A pretty refreshing book that I would recommend to those that have an interest in Theology, Mysticism or Sufism. Al-Ghazzali, a philosopher, theologian, jurist and a mystic, touches on subjects such as "Knowledge of Self", "Knowledge of God", "The Love of God", "Knowledge of this World" in order to express the quest for happiness. In... Continue Reading →
Certain philosophers, most notably Giambattista Vico (1668-1744) and Wilhelm Dilthey (1833-1911), have argued that the natural sciences and the human sciences are quite distinct in this respect. In particular, while it might be appropriate to ‘stand back’ from phenomena in the natural sciences to achieve objectivity, this is inappropriate in the case of the human... Continue Reading →
From Terence Irwin's translation: "The cultivated people, those active [in politics], conceive the good as honor, since this is more or less the end [normally pursued] in the political life. This, however, appears to be too superficial to be what we are seeking, since it seems to depend more on those who honor than on... Continue Reading →
The liberal writer, concerned with history and the progress of freedom rather than with forms of government, sees only differences in degree here, and ignores that authoritarian government committed to the restriction of liberty remains tied to the freedom it limits to the extent that it would lose its very substance if it abolished it... Continue Reading →
From Allan Bloom's interpretive essay: "The Republic shows us why Socrates was accused and why there was good reason to accuse him. Not only does he tell us about the good regime, but we see his effect on the young men he was said to have corrupted. Socrates, in leading them to a justice which... Continue Reading →
Some of the peoples on the eastern coast of Sumatra are not only physically close, across the narrow Straits of Malacca, to the populations of the western littoral of the Malay Peninsula, but they are ethnically related, understand each Other’s speech, have a common religion, and so forth. These same Sumatrans share neither mother-tongue, ethnicity,... Continue Reading →
There is not occupation of territory on the one hand and independence of persons on the other. It is the country as a whole, its history, its daily pulsation that are contested, disfigured, in the hope of a final destruction. Under these conditions, the individual's breathing is an observed, an occupied breathing. It is a... Continue Reading →
A civilization that proves incapable of solving the problems it creates is a decadent civilization. A civilization that chooses to close its eyes to its most crucial problems is a stricken civilization. A civilization that uses its principles for trickery and deceit is a dying civilization. The fact is that the so-called European civilization“Western” civilization-as... Continue Reading →
Moralism is the practice of moralizing, or the tendency to judge others' morality. So, although "moralism" sounds innocent because it seemingly has to do with ethics and morals, it could be considered as a plaster that censors political thought. And form my observations, this woeful case is very relevant today. Whenever people try to judge... Continue Reading →
Edward Said, Palestinian intellectual, literary theorist, historian of the colonial narrative explains how colonialism works. Not just through armies, but through literature. Not just through conquest, but through anthropology. Not just through oppression but justified through narrative. He shows how the West painted a picture of the 'East'. Snake charmers, belly dancers, thieves... The exotic,... Continue Reading →
Thinking Prismatically 