presently enrolled in a postgraduate course in philosophy, and is considering a career in education.  If this is not impressive enough on its own, I need to add that she has suffered from a chronic illness since she was about fourteen.  I am always impressed by her positive attitude, and willingness to go the step beyond to make her life, and that of her daughter better.

As I said, I was trying to come up with a suitable Christmas present and the idea of a novelty “Home Philosophy Kit,” struck me.

I spent a little bit of time constructing it, but it includes a 3D model of The Thinker (“The Philosopher’s Stone”), a small set of balancing scales (“The Balance of Probability”), a double headed coin (“The Ethical Dilemma Coin”), an inflatable set of antlers set up as a ring toss  (“The Horns of a Dilemma”), and a disposable razor (“Occam’s Razor”).  The set was boxed up and the following instruction sheet attached:

Say welcome to your new home philosophy kit.  Once it is completed you will have everything you need to become the most profound thinker on your street.  So let’s begin.

 

Your kit contains:

• Philosopher’s Stone (some assembly required)

 

• Ethical Determinate Coin

 

• Set of Horns of a Dilemma

 

• Balance of Probability (with easy to follow Mandarin instructions)

 

and

 

• Occam’s Razor

 

Step one is to assembly your Philosopher’s Stone.  If you have difficulty, weigh the possible pieces on your Balance of Probability.  If still uncertain go for the best two out of three with your Horns of a Dilemma.  If it all becomes too much for you, you can consider applying Occam’s Razor, but before you do you must get two tails flip results on your Ethical Determinant Coin.   Once assembled, use the items in the kit to solve all of life’s big questions, like “What are we going to have for dinner?” and “Is reality over-rated?”

I was pleased that she appreciated the gift, and I hope it gives her a little bit of a diversion from her studies. As a side note, this lady is not only the inspiration for this kit, but inspired the character Maya in my Dunes Wars novels.

 

Padre