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Category Archives: Philosophy
Brain Can Be Trained in Compassion, Study Shows
Editorial (source 
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Until now, little was scientifically known about the human potential to cultivate compassion – the emotional state of caring for people who are suffering in a way that motivates altruistic behavior. Investigators trained young adults to engage in compassion meditation, an ancient Buddhist technique to increase caring feelings for people who are suffering. (Credit: © byheaven / Fotolia) A new study by researchers at the … Continue reading
Pythagoras and his theory of reincarnation
Igor Bukker (source )
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The name of Pythagoras is known to all from school, but many people associate this name with a theorem in geometry. Meanwhile, this ancient Greek philosopher, mathematician and mystic was the first man, who coined such terms as “philosopher” and “philosophy” (in our modern sense). He was also an advocate of the doctrine of reincarnation – the transmigration of souls. In some ways, he even … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Educational, Europe, Global issues, Historical, Humanity, Philosophy
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The Associated Press and the Metaphysics of Illegal Immigration
John Allen Gay (source )
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There are, in the eyes of the Associated Press, no longer any illegal immigrants. The media group announced that the AP Stylebook, a set of guidelines used by it and many other media organizations, will now direct writers to refer to persons “living in or entering a country illegally or without legal permission.” “Illegal immigration” is still acceptable, but writers must “use illegal only to … Continue reading
Posted in Global issues, Migration, North America, Opinion, Philosophy
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The Thinking Person’s God-Dess
Mark Manolopoulos (source )
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What kind of deity is believable today? After millennia of philosophy; after accelerated scientific exploration and discovery; after an Enlightenment that renewed Reason’s rightful nobility and bravery; after the truths of feminism and Marxism and deconstruction and psychoanalysis and so on . . . – after all these breakthroughs and advances, today’s thinking person should only believe in a certain kind of divinity. What kind? … Continue reading
Posted in Opinion, Philosophy
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Defining “dignity” – nailing jelly to the wall?
Rosalind English (source )
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In his recent book Harvard philosopher Michael Rosenposes the question: what is dignity, exactly, and do we know it when we see it? We are all familiar with the mantra that all humans are endowed with equal dignity, but do we really understand what it means? Since it is a formulation that is increasingly advanced in justifying universal human rights, we should try to get … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Ethics, Global issues, Humanity, Literature, Morals, More than just bread, Opinion, Philosophy
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Is Philosophy Literature?
Jim Holt (source )
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Is philosophy literature? Do people read philosophy for pleasure? Of course it is, and of course they do. People savor the aphorisms of Nietzsche, the essays of Schopenhauer, the philosophical novels of Sartre. They read the dialogues of Plato (and they would doubtless read the dialogues of Aristotle too, had Western civilization not been so careless as to mislay them). Some even claim to enjoy … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Literature, Philosophy
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Outfoxing the Pundits
Leon Hadar (source )
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In his groundbreaking study Expert Political Judgment: How Good Is It? How Can We Know?, Philip Tetlock employs the research done by psychologists, neuroscientists and game theorists to show how we make political decisions. The fundamental properties of the human mind—preference for simplicity, aversion to ambiguity and dissonance, belief in a controllable world, misunderstanding of probability theory—lead us to rely on narratives, the simple story … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Historical, Humanity, Morals, Opinion, Philosophy, Politics, Study
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If God is dead or dying, why criticise religion?
Damon Young (source )
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Is criticising Christianity like flogging a dead horse? Certainly, for good or ill, there is the scent of carrion in this secular age. Comments “What… are all these churches now,” wrote Friedrich Nietzsche in The Gay Science, “if not the tombs and sepulchres of God?” This was 120 years ago, and the Lord hath not recovered since. In the West in general, and Australia in … Continue reading
Posted in Australasia, Culture, Global issues, Opinion, Philosophy, Religion, Society
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Can we believe in love? Easter’s essential role
Joel Hodge (source )
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‘Love conquers all.’ ‘Love is the greatest power.’ ‘Love cannot be defeated.’ 144 Comments We often hear these kinds of refrains in movies, songs, speeches and public discourse. It is a comforting thought that we hope is true, despite the sufferings of this life. Rather than flippant phrases or romantic stories, Christianity takes love very seriously; so much so that the central figure of Christianity … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Global issues, Humanity, More than just bread, Opinion, Philosophy, Religion
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