Category: Morality
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The Sorites Paradox, Ship of Theseus, and the smoke that broke the Planet’s back.
Introduction The Sorites Paradox, often called the paradox of the heap, is a classic philosophical riddle that arises from the vagueness of our language. It asks: at what point do small changes make a big difference? If removing a single grain of sand from a heap leaves it still a heap, and repeating this seems…
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Hercules and the Wagoner (Hercules and the Carter)
A wagoner (cart driver) was driving a heavily loaded cart along a muddy country road. The wheels sank axle-deep, and the cart stuck fast in the mire. The more the horses strained, the deeper the wheels sank. When the wagoner realized he was truly bogged, he panicked and fell to his knees, praying loudly to…
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Mercury and the Woodman
A poor woodman was felling a tree on a riverbank when his axe slipped from his hands and sank into the deep water. Dismayed, for the axe was his only means of livelihood, he sat down and wept. Hearing his cries, the god Mercury (the fleet-footed messenger of the gods, known for cleverness and also…
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The Farmer and the Snake (The Frozen Serpent)
On a cold winter’s day, a kind-hearted farmer comes across a snake stiff and half-dead with cold. Moved with pity, the farmer lifts the frozen serpent and places it in his bosom (or brings it home by the hearth) to warm it back to life. Revived by the warmth, the snake immediately bites the farmer…
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Belling the Cat (The Mice in Council)
A community of mice is terrorized by a marauding house cat that pounces on them stealthily. Desperate to find a solution, the mice convene a council to discuss how to protect themselves. Many ideas are debated. Finally, a young mouse proposes a bold plan: hang a bell around the cat’s neck. That way, the bell…
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Androcles and the Lion
Set in classical times, this story (often included in Aesop’s corpus though of later origin) tells of Androcles, a fugitive slave in ancient Rome, and a lion. Androcles escapes his cruel master and flees into the wilderness. There, he encounters a lion in pain, groaning and unable to walk. Instead of fleeing, Androcles bravely approaches…
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The Dog and its Reflection
The 17th-century engraver Wenceslaus Hollar depicts the greedy dog dropping its real bone while lunging at the illusion in the water. A dog crossing a stream with a piece of meat in its jaws looks down and sees what appears to be another dog in the water, carrying a larger piece of meat. Not realizing…
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The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs
A poor farmer and his wife possess an extraordinary goose that lays a solid gold egg each day. Initially, this marvel brings them steady wealth. But greed soon overtakes prudence: impatient to have all the treasure at once, the couple decides to kill the goose and cut it open, believing it must contain a great…
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The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
A cunning wolf, unable to catch enough prey due to vigilant shepherds, devises a deceit: it dons the fleece of a sheep to blend into the flock. Disguised as one of the herd, the predatory wolf can prowl among the sheep without alarming them. Yet the ruse proves its own undoing—accounts differ on the ending.…
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The Tortoise and the Hare
A hare, swift and self-assured, and a tortoise, slow but steadfast, agree to race one another. Bolting ahead easily, the hare becomes so overconfident in his lead that he stops to nap midway. The plodding tortoise, meanwhile, never pauses and eventually passes the sleeping hare to reach the finish line first. This fable’s popular moral,…