Here we aim to answer the most important questions that you might have when browsing this platform. Please take a look around, and if you have any questions, do not hesitate to write us on any of the handles here.

2. I’m new to philosophy. What should I do?

This website and its projects are for everyone. It is, however, true that a lot of it might already employ language, concepts and thinking that requires a certain familiarity with the subject of philosophy. In the future we would like to work on more accessible material that newcomers to philosophy can enjoy. Meanwhile, you might take a look at this “The Animal Book” , which is more reader-friendly!

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1. About “MA”

1. What is “MA”?

The name “MA” is best explained in this section . In short:

“MA” is the name for a concept. It is that which includes all of philosophy, mysticism and art. Therefore, it is not just philosophy, but also what philosophy cannot encompass and is limited in. It is that which studies reality in a contemplative, subtle and profound way.

2. Why is “MA” written as “無”?

The reason for this writing is the following: We’ve been looking for a symbol that can embody the concept of “MA”. It should be a single glyph, one symbol. The most useful and easy-to-use symbols on computers these days are Sino-Japanese characters, which work on any platform and device. The reason for this specific glyph is that it translates to something like “non-“, “no”, “un-“ or “negative” in Chinese and Japanese. And the concept of “MA” is about the inverted, the dark, the ineffable. That which is pure potential, hidden, secretive. Therefore, the glyph “ 無 ” was a good fit for the project. In the future, it might be re-written using a different symbol, maybe “ ●” (a black circle).

3. Is “MA” philosophy, religion or art?

The closest that we can get to what “MA” is, is “extended philosophy”. It aims at understanding reality as a whole, which philosophy struggles with if not extended. For example, there are some beautiful aspects of art (e.g. poetry) that philosophy cannot encompass – philosophy usually likes precision, but reality is often ineffable. Only through extensions on philosophy (such as art and mysticism) can we grapple with reality properly. This is what “MA” wants to do. It is certainly no movement or community (therefore also no religion) and it is not “just art” or “just philosophy”. There is nothing “to believe” – there is only thought and the expression of thought in a free manner.

4. Where did the idea of “MA” come from?

The original motivation was to write philosophy for people. But there have always been elements to this philosophy that escaped the rigid academic notion of “philosophy”; there are symbols, diagrams, poetry etc. It was the conviction that we shouldn’t get rid of or exclude these aspects, but integrate them. Therefore, there had to be a concept that was “philosophy plus”. It was not easy coming across such concepts, and thought lead to a sort of cosmological idea:

Within reality many things exist as poles between one and its opposite. For example “bright” and “dark”. Thinking like this, reality itself can be met through a kind of “bright” or “dark” way of engaging with it – this “dark” way is “MA”; the contemplative instead of pragmatic, the subtle instead of overt, the complex instead of simple, the empathic instead of focused, and the profound instead of superficial. (This does not mean to value “MA” as better than its alternative. Both are equally important. The counterpart to “MA” would be “AM”, which can be seen in e.g. sports.)

5. How is “MA” related to Eastern and Western philosophy?

All philosophical expression bears witness to the author’s own thoughts and personality. Thus, it should be obvious that “MA” may feel both Eastern (e.g. Daoism, Buddhism, Confucianism) and Western (e.g. Aristotelianism, Platonism, etc.). And indeed, it is one of our commitments to always look around for all kinds of sources of inspiration in philosophy, whether in the East or West. Beauty lies in the multiplicity and plurality of things, we believe.

6. What is the “Art of Thought”?

Much like martial arts are an art, or how painting is an art, how cooking is an art, etc., so too can we train ourselves in the “art of thought”. That is, we can develop and evolve our ability to think, to use the mind, to understand and create, to analyse and compose, to feel and to observe. The claim is not that there is a right way of doing thinking; much rather, it is that in order to arrive at the “good thought” (i.e. the thought we consider to be worth everything) we need to think. It seems that nothing in life can be claimed without some thought, thus, thought is primary.

7. What does “Way of MA” mean?

The “Way of MA” can be described as follows: If “MA” is the “extended philosophy”, then its way is an endeavour, an activity, but also an attitude. Like a school of thought or like a method, the way of “MA” is when we apply the quality of “MA” in our thought – contemplation, humility and love. The claim is that every philosopher, every mystic and every artist embodies this way, to some extent. We dive inwards into the world; much like the mystic dives into themselves, so too do we dive into the world as if it were our own soul. We don’t merely analyse it but we connect with it.

8. What is the long-term vision of this website?

There isn’t a long-term vision per se. The idea behind this website is to engage in “MA” – in philosophy etc. – and share this with others, invite others to think and feel, exchange and inspire. Anything that can facilitate this “core vision” may evolve out of the current state of the website. This may include community features (e.g. contributions, discussions, meetings, etc.), occasions, multimedia content, presences on other platforms such as YouTube or Instagram, and so on.

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2. About the author

1. Is this a personal or collective project?

The project started off as a personal project, but is open to anyone to contribute to. There is no such thing as “my/our philosophy” – philosophy and “MA” are universal. Wherever there are different authors contributing, they will be referenced and credited.

2. Why do some texts sound like diary entries, and others like dialogues etc.?

The reason as to why there is a multiplicity of genres and styles in the texts is that expression is best done when the strength of each style is recognised. Some ways of thinking are best embodied in dialogues, others in diary-like entries, and yet others in essay structures. Each serves a different purpose.

3. Are the ideas meant to be academic, spiritual or artistic?

In all the texts there is a certain attempt at philosophical rigor. However, a lot of flexibility, freedom and power can get lost if we try to structure our speech according to one standard. Therefore, the style should be understood as freeform philosophy and art, which isn’t necessarily trying to achieve a very specific academic or artistic standard, in favour of flexibility and richness of expression.

4. Who is behind these projects?

At the time of writing, the projects are maintained (mostly) by one individual. The use of the term “we” in writing is intended for etiquette and to include others as the projects evolve.

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3. About the works and texts

1. Where should I start reading?

The texts are such that there isn’t a correct way to read them. Each text has its own function and the reader may prefer one over the other. That being said, it can be helpful to look at the library here and browse around.

2. What is “MA Works” and what are “MA Texts”?

These two concepts are best explained here. In short:

“MA Works” is the term used to describe the products, results and works originating in the “doing of MA”, i.e. applying the “Way of MA” – that is, to do “extended philosophy”. This includes texts but also abstract projects etc.

“MA Texts” is the term used to describe the texts, writings, library originating in the applying of “Way of MA” – that is, philosophical, mystical, artistic texts and writings. They are a part of “MA Works”. Since every text is a work, but not every work is a text.

3. What is the project structure of “MA Works”?

Within “MA Works” there are a couple of works that shall be listed below:

A. MA Works

a. MA Texts : The texts associated with the “MA Works”.

b. P-Project : A formal philosophical project.

c. A-Project : A more educative philosophical project.

4. What are “P-Project” and “A-Project”?

These two are explained here (“P-Project”) and here (“A-Project”) respectively. In short:

“P-Project” is a formal philosophical project in which there are many smaller sub-projects, e.g. a formal language, an ontology and the “P-Entries” (a collection of philosophical questions and statements).

“A-Project” is a more educative philosophical project aimed to collect various pieces of information on the branches of philosophy, mysticism, arts and techniques of the mind (e.g. meditation), intended to help people engage with reality in their desired manner.

5. Why are some entries paradoxical, poetic and not analytical?

The belief is that a plurality of thought-expressions aids us most in understanding the world and its elements. It is often through the irrational, the paradoxical and the vague (or through that which is not said instead of said) that we can delve into certain facets of reality that literal, analytical, clear language fails at.

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4. About the philosophy

1. What are the central themes of this philosophy?

It is a tremendous task to summarise an entire philosophy, and maybe impossible; furthermore, by summarising, we might run the risk of eternalising and rigidifying thought rather than letting it breathe. All of this considered, the following is the attempt at giving a very brief overview over some central concepts and ideas:

· Plurality : Reality is investigated in its multitude and richness. Thought aims to reflect this by employing a variety of methods, axioms and structures to see reality through.

· Flexibility : Reality is seen as relative, flexible and moving. Water flows, grass bends, the beauty of a flower depends on the eye that beholds it. This approach is applied when analysing and synthesising reality.

· Impermanence : Reality is a river’s surface on which winds move ripples. Nothing lasts forever, everything is changing and transient. This view ensures a sober experience of things in the world.

· Creativity : What may surprise many is the view that reality is largely co-constructed by our minds. We see what our minds choose to see. A view that builds on creativity, construction and co-authorship is thus one that encapsules the subjective aspect of reality.

· The Fire of Life : Underlying our human condition is a struggle (i.e. we need to work to live), suffering (i.e. many things are dissatisfactory and difficult for us) and conflict (i.e. often we can’t have everything we desire). Life in all its beauty is seeped in a fire that burns from within – a fire that makes things move, do and live, but can be painful, too.

· Tension : Where two conflicting forces operate, tension arises – the persistence of a struggle and a sort of anti-equilibrium. It is through tension that the will aims to escape, where creativity is bred and novelty emerges.

· Emptiness : Behind all sorts of phenomena is a certain void, an absence of essence and an ineffable nature. Where we think to find the soul of a thing, we find nothing, chaos or a blurry image, impossible to decipher. Emptiness of actuality is the infinite potential, and a view that embraces this is not caught up in appearances or materialism.

· Relationality : Whatever we think of, it is in a relation to other things. If only by being an object of our thought, it relates back to us; all things relate to one another. Thus, to see reality as an interwoven web of interrelated phenomena assists us in remaining relational and open towards the world and its contents.

· Balance : There are two ways in which a conflict can be resolved: in an extreme (e.g. “fully A or fully non-A”) and in a balanced way (e.g. “a mix of A and non-A”). The simple rule is to find the right balance and avoid extremes; the advanced rule is to find a balance in whether to find a balance or not. Often do things not fit into extremes and those, in turn, may be destructive. It is in the balance between extremes where novelty emerges.

· Mediation : In order to do philosophy, we (typically) use language. But language is a system with its own axioms, laws and limitations. The philosophy that is aware of the tinting that language does to an image is flexible, and the mediums that are employed need to be considered in the equation of examining reality.

· Cycles : Where one thing ends, another begins. Thus, things are intertwined and interconnected. The force that fuels philosophy is the question and an infinite looping back onto each other.

· Love : For life requires communion and community, and love is the power that enables this, a philosophy that develops love – in a potent sense – can be fruitful. The love of wisdom, after all, is what sits right inside of the word “philosophy”. Love is the horse that pulls us towards things; and things we need.

· Change : It seems that barely anything can be said to truly “not exist” – even fictional things exist in their fictional world. Therefore, all there is is the transformation from one to another, i.e. change. Maybe even we ourselves are change, becoming, not a static, essential “I”.

· Scepticism : Through questions do we carry thought, and through scepticism and agnosticism do we enable questions. The answer is the end of thought; it is death. Wandering endlessly, the philosopher aims to suspend certainty and comfort for effort and progress.

What about the things that this philosophy is not? Clearly, if it is relativistic, it cannot be absolutistic. But is this so? The key to this question lies in the principle of “plurality”: Due to this principle, opposites should also be considered. That is, even though there is a focus on relativity here, the absolutistic view should be adopted as well, from time to time.

Therefore, we can see that some of the recurring patterns of this philosophy have to do with a sort of “acknowledgement of the mind as primary”, and a “inversion of classical intuitions”, to name some of its qualities.

2. Does this philosophy claim truth?

In short: no, this philosophy does not claim truth. Much rather it is passionate about exploring reality, regardless of its success. It is the way that is lovable and worth it. The aim is to find interesting hypotheticals, not necessarily “the truth”. What’s more interesting than truth is possibility – fiction isn’t truth, but moves us deeply, and so do poetry or other art forms. We leave the work on establishing truth to others who are so inclined. – This also means that while there are “truth-claims” in form, they needn’t be understood this way. At best they are situated in potentiality and act as hypotheses, or in some cases as convictions that are not cemented in our mind.

3. Is this philosophy meant to teach?

In short: no, this philosophy does not aim to teach. We like to think about the endeavour as akin to an art gallery: visitors may browse around, inspect and get inspired. This is the idea behind this website. Ideally, it sparks interest and curiosity to engage in philosophy, mysticism and the arts.

4. Which thinkers and traditions most influenced this philosophy?

As for the main influences, we have enjoyed a wide variety of brilliant voices that shaped our way of thinking, from the Western to Eastern worlds, from antiquity to modernity and beyond.

Some of the most prominent sources, however, have been Aristotle, Gautama (“the Buddha”), Zhuang Zi and Nietzsche. As for schools and traditions, those would probably be the wider ancient Greek tradition, as well as (mostly Mahayana) Buddhist and Daoist/Taoist philosophies.

5. How would this philosophy look like, applied to daily life?

While it is our conviction that philosophy should not only be theoretical and abstract, but also practical and within life, there is a certain confession that a lot of it has been the former thus far. The focus should, however, shift more towards the practical side of philosophy.

One living by this philosophy would probably set their attention to (a) other living beings first, (b) the neglected things secondly, (c) the “natural” thirdly. That is, community is of high importance, fuelled by compassion, love and curiosity. The “little things” are appreciated for what they are, and there is a certain degree of harmonious living within systems, e.g. nature. – They would pay extraordinary attention to their words, choosing each carefully and with caution. Of great centrality is also humility and a slow, contemplative lifestyle. – They wouldn’t despair in the face of ugliness but see it as a fundamental part of how reality unfolds in their eyes.

Indeed, it is difficult to formulate how one might live by this philosophy, but above-mentioned points might elucidate the question a bit already.

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5. Technical

1. Can I download the data behind the projects, e.g. “P-Entries”?

At this time, there is no possibility to download the entries or other data from the website directly. However, this is a feature that we might implement in the future.

2. Why are some pages under construction?

This website is a project that runs parallel to other work, and thus requires time and resources to update and develop. We apologise for unfinished content and hope to resolve this as soon as possible.

3. What if I find an error or wish to report something?

If you find an error or something else that you would like to report, please contact us through one of the handles listed on the contact page .

4. Is this an ongoing work?

Yes, this is a kind of project without temporal boundaries. We aim to continually add new content to this website and expand the features as the project keeps evolving.

5. How frequently is the website updated?

This depends on various factors. It is difficult to be able to give a positive response, but there is always work done in the background.

6. Will there be translations into other languages?

As of the time of writing, there is not yet a vision of translations. But we would like to make everything as accessible as possible to people and hope to find translators in the future.

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6. Community

1. Can I contribute to the project(s)?

Currently, there is no explicit community feature running. But in the future, the goal is to integrate others’ contributions to the projects and implement social functions such as comments, posts etc.

For now, you may always contact us through the handles on the contact page if you wish to contribute anything.

2. Can I use material from this website elsewhere?

At the time of writing, you may of course cite or quote from these projects. We would be happy to get the credit and hear from you where we’ve appeared.

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B. Where to next?

Thank you for having taken your time to read these answers. We hope to have been able to assist you in making the most out of your visit on this website. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to write us through one of the handles here.

Some good places to start reading might be “The Animal Book” or “The New Moon Book” . We hope you enjoy your read!

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Created: 14.10.2025

Updated: 16.10.2025