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Ayn Rand Philosophy: Who Needs It, Book Review by Ndiritu Wahome

A man driven by emotions is empty and dead like a river that overflows and breaks its banks only to dry up in nowhere. Emotions lead to rationalization. What is rationalization? It is a cover-up, a process of providing one’s emotions with a false identity, of giving them spurious explanations and justifications – to hide one’s motives, not just from others, but primarily from oneself. Rationalization distorts, hampers and destroys one’s cognitive faculty. One is not able to perceive reality but rather attempts to make reality fit one’s emotions. This is dangerous and a source of suffering and frustration.

Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra Book Review by Ndiritu Wahome

The central idea Zarathustra preaches to men is that God is dead, and He died because of pity for man, therefore, now Superman lives. Man must strive to be Superman, to be a Higher Man. A deity dedicated to higher thoughts, who lives within his solitude to best understand himself as a person, his thoughts and feelings, his surroundings and interactions with other men, and most importantly nature. Man must realise that he is God. He creates his reality. He curves his life as a sculptor chisels out wood to create a sculpture. The past God has long since died, he notes, and now man must be Superman, a Higher Man who overcomes any form of weakness. Zarathustra says, “God is dead; God has died for his pity for man.” He further notes, “All gods are dead: now we want the superman to live.”

Plato’s, The Republic Book Review by Ndiritu Wahome

How can we attain a just State? This is a question Plato tries to answer in The Republic. One analogy which he cites as an example is of slaves who spend all their lives chained looking at the wall in a dark cave. They cannot turn their necks as they are restrained by heavy chains. They spend all their days gazing at the wall in the dark cave. They can’t see anything save for the shadows of the fire that burns behind their backs. Their understanding and realities of life are nothing but the shadows of fire that reflect on the wall. This is the only thing that exists on the face of the earth. When these prisoners are released from the cave, they cannot perceive the outside world as it is. They get mortified by what they see, and they imagine it is not real. They long to be back in their prison staring at the wall in the cave, such is the fate of an unjust Republic that is presided over by bad leadership of injustice. The citizens of such a State cannot perceive anything else apart from this oppressive governance of selfishness, injustice, corruption, imprisonment and extrajudicial killings and manslaughter.

Collected Works of Kahlil Gibran Book Review by Ndiritu Wahome

In my entire life, never has an author communicated to me so profoundly in his works as Kahlil Gibran. In my observation, the best thing that has ever happened to the world of literature was when the Lebanese writer, Kahlil Gibran, decided to dedicate his life to being an author. An outstanding poet, a marvellous short story writer, a chaste spiritualist, a God-given mysticism, and a philosopher, Kahlil Gibran’s writings are like nothing I can compare with. In my opinion, he is among the greatest writers to have ever lived on the face of the earth. The most chaste and in touch with the human soul and spirit. I am elated to have read his works. My heart has bled oftentimes with both intense felicity and deep sadness that I have found myself wiping tears while perusing the pages of his great works, especially on cold lonely nights and breezy chilly mornings. I love him. I adore him. I pay allegiance to his wisdom, wit, ingenuity, and ideas. I am deeply honoured to write this review of his works.

Marcus Aurelius Meditations Book Review by Ndiritu Wahome

Meditations is a compilation of twelve books that showcase the author’s finest philosophy towards life. Some of the core fundamental ideas Marcus Aurelius has highlighted in this book include the shortness of human life, a philosophy towards a better life, the need to live an upright and moral life, the absurdity of fame, riches and prestige, sickness and death, time and power among other sagacious themes. He talks about the great men who once lived on the face of the earth like Socrates, Lucilla, Verus, Antoninus, Pythagoras and others who he knew of but are now dead and long forgotten by the masses. He advises and shows us the vanity of everything in life, so it’s important to be humble and do good to others as in the end, we will all die.