The past is chasing

I run into someone today in the tube, someone I had not seen for the last 11 years in another part of the planetary geography. It is hard to believe these chances actually have a chance to happen. I mean, London, the tube... Savage jungles... At this hour of the night I feel the past is chasing me. One is under the impression that he was stupid in the past and, worse, he is wise now. "Things are to be done differently if I had the chance to edit my past now". But I doubt it. I see myself in a time mirror lately, that's all... The past is chasing. A way to get younger, perhaps?

**

I flought into Madrid last Friday. I like taking off from routine on Fridays -almost as much as the sense of eternity you feel on coming-back Sundays-, but I hate plains and dislike human behavior in it. Time is moving on and times are changing. I had next to me a boy no more than 11 or 12 years old. He was sitting between two adults and looks like travelling alone. Probably he was not, but he looked like so. He was Spanish, but was reading a novel for youngsters in English. His passport was populated with stamps from a variety of places... And still, he looked like travelling alone. I know he was not, but he looked like so.

**

I tried to read Popper and his theory of Common Sense. Earlier philosophies struggled to find a robust starting point on which cementing a theory of knowledge. Popper is not concerned with such a futile task. He proposes instead "common sense" as a starting point, provided it can be correctly lately by criticism. Back to history, however, "Descartes was perhaps the first to say that everything depends upon the security of our starting-point" (Two Faces of Common Sense). And in his search of a strong pillar on which supporting knowledge, "he suggested the method of doubt: accept only what is absolutely indubitable". Descartes started then from his own existence, which seemed to him indubitable.

Popper shows how this apparently solid point can be argued. However, and this is the important point, he says: "I am no more sceptical about the existence of my own self than Descartes was of his. But I also think (as did Descartes) that I shall die soon and that this will make little difference to the world, except to myself and two or three friends". And he adds: "Obviously the issues of one's own life and death are of some significance, but I conjecture (and I think Descartes would agree) that my own existence will come to an end without the world's coming to an end too". This is Popper's common sense, a key point in his philosophy of Realism.

I came to remember this two days later, upon Whitney Houston's death.

**

A second teaching lesson from Popper is this indubitable sentence:

"We all have philosophies, whether or not we are aware of this fact, and our philosophies are not worth very much. But the impact of our philosophies upon our actions and our lives is often devastating".

The use of the word devastating makes Popper a truly apostle of Realism and an on-the-ground philosopher. But his statement is shear truth - as much as the tremendous fight he foretells, although many are unwilling to take: "This makes it necessary to try to improve our philosophies by criticism. This is the only apology for the continued existence of philosophy which I am able to offer".

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