Chang's Musings: January 2026

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/51158145752605246/?utm_campaign=category_rp&e_t=0dbf6bc1f8e748fc8b6bb645efe2d6e5&utm_source=31&utm_medium=2012&utm_content=51158145752605246&utm_term=3&news_hub_id=3141316171679056384

Kirigami Simple Escher Staircase | Kirigami, Paper architecture, Paper cut art

pinterest.com

Sent from my iPhone

Saturday, January 3, 2026

Making ribbons

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DScwTuvkWFQ/?igsh=Mmg5MWd4amt3bm04

Liz Richards | Daily Original Vids on Instagram: "Simple way to tie Christmas bows using chopsticks 🥢 🎁 #bows #ribbon #chopsticks #christmaswrapping"

instagram.com

Sent from my iPhone

Knotting hacks

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQGg9BpCazV/?igsh=bnJjeXF0d2htd2p3

Amol on Instagram: "8 Knots You Didn't Know Existed 🪢 #fblifestyletyle #facebookreelsviral #viralvideochallenge #facebookviral #knot #knowledge"

instagram.com

Sent from my iPhone

Immanuel Kant, a pivotal Enlightenment philosopher

Immanuel Kant, a pivotal Enlightenment philosopher, is known for quotes emphasizing reason, duty, and human dignity, such as his famous "Dare to think!" (Sapere aude!), urging self-guided understanding, and the

Categorical Imperative: "Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law," highlighting universal moral principles, and the idea to treat humanity "never merely as a means to an end, but always at the same time as an end". Other key quotes touch on the awe of the "starry sky above me and the moral law within me," the link between knowledge and experience, and that "Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life".

On Reason & Enlightenment

"Dare to think!" (Sapere aude!).
"Immaturity is the incapacity to use one's intelligence without the guidance of another"
"All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to understanding, and ends with reason. There is nothing higher than reason"

makiguchi and inmanuel kant

Japanese educator Tsunesaburo Makiguchi was significantly influenced by Immanuel Kant, particularly Kant's focus on ethics, happiness, and the human condition, integrating these ideas into his "value-creating pedagogy" which centered education on fostering human flourishing and societal well-being, contrasting with militaristic education of his time

. While Kant established principles of moral value (Beauty, Goodness, Truth), Makiguchi adapted these, arguing "Value" arose from human creative activity, a key distinction in his philosophy of "Soka" (value creation) education.

Key Connections

Ethical Foundation: Kant's emphasis on morality, virtue, and the pursuit of happiness resonated with Makiguchi, forming a philosophical bedrock for his educational reforms.
Value System: Kant, and later Neo-Kantianism, identified core values like Beauty, Goodness, and Truth. Makiguchi built on this, but differentiated objective "Truth" from subjective "Value," which he saw as created through human action, linking goodness and beauty to human potential.
Purpose of Education: Both thinkers sought to elevate the human condition, with Kant influencing the focus on individual potential and Makiguchi applying this to create a system where education's aim was to generate lasting value for individuals and society.
Contextual Application: Makiguchi's philosophy emerged in opposition to Japan's militaristic education, using Kantian and other influences to advocate for a humanistic, value-focused approach to teaching.

Makiguchi's Adaptation

Makiguchi developed his "Soka" (value-creating) education based on Kantian ethics, but critiqued the Western triad of values by asserting that while beauty and goodness are created by humans, "truth" is an objective reality, not a human-made value.
He aimed to shift education from mere political indoctrination to fostering genuine human happiness and fulfillment, deeply rooted in the ethical framework Kant provided.