Post Tagged with: "Philosophy"

Certainty in George Berkeley’s Theory of Vision and Immaterialism

Certainty in George Berkeley’s Theory of Vision and Immaterialism

George Berkeley is one of the greatest and most influential philosophers of the early modern period. In defending the immaterialism for which he is most famous, he redirected modern thinking about the nature of objectivity and the mind’s capacity to come to terms with it. Along the way, he made striking and influential proposals concerning the psychology of the senses,[Read More…]

by 31/08/2022 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
Human As Christian

Human As Christian

My name is Ilaiah–O, you are from a wretched caste I added Shepherd to it–O, you have become a Christian I read and write–O, you have violated the Dharma I read and write in English–Then, you want to break India I travel abroad– O, Christians fund your travel I believe in one God–Then, you are in touch with Jesus My[Read More…]

by 18/06/2022 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
Morality- Not a question of ten rupees, but character

Morality- Not a question of ten rupees, but character

 “Ahh, you know Aai what happened today”? I entered Home with excitement, threw my college bag and entered the kitchen. Mother was preparing Dinner. “Don’t you dare to come into the kitchen with shoes you idiot, go remove them”. Aai shouted at me. “Ooops, sorry, sorry”. I was really guilty as shoes were dirty due to rain and mud, moreover[Read More…]

by 31/01/2022 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
The science of mind in the Philosophies of the World and the future of humanity

The science of mind in the Philosophies of the World and the future of humanity

A two-day seminar cum webinar convened by the World Buddhist Culture Trust brought together a select group of academics and researchers as well as concerned citizens to discuss what is “human mind”, its descriptions as portrayed in various spiritual texts, its functions in tandem with other faculties and problems facing humanity. The elusive “mind”, it was noted, has been sought[Read More…]

by 18/11/2021 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
The Real Reason why Socrates was Killed and why Class Society Must Whitewash his Death     

The Real Reason why Socrates was Killed and why Class Society Must Whitewash his Death     

       The killing of Socrates left a stain on the fabric of Athenian society, a stain it nearly expanded 80 years later with similar threats of impiety towards an Aristotle determined not to let Athens “sin twice against philosophy.”[i] This original sin against philosophy has been immortalized in philosophy classrooms for millenniums to come – turning for philosophy[Read More…]

by 23/08/2021 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
Thomas Hobbes – The Communist?

Thomas Hobbes – The Communist?

The British materialist philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) is one of the fathers of social contract theory and modern political philosophy. His magnus opus – Leviathan[i] – is a text which á la Plato’s Republic covers a wide breadth of subjects from epistemology, science, religion, and moral and political philosophy. However, his text is most widely remembered for its monarchism-endorsing political[Read More…]

by 08/07/2021 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
The Relevance of Marcuse’s One-Dimensional Man and its Failures

The Relevance of Marcuse’s One-Dimensional Man and its Failures

Posing the Question This year marks the 57th anniversary of Herbert Marcuse’s One-Dimensional Man (1964). This text, although plagued with a pessimistic spirit, was a great source of inspiration for the development of the New Left and the May 68 uprisings. The question we must ask ourselves is whether a text that predates the last 50 years of neoliberalism has[Read More…]

by 01/06/2021 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
Leaders-followers-cynics-reactionaries

Leaders-followers-cynics-reactionaries

On my first day as a professor of critical writing in a ‘premier’ university, I decided to conduct an experiment in the classroom. I walked in and told the students that ‘today’s class will focus on critical thinking because one logically and chronologically has to think critically first and only then proceed to write critically.’ Saying that, I wrote ‘cultural[Read More…]

by 22/05/2021 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
The Interaction between Surrealism and Story Telling

The Interaction between Surrealism and Story Telling

Creative visualization uses imagination, mental images, and the power of thoughts to make objectives come true. Used properly, it can improve and attain richness. It is a power that can alter one’s circumstances, and attract money, possessions, people and love into your life. Creative visualization uses the powers of the human mind, and it is the power behind every triumph.[Read More…]

by 21/05/2021 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
Change In Worldview Need Of Hour

Change In Worldview Need Of Hour

Written by Poornima Bisineer and Sandeep Pandey As the second more virulent wave of coronavirus rages on, the urban areas seem to be more adversely affected compared to the rural areas. Although, there are cases and deaths being now reported from rural areas too but the numbers in cities is disproportionately higher. And within the cities the better off localities[Read More…]

by 11/05/2021 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
Collective for what? Humility and compassion is the need of time

Collective for what? Humility and compassion is the need of time

In the recent past we have seen enough of riots, trolling and devaluation of others in the name of collectivity. Nothing is like groups emancipation and collectivity if it is used for degradation and humiliation of others. Emotion which pleases us when others are suffering is dehumanizing. In the time of pandemic, there is a doubling of humanity crisis, both[Read More…]

by 08/05/2021 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
Burning on Both Ends–Relations of Dominance Cause Distress on Both Sides

Burning on Both Ends–Relations of Dominance Cause Distress on Both Sides

           One of the most persistent causes of human distress in world has been that too many human relationships are built around the tendencies of dominance and exploitation. This is true not just of the apparently more hostile  relationships but even of some apparently friendly relationships where the urge for  dominance often remains  at least on one side and contributes[Read More…]

by 04/05/2021 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
The Ends of Dissent? A Dissenting Understanding of Dissent

The Ends of Dissent? A Dissenting Understanding of Dissent

What is ‘dissent’? The term ‘dissent’ was first used in sixteenth century England, to refer to the opinions of those Christian sects that would not conform to the Church of England (not just Catholics but many Protestant groups too, e.g., the Dissenters, the Puritans). Needless to say, they were quickly criminalised and hunted, leading to the exodus of Puritans to[Read More…]

by 13/03/2021 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
Reason, Sociability, and Ethics

Reason, Sociability, and Ethics

  Aristotle famously said that man was a social animal: ζῷον πολιτικόν. He also strongly implied that what distinguished man from all other animals was his rationality. Today this description seems to make more sense than ever. Human beings, contrary to the contract theorists such as Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau, were never lone beings in search of society. They always[Read More…]

by 08/03/2021 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
When Our Most Important Identity Gets the Least Importance, This Creates Serious Problems

When Our Most Important Identity Gets the Least Importance, This Creates Serious Problems

     People grow up with several identities. One identity can be that of caste, another one can be that of religion , yet another one can be that of ethnicity. Some people identify themselves with the real or imaginary fame of their family or ancestors, while others tend to identify themselves very strongly with certain spiritual ( real and imaginary[Read More…]

by 01/03/2021 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
War and Peace Through Faith

War and Peace Through Faith

They say do not contribute silver bricks for Ram temple, because it is difficult to stock silver bricks there. Funny! Union Ministers are pleading to people to contribute to the Ram Temple. This guy called Ram did not walk over silver for 14 years in the forests as per the myth. However, people are contributing silver bricks. People who broke[Read More…]

by 26/02/2021 2 comments Life/Philosophy
Buddhist Political Theory: Social Contract Theory of the Origin of State 

Buddhist Political Theory: Social Contract Theory of the Origin of State 

Reader’s Guide Buddhist theory of the origin of state, as contained is Digha Nikaya, one of the collections of Buddha’s teachings) is a great ancient Indian contribution to the history of political theory. Purpose of this chapter is to explain the need of the state for the maintenance of the social order, arising due to emergence of evils in the[Read More…]

by 05/02/2021 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
What Philosophers say about Coronavirus Prevention?

What Philosophers say about Coronavirus Prevention?

Written by Thomas Klikauer and Nadine Campbell The 2020-2021 coronavirus is by no means the first pandemic that has impacted people’s lives. Throughout history, philosophers have contributed to our understanding of what pandemics mean and how to fight them. Self-evidently, philosophers are dedicated to philosophy. Like the term pandemic originating in Greek’s pandēmos – “pan” or “all” linked to “demos”,[Read More…]

by 29/01/2021 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
The Power of Magick: Why Materialists, Atheists And Marxists Need It

The Power of Magick: Why Materialists, Atheists And Marxists Need It

 Magick is the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with the Will.   ― Aleister Crowley, The Book of Thoth            ORIENTATION Throwing the baby out with the bathwater In two articles I wrote in 2019, Facing the Music: Religion, Nationalism and Sports Have Enchanted the Working Class; Socialism Hasn’t  and Re-Enchanting Socialism: How Not to Throw[Read More…]

by 29/01/2021 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
Common Myths About Human Progress

Common Myths About Human Progress

There are several widely held myths about human progress which have persisted widely for a long time and the wide persistence of these myths has itself become an obstacle in the path of progress. Perhaps the most common myth is of the inevitability of progress over a long period of time. It is taken for granted that if we compare[Read More…]

by 23/01/2021 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
What is Progress?

What is Progress?

A lot of problems have been caused by the fact that there has not been  enough careful thinking on what constitutes human progress and it has been often just taken for granted that progress has been taking place over long periods of time, interrupted occasionally perhaps by some short-term disruptions. This leads to the curious  anomaly of periods of aggravation[Read More…]

by 22/01/2021 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
Reclaiming ‘Truth’ from ‘Lies’ and ‘Bullshit’ in the ‘Post Truth’ Society

Reclaiming ‘Truth’ from ‘Lies’ and ‘Bullshit’ in the ‘Post Truth’ Society

Truth as Interpretation There can be different versions of truth from what has been already accepted as truth. In 1951, renowned Japanese moviemaker Akira Kurosawa made one of the greatest movies in history, titled Rashomon. No other movie must have better investigated the philosophy of truth and justice than this movie. Rashomon establishes that it is possible for us to[Read More…]

by 22/01/2021 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
Protests as a marker of Social change

Protests as a marker of Social change

From time immemorial protests have been a very significant way to argue for one’s rights. In British India Mahatma Gandhi introduced the non-violent way of protesting publicly which is bhuk hartal or public gathering where people quietly protest by fasting and not drinking water. Shouting slogans is another way to show resistance and disagreement. Candle light vigil is also taken[Read More…]

by 14/01/2021 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
Today India Needs Both Gandhi and Bhagat Singh, and the Unity of Their Followers More Than Ever Before

Today India Needs Both Gandhi and Bhagat Singh, and the Unity of Their Followers More Than Ever Before

In recent times India has been passing through the most difficult period of its post-independence history. The most sacred constitutional precept of social  (including inter-faith) equality and harmony is badly threatened, while economic inequality and the grip of a few top billionaires on economy have been increasing like never before. Destruction of environment and bio-diversity are rampant, and the safeguards[Read More…]

by 14/01/2021 1 comment Life/Philosophy
Religion is not Rational

Religion is not Rational

 Religion is not rational, yet attempts are made all the time to prove it is.             One example is the Templeton Study. The Templeton Foundation arranged for Christians to pray for 1800 heart patients and tracked the results. It conducted a double-blind study to see if patients who were prayed for, did better. In actual fact, the group, which knew that it[Read More…]

by 14/01/2021 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
The Debate Between Violence and Non-Violence in Social Movements

The Debate Between Violence and Non-Violence in Social Movements

In history there has been a long debate between violence and non-violence in the context of social movements. Some very great persons who brought very beneficial and durable change chose the path of non-violence and peace. Some very courageous and capable leaders and their followers, on the other hand, had no hesitation in using violent methods and they too achieved[Read More…]

by 09/01/2021 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
Sincere Spirituality For A Better World

Sincere Spirituality For A Better World

Spirituality has always been a very important part of human progress, but these days when we talk about spirituality we feel the need to prefix ‘sincere’, an indicator of how much hypocrisy has been practiced in the name of spirituality in recent times. Hence it is better to state  at the outset that here  we are discussing sincere spirituality only.[Read More…]

by 03/01/2021 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
Eight Essentials of Human Progress, Always Crucial But Often Neglected

Eight Essentials of Human Progress, Always Crucial But Often Neglected

While there are so many factors which are important for true progress of humanity, some of these can be identified as the most crucial and essential. Firstly, there should be a widespread sincere belief in and commitment to equality and justice. There should be absolutely no room for  any discrimination, any deprivation or any denial based  on race, religion, color,[Read More…]

by 03/01/2021 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
What Time Is It in Lockdown?

What Time Is It in Lockdown?

Here where I dwell in the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice has just occurred. The darkest day of the year in a dark year. A few days ago was also the Grand Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn and the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, which is interesting to those who like the musical Hair and believe their fates lie in the[Read More…]

by 26/12/2020 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
An Incautious Defense of Optimism

An Incautious Defense of Optimism

(Optimistically dedicated to Steven Pinker) In a world suffering from a global pandemic, it would be both easy and understandable to be morosely pessimistic. Yet, even here, midst frantic calls of doom, there are some good reasons for optimism. After a mere 10 months, the world has been able to produce at least three vaccines capable of effectively combating Covid-19.[Read More…]

by 11/12/2020 2 comments Life/Philosophy
Ethics For The Future

Ethics For The Future

Cultural evolution In all terrestrial organisms, information is transmitted between generations by means of the genetic code; and genetic evolution takes place through natural selection acting on modifications of this code. In human cultural evolution, information is also transmitted between generations by means of language and writing. This second mode of evolution gave our species enormous adaptive advantages. While genetic[Read More…]

by 11/12/2020 Comments are Disabled Book Review
Can the world be changed?

Can the world be changed?

Can the world be changed in any fundamental way or not? Will the methods one uses to change it end up doing more harm than good? Should one mind one’s own business or make the problems of the world one’s own too? These were some of the questions at the core of a debate I had over four decades ago[Read More…]

by 10/11/2020 1 comment Life/Philosophy
Limits of Puritanism

Limits of Puritanism

The principles and ideological commitments in politics, culture, religion and social practices breed culture of puritanism both in its progressive and regressive forms. The transformation of society to lead an exemplary life is the core in the politics of puritanism as a movement of divinity. Both right wing reactionaries and left-wing radicals use puritanism like applied theology to the concerns[Read More…]

by 25/10/2020 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
Knowledge society, the ‘KAP GAP’ and the way forward

Knowledge society, the ‘KAP GAP’ and the way forward

Knowledge society, information society and industrial society are all interlinked concepts with  a particular ideology which places undue faith on science, technology and development. The origin of the terms especially knowledge society is attributed to various scholars culminating in the description of ‘post-industrial societies’ which depend on material production as a key to growth and human welfare. These conceptual developments[Read More…]

by 13/10/2020 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
Original image courtesy : Vikar Syed

To all the uncaring people

Would you mind rolling your eyeballs on people starving, dying in extreme conditions, in need of the things you can so easily afford to give them? I know, you won’t bother to do so, because you are born like that. Nothing shakes you, makes you think otherwise. You and your like ones are all that matter on this good planet.[Read More…]

by 03/10/2020 1 comment Life/Philosophy
Gandhi and Relevance of Writers and Activists

Gandhi and Relevance of Writers and Activists

As we celebrate another birth anniversary of the father of the nation, it is worth recognising that the thinkers, writers, and activists are valuable for a society. Gandhi represented all of these, leaving a mark on the humanity that even his enemies find hard to deny. Some argue that it was the matter of time and Independence would have come[Read More…]

by 02/10/2020 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy
Jean-Paul Sartre: Basic Understandings

Jean-Paul Sartre: Basic Understandings

Jean-Paul Sartre (1905–80) is one of the greatest French thinkers. A polemical and witty essayist, a metaphysician of subjectivity, a political activist, a revolutionary political theorist, a humanistic novelist, a didactic playwright, his genius lies in his powers of philosophical synthesis and the genre breaching breadth of his imagination. The last philosopher to be discussed at some length, Jean-Paul Sartre,[Read More…]

by 13/08/2020 Comments are Disabled Life/Philosophy