Ask HN: Which books have made you a better thinker and problem solver?

Post by lanfeust6 » Wed, Nov 30, 2022, 3:10 PM UTC

stiiv wrote: post #67

jwarden wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am reading Rawls’ followup book, “Justice as Fairness”, which he describes as a kind of restatement or correction to Theory of Justice. I am not sure if it would have been better to read the original first. The idea of the Veil of Ignorance for deriving fundamental principles of justice is now one of the most fundamental ideas in my own moral philosophy.

Yes! While I'm often suspicious of simplistic models like the Veil of Ignorance, it's really among the best in western philosophy: it's easy to understand, and its implications are compelling and clear. The concept also carries a kind of common-sense appeal that practically bridges the gap between "is" and "ought." Maybe it bears some relationship to human instincts for social behavior and empathy -- is there any lit…

Post by slothtrop » Wed, Nov 30, 2022, 3:12 PM UTC

Ensorceled wrote: post #35

rspoerri wrote: post #17

I'd argue that not reading, but doing/implementing/experimenting with things made me a better problem solver. If you "just" read on a topic you will maybe learn to recite what you know, but you will not yet be able to differentiate between different solutions or give reason why a solution is good or not. Of course reading or attending a class is a very good starting point, but it's not the way i learned thinking or s…

I'd argue that this is like saying "not sharpening the saw, but cutting wood makes you a better lumberjack" For example, learning sorting by doing is a waste of time, it will take you years to "experiment" yourself into quicksort. Learning and applying what you learned is the key.

Post by tizio13 » Wed, Nov 30, 2022, 3:18 PM UTC

Post by yboris » Wed, Nov 30, 2022, 3:20 PM UTC

Post by yboris » Wed, Nov 30, 2022, 3:22 PM UTC