This document is a student essay analyzing and comparing the philosophical works of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching and Marcus Aurelius' Meditations. The essay argues that while Lao Tzu represents opening the gate to understanding, Aurelius builds a bridge between earth and sky by inviting contemplation of the world from a removed perspective. Both philosophers advise finding balance and stillness by hovering near the center. The essay also reflects on the loneliness the philosophers may have felt in developing their unique understandings.
There are 22 experiences needed to have for an entire spiritual awakening and they are known as “archetypes”… and these were written by the Mind of the Galaxy long before we were ever created. Thoth-Hermes created the 22 major Arcana of the Tarot to have a synchronistic resonance with the cosmic template that sustains the personal holographic matrix.
This document summarizes and introduces a revised edition of the book "A Garden of Pomegranates" which outlines the Qabalah, an ancient system of Jewish mysticism. The summary discusses how the Qabalah can provide a framework to understand both the universe and oneself. It also touches on how the Qabalah relates to magic and how its symbolism can help correlate different concepts. The introduction acknowledges some direct plagiarisms from other authors in the original book and provides context for the revisions.
This document provides an overview and explanation of a diagram that represents the cosmos and human constitution. It describes the diagram as having three planes at the top representing the highest triad, with seven planes below representing principles and elements in manifestation. It then explains each plane and center, describing their relationship to consciousness, ego, self, and evolution of the soul. The key points are that the diagram can represent the universe or human hierarchy, and depicts decreasing consciousness and increasing materiality as it progresses downward, with the highest plane representing the most spiritual.
This document discusses the origins and early developments of philosophy in Ancient Greece. It begins by explaining how the Greeks moved away from explaining the world through myths and began inquiring into the fundamental nature of reality through reason and logic. The first philosophers, known as the Pre-Socratics, sought to understand the basic substances and principles of the natural world. Key figures discussed include Thales, who is considered the first philosopher; Anaximander; Anaximenes; Pythagoras, who believed numbers were fundamental to reality; Heraclitus and his doctrine of constant change; Parmenides' view that only one eternal substance exists; and Zeno, who developed paradoxes about motion and change.
Systematic exposition of mystical experience.docShama
Mystical experience involves paradoxes and union of opposites that are difficult to describe linguistically. Mysticism uses symbols and strategies like coincidentia oppositorum to describe experiences of opposites coinciding without ceasing to be themselves. Mystical experiences involve perceiving emptiness and fullness, or negation and affirmation, as two sides of the same reality. Symbols are needed to represent realities that cannot be directly expressed and to integrate the profane and sacred. Common symbols used include journeys, divine messengers, love and marriage between the soul and the divine.
Heraclitus was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher from Ephesus who lived in the late 6th century BC. He is known for developing a philosophy of change, flux, and fire. Some of his key ideas were that everything is constantly changing and in flux, opposite things are identical, and everything is and is not at the same time. He believed fire was the primordial element and arche from which all things originate and return to in eternal cycles. Heraclitus argued there was an underlying logos or rationale that determined the nature of everything.
this is the full history of philosophy both western and eastern philosophy in detailed and year wise tabular view. this is year by year history of philosophy and it is more precise one.
Plato argues that there are two worlds - the temporary physical world perceived by the senses and the permanent metaphysical world of ideas. In Timaeus, he establishes that the physical world is imperfect and changing while the world of ideas is perfect and unchanging. Parmenides clarifies that while the worlds are distinct, the physical world participates in ideas by resembling them. Phaedo explains that through philosophy and reflection, the soul can transcend the physical world and access the unchanging world of knowledge and ideas. Plato thus believes knowledge is permanent and exists in the metaphysical world of perfect forms.
There are 22 experiences needed to have for an entire spiritual awakening and they are known as “archetypes”… and these were written by the Mind of the Galaxy long before we were ever created. Thoth-Hermes created the 22 major Arcana of the Tarot to have a synchronistic resonance with the cosmic template that sustains the personal holographic matrix.
This document summarizes and introduces a revised edition of the book "A Garden of Pomegranates" which outlines the Qabalah, an ancient system of Jewish mysticism. The summary discusses how the Qabalah can provide a framework to understand both the universe and oneself. It also touches on how the Qabalah relates to magic and how its symbolism can help correlate different concepts. The introduction acknowledges some direct plagiarisms from other authors in the original book and provides context for the revisions.
This document provides an overview and explanation of a diagram that represents the cosmos and human constitution. It describes the diagram as having three planes at the top representing the highest triad, with seven planes below representing principles and elements in manifestation. It then explains each plane and center, describing their relationship to consciousness, ego, self, and evolution of the soul. The key points are that the diagram can represent the universe or human hierarchy, and depicts decreasing consciousness and increasing materiality as it progresses downward, with the highest plane representing the most spiritual.
This document discusses the origins and early developments of philosophy in Ancient Greece. It begins by explaining how the Greeks moved away from explaining the world through myths and began inquiring into the fundamental nature of reality through reason and logic. The first philosophers, known as the Pre-Socratics, sought to understand the basic substances and principles of the natural world. Key figures discussed include Thales, who is considered the first philosopher; Anaximander; Anaximenes; Pythagoras, who believed numbers were fundamental to reality; Heraclitus and his doctrine of constant change; Parmenides' view that only one eternal substance exists; and Zeno, who developed paradoxes about motion and change.
Systematic exposition of mystical experience.docShama
Mystical experience involves paradoxes and union of opposites that are difficult to describe linguistically. Mysticism uses symbols and strategies like coincidentia oppositorum to describe experiences of opposites coinciding without ceasing to be themselves. Mystical experiences involve perceiving emptiness and fullness, or negation and affirmation, as two sides of the same reality. Symbols are needed to represent realities that cannot be directly expressed and to integrate the profane and sacred. Common symbols used include journeys, divine messengers, love and marriage between the soul and the divine.
Heraclitus was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher from Ephesus who lived in the late 6th century BC. He is known for developing a philosophy of change, flux, and fire. Some of his key ideas were that everything is constantly changing and in flux, opposite things are identical, and everything is and is not at the same time. He believed fire was the primordial element and arche from which all things originate and return to in eternal cycles. Heraclitus argued there was an underlying logos or rationale that determined the nature of everything.
this is the full history of philosophy both western and eastern philosophy in detailed and year wise tabular view. this is year by year history of philosophy and it is more precise one.
Plato argues that there are two worlds - the temporary physical world perceived by the senses and the permanent metaphysical world of ideas. In Timaeus, he establishes that the physical world is imperfect and changing while the world of ideas is perfect and unchanging. Parmenides clarifies that while the worlds are distinct, the physical world participates in ideas by resembling them. Phaedo explains that through philosophy and reflection, the soul can transcend the physical world and access the unchanging world of knowledge and ideas. Plato thus believes knowledge is permanent and exists in the metaphysical world of perfect forms.
Greek philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle used reason and observation to study topics like ethics, politics, and science. They believed rational thought could reveal universal truths. Socrates used questioning to help people seek knowledge. Plato founded the Academy to teach his ideals of perfect forms. Aristotle analyzed different forms of government and taught about living virtuously. Their works formed the basis of later European universities. Greek achievements in arts, architecture, drama, and history also emphasized balance, naturalism, and critical inquiry.
The Christian Self, Part II - Meaning, Ambiguity, Co-Creationcumcsl
The mp3 of this lesson is available at www.cumcsl.org/axiomlessons. If you want to hear the lessons in person, join us on Sundays at 9:45 am in Room 312 at Christ United Methodist Church in Sugar Land, Texas.
Plato was a famous Greek philosopher born in 427 BC. He founded the Academy in Athens, one of the earliest known institutions of higher learning. His most famous work is The Republic, which uses the allegory of the cave to discuss the relationship between perception and reality. The allegory imagines people chained in a cave their whole lives, seeing only shadows on the cave wall from objects passing behind them. It explores what would happen if one of the prisoners was freed and brought to the outside world. Both The Republic and the allegory of the cave had significant influence on Western philosophy and political thought.
Christopher Peacocke and Daniel Dennett are two 21st century philosophers. Peacocke, born in 1950, is a British philosopher known for his work in philosophy of mind and epistemology. Dennett, born in 1942, is an American philosopher focused on philosophy of mind, science, and biology. Peacocke initially argued perceptual experiences have "sensational properties" beyond intentional content, but later abandoned the view that mental content is exclusively conceptual, arguing some states like perception have non-conceptual content. Dennett aims to ground philosophy of mind in science and divides the problems of content and consciousness. He rejects the idea that ethics exists separately from facts, arguing morality evolved naturally.
The book as seance frederic myers and the london sprcienciaspsiquicas
This document summarizes Frederic Myers' theory that books can act as a form of séance, allowing communication between the living and the dead. Myers believed that thoughts and memories are recorded in a "cosmic photograph" and can be accessed by sensitive individuals. For Myers, writing was a way to make contact with future readers and guide the evolution of human consciousness after death. The document discusses how Myers' ideas were a product of his time when science was challenging traditional religion, and analyzes his goal of establishing a "science of religion" based on empirical evidence rather than dogma.
The hidden way_across_the_threshold-jc_street-1887-597pgs-rel-sci-occRareBooksnRecords
This document is the introduction to a book that aims to explain hidden forces in nature and guide people in communing with spirits. It acknowledges drawing from many sources to present relevant ideas as concisely as possible. The compilation shares the author's experiences studying with occult groups abroad in hopes that some ideas will plant seeds of love and wisdom. While not claiming literary merit, it offers thoughts from spiritual and embodied beings to stimulate growth of the soul.
The document provides an overview of early Greek philosophy from the pre-Socratic period, beginning in the 6th century BCE. It discusses the Milesian school of thought founded by Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes, who sought the fundamental material principle of all things. Later philosophers discussed include Heraclitus, Pythagoras, Parmenides, Anaxagoras, Xenophanes, and Empedocles. The pre-Socratics explored questions around nature, change, and the fundamental elements or forces that govern the natural world.
Plato founded the first university, the Academy, in 386 BC in Athens to train philosopher-rulers. Plato was influenced by the death of his teacher Socrates and sought to establish philosophy over politics. At the Academy, Plato's most famous student, Aristotle, studied for 19 years. Plato is best known for his dialogues, including The Republic, in which Socrates discusses justice, politics, and an ideal state through allegories like the cave and the divided line. Plato developed the theory of forms, that true knowledge comes from comprehending eternal, unchanging forms like beauty, rather than perceiving the imperfect physical world.
Alexander Pope was an 18th century English poet known for his use of the heroic couplet and for his satirical works. He received little formal education but was a prolific reader. Some of his most famous works include Essay on Criticism, Essay on Man, The Rape of the Lock, and pastoral poems. Pope socialized with other prominent writers of the time like Swift, Arbuthnot, and Gay. The Neoclassical period emphasized order, reason, and restraint and viewed humanity and human nature through a religious, political, and philosophical lens. Pope's religious thinking is evident in works like Essay on Man, which explores theological concepts through a philosophical poem. His Universal Prayer is a religious poem
A brief profile of the great philosopher platoJulius Sison
Plato was an ancient Greek philosopher who founded the Academy in 387 BC, one of the earliest institutions of higher learning. He was inspired by his teacher Socrates and featured Socrates' teachings in his Dialogues. Plato believed that reality is comprised of ideal forms that are imperfectly represented in the physical world, as described in his Allegory of the Cave. He spent his later years writing, teaching at the Academy, and developing his theory of forms to understand concepts like justice, beauty, and equality through reason rather than the senses alone.
Plato's allegory of the cave describes the journey from ignorance to knowledge. Prisoners are chained in a cave seeing only shadows on the wall from objects carried behind them. One prisoner is freed and sees the real objects, experiencing pain from the light. After adjusting, he understands the shadows were not reality. If he returns to the cave, his knowledge is ridiculed. Plato uses this to represent the intellectual journey from opinions based on appearances to true knowledge grasped by reason. His divided line further shows progressing from lower to higher thought - from images to intelligence of the forms.
PLATO;The great philosopher & his contributionTanzina14th
Plato was an ancient Greek philosopher born in 428 BC in Athens who studied under Socrates and founded the Academy in Athens, one of the earliest known organized schools. He was influenced by earlier philosophers like Socrates, Parmenides, and Pythagoras. Plato authored dialogues featuring Socrates discussing various philosophical ideas and established the foundations of Western philosophy focusing on ethics, politics, and epistemology.
Plato was an ancient Greek philosopher, mathematician, and writer known for his Socratic dialogues. He believed that the material world is not the real world, but rather an image or copy of the real world of ideal forms. Plato also asserted that societies have a tripartite class structure corresponding to the appetite, spirit, and reason parts of the individual soul. This includes productive workers, protective warriors, and a small governing class of philosopher kings who rule using reason.
The Ogdoad of Hermopolis was an ancient Egyptian creation myth centered around a group of eight primordial deities divided into four pairs - Nun and Naunet representing water; Heh and Hauhet representing infinity; Kuk and Kauket representing darkness; and Amun and Amaunet representing air. These eight primeval gods and goddesses emerged from chaos and through their interactions caused the mound of creation to rise from the waters, bringing order and setting the cycles of nature in motion. The Ogdoad held that the world was born from a cosmic egg or emerged from a lotus flower, revealing the sun god Ra and marking the beginning of time.
PRE SOCRATIC PHILOSOPHERS BY ALEJANDRO BSIT Arviin James
The document summarizes key Pre-Socratic philosophers and some of their important contributions. It discusses Thales of Miletus discovering static electricity in 500 BC by rubbing fur on amber. It also mentions Pythagoras discovering the Pythagorean theorem for which he sacrificed an ox, and Parmenides arguing against nothingness which influenced Democritus to propose atoms. Zeno introduced paradoxes that have challenged philosophers for over two millennia, while Democritus discovered atoms in 400 BC by breaking a seashell into powder.
This document summarizes a lecture given by Professor D. Lancashire on the Treatise on Man by Liu Shao, a 3rd century Chinese philosopher. It provides context on early Chinese cosmology and thinkers like Confucius, Mencius, Taoists, and others. It then discusses Liu Shao's Treatise on Man and how it relates to ideas of determinism and free will. The lecture aims to examine the implications of Liu Shao's work and other thinkers on the question of whether humans have free will or are determined, with a focus on ethical freedom.
International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (IJHSSI)inventionjournals
International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (IJHSSI) is an international journal intended for professionals and researchers in all fields of Humanities and Social Science. IJHSSI publishes research articles and reviews within the whole field Humanities and Social Science, new teaching methods, assessment, validation and the impact of new technologies and it will continue to provide information on the latest trends and developments in this ever-expanding subject. The publications of papers are selected through double peer reviewed to ensure originality, relevance, and readability. The articles published in our journal can be accessed online
Henry james-moralism-and-christianity-or-man's-experience-and-destiny-three-l...Francis Batt
This document contains the first of three lectures given by Henry James on Christianity and morality. In the first lecture, James provides a scientific statement of the Christian doctrine of the Lord, or Divine Man. Some key points:
- God alone is the sole and universal being, while humans and all creatures are merely images or reflections of God's being.
- Nature does not truly image God as it acts out of external constraint rather than internal spontaneity.
- Only man possesses true personality and the power of self-derived action, allowing man alone to be a true image of God.
- For an action to be truly personal, both the internal spiritual self and external natural self must be perfectly united in the action
1. The document discusses the author's personal journey through Freemasonry over 40 years and how it relates to spiritual paths described by ancient Greek philosophers and Christian mystics.
2. It explores concepts of initial spiritual awakening or "photismos" and how Masonic rituals correspond to stages of ethics, intellect, and contemplation of God.
3. The author reflects on how mystical traditions like Sufism describe both a "divine darkness" of transcending knowledge and apprehension of God through love, relating it back to Masonic teachings.
Chapter 1The Allegory of the CaveAt the beginning of Book VII .docxwalterl4
Chapter 1
The Allegory of the Cave
At the beginning of Book VII of Plato’s Republic, Socrates famously invokes an image of human nature with respect to education and the lack of it, likening our situation to that of prisoners in a cave. Imagine an underground cave-like dwelling, its entrance entirely out of sight. Inhabiting this cave are human beings whose feet and necks are chained so that they can neither get up nor turn their heads; they can only see straight ahead. Above and behind them burns a fire, and between them and the fire there is a raised path and a low wall, like the screen above which performers display their puppets. Behind this wall men pass to and fro carrying statues and figures of human beings, animals, and other objects in such a manner that the artifacts appear over the top of the screen, projecting onto the wall opposite the fire. The prisoners, unable to see neither the objects carried behind them nor one another, behold only the shadows of themselves and of the statues cast onto the wall in front of them.
The prisoners represent the vast majority of the human race: “they’re like us.” They live in a world in which images are mistaken for realities. What is a shadow, after all, but a mere image of something real (in this case a statue, which is itself an image of something even more real, namely a living human being or animal)? Moreover, the prisoners have not the faintest clue that throughout their entire lives they have been exposed to nothing but distortions of the truth—they are, in other words, unaware of their ignorance (just like Euthyphro, the fanatical young priest about whom you will read in the next chapter). The shadows represent the authoritative opinions that govern the hearts and minds of whole communities, and give a transcendent purpose and meaning to our particular existence.[1] These shadows are to be contrasted with the light of truth illuminating the world beyond the cave (but which also makes the shadows visible within it). The people carrying the statues are the lawgivers and poets who establish the cultural values and cosmic worldview that characterize and define a given society. In his excellent commentary on Plato’s Republic, Professor Allan Bloom explains: “We do not see men as they are but as they are represented to us by legislators and poets. A Greek sees things differently from the way a Persian sees them. One need only think of…the significance of cows to Hindus as opposed to other men to realize how powerful are the various horizons constituted by law or convention.”[2] These authoritative opinions are not accurate reflections of nature, but rather a curious amalgam of natureandconvention. To quote once again from Professor Bloom: “The first and most difficult of tasks is the separation of what exists by nature from what is merely made by man.”[3]
This, precisely, is the business of philosophy, which literally means “the love of wisdom,” coming from the ancient Greek words philein, me.
Greek philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle used reason and observation to study topics like ethics, politics, and science. They believed rational thought could reveal universal truths. Socrates used questioning to help people seek knowledge. Plato founded the Academy to teach his ideals of perfect forms. Aristotle analyzed different forms of government and taught about living virtuously. Their works formed the basis of later European universities. Greek achievements in arts, architecture, drama, and history also emphasized balance, naturalism, and critical inquiry.
The Christian Self, Part II - Meaning, Ambiguity, Co-Creationcumcsl
The mp3 of this lesson is available at www.cumcsl.org/axiomlessons. If you want to hear the lessons in person, join us on Sundays at 9:45 am in Room 312 at Christ United Methodist Church in Sugar Land, Texas.
Plato was a famous Greek philosopher born in 427 BC. He founded the Academy in Athens, one of the earliest known institutions of higher learning. His most famous work is The Republic, which uses the allegory of the cave to discuss the relationship between perception and reality. The allegory imagines people chained in a cave their whole lives, seeing only shadows on the cave wall from objects passing behind them. It explores what would happen if one of the prisoners was freed and brought to the outside world. Both The Republic and the allegory of the cave had significant influence on Western philosophy and political thought.
Christopher Peacocke and Daniel Dennett are two 21st century philosophers. Peacocke, born in 1950, is a British philosopher known for his work in philosophy of mind and epistemology. Dennett, born in 1942, is an American philosopher focused on philosophy of mind, science, and biology. Peacocke initially argued perceptual experiences have "sensational properties" beyond intentional content, but later abandoned the view that mental content is exclusively conceptual, arguing some states like perception have non-conceptual content. Dennett aims to ground philosophy of mind in science and divides the problems of content and consciousness. He rejects the idea that ethics exists separately from facts, arguing morality evolved naturally.
The book as seance frederic myers and the london sprcienciaspsiquicas
This document summarizes Frederic Myers' theory that books can act as a form of séance, allowing communication between the living and the dead. Myers believed that thoughts and memories are recorded in a "cosmic photograph" and can be accessed by sensitive individuals. For Myers, writing was a way to make contact with future readers and guide the evolution of human consciousness after death. The document discusses how Myers' ideas were a product of his time when science was challenging traditional religion, and analyzes his goal of establishing a "science of religion" based on empirical evidence rather than dogma.
The hidden way_across_the_threshold-jc_street-1887-597pgs-rel-sci-occRareBooksnRecords
This document is the introduction to a book that aims to explain hidden forces in nature and guide people in communing with spirits. It acknowledges drawing from many sources to present relevant ideas as concisely as possible. The compilation shares the author's experiences studying with occult groups abroad in hopes that some ideas will plant seeds of love and wisdom. While not claiming literary merit, it offers thoughts from spiritual and embodied beings to stimulate growth of the soul.
The document provides an overview of early Greek philosophy from the pre-Socratic period, beginning in the 6th century BCE. It discusses the Milesian school of thought founded by Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes, who sought the fundamental material principle of all things. Later philosophers discussed include Heraclitus, Pythagoras, Parmenides, Anaxagoras, Xenophanes, and Empedocles. The pre-Socratics explored questions around nature, change, and the fundamental elements or forces that govern the natural world.
Plato founded the first university, the Academy, in 386 BC in Athens to train philosopher-rulers. Plato was influenced by the death of his teacher Socrates and sought to establish philosophy over politics. At the Academy, Plato's most famous student, Aristotle, studied for 19 years. Plato is best known for his dialogues, including The Republic, in which Socrates discusses justice, politics, and an ideal state through allegories like the cave and the divided line. Plato developed the theory of forms, that true knowledge comes from comprehending eternal, unchanging forms like beauty, rather than perceiving the imperfect physical world.
Alexander Pope was an 18th century English poet known for his use of the heroic couplet and for his satirical works. He received little formal education but was a prolific reader. Some of his most famous works include Essay on Criticism, Essay on Man, The Rape of the Lock, and pastoral poems. Pope socialized with other prominent writers of the time like Swift, Arbuthnot, and Gay. The Neoclassical period emphasized order, reason, and restraint and viewed humanity and human nature through a religious, political, and philosophical lens. Pope's religious thinking is evident in works like Essay on Man, which explores theological concepts through a philosophical poem. His Universal Prayer is a religious poem
A brief profile of the great philosopher platoJulius Sison
Plato was an ancient Greek philosopher who founded the Academy in 387 BC, one of the earliest institutions of higher learning. He was inspired by his teacher Socrates and featured Socrates' teachings in his Dialogues. Plato believed that reality is comprised of ideal forms that are imperfectly represented in the physical world, as described in his Allegory of the Cave. He spent his later years writing, teaching at the Academy, and developing his theory of forms to understand concepts like justice, beauty, and equality through reason rather than the senses alone.
Plato's allegory of the cave describes the journey from ignorance to knowledge. Prisoners are chained in a cave seeing only shadows on the wall from objects carried behind them. One prisoner is freed and sees the real objects, experiencing pain from the light. After adjusting, he understands the shadows were not reality. If he returns to the cave, his knowledge is ridiculed. Plato uses this to represent the intellectual journey from opinions based on appearances to true knowledge grasped by reason. His divided line further shows progressing from lower to higher thought - from images to intelligence of the forms.
PLATO;The great philosopher & his contributionTanzina14th
Plato was an ancient Greek philosopher born in 428 BC in Athens who studied under Socrates and founded the Academy in Athens, one of the earliest known organized schools. He was influenced by earlier philosophers like Socrates, Parmenides, and Pythagoras. Plato authored dialogues featuring Socrates discussing various philosophical ideas and established the foundations of Western philosophy focusing on ethics, politics, and epistemology.
Plato was an ancient Greek philosopher, mathematician, and writer known for his Socratic dialogues. He believed that the material world is not the real world, but rather an image or copy of the real world of ideal forms. Plato also asserted that societies have a tripartite class structure corresponding to the appetite, spirit, and reason parts of the individual soul. This includes productive workers, protective warriors, and a small governing class of philosopher kings who rule using reason.
The Ogdoad of Hermopolis was an ancient Egyptian creation myth centered around a group of eight primordial deities divided into four pairs - Nun and Naunet representing water; Heh and Hauhet representing infinity; Kuk and Kauket representing darkness; and Amun and Amaunet representing air. These eight primeval gods and goddesses emerged from chaos and through their interactions caused the mound of creation to rise from the waters, bringing order and setting the cycles of nature in motion. The Ogdoad held that the world was born from a cosmic egg or emerged from a lotus flower, revealing the sun god Ra and marking the beginning of time.
PRE SOCRATIC PHILOSOPHERS BY ALEJANDRO BSIT Arviin James
The document summarizes key Pre-Socratic philosophers and some of their important contributions. It discusses Thales of Miletus discovering static electricity in 500 BC by rubbing fur on amber. It also mentions Pythagoras discovering the Pythagorean theorem for which he sacrificed an ox, and Parmenides arguing against nothingness which influenced Democritus to propose atoms. Zeno introduced paradoxes that have challenged philosophers for over two millennia, while Democritus discovered atoms in 400 BC by breaking a seashell into powder.
This document summarizes a lecture given by Professor D. Lancashire on the Treatise on Man by Liu Shao, a 3rd century Chinese philosopher. It provides context on early Chinese cosmology and thinkers like Confucius, Mencius, Taoists, and others. It then discusses Liu Shao's Treatise on Man and how it relates to ideas of determinism and free will. The lecture aims to examine the implications of Liu Shao's work and other thinkers on the question of whether humans have free will or are determined, with a focus on ethical freedom.
International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (IJHSSI)inventionjournals
International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (IJHSSI) is an international journal intended for professionals and researchers in all fields of Humanities and Social Science. IJHSSI publishes research articles and reviews within the whole field Humanities and Social Science, new teaching methods, assessment, validation and the impact of new technologies and it will continue to provide information on the latest trends and developments in this ever-expanding subject. The publications of papers are selected through double peer reviewed to ensure originality, relevance, and readability. The articles published in our journal can be accessed online
Henry james-moralism-and-christianity-or-man's-experience-and-destiny-three-l...Francis Batt
This document contains the first of three lectures given by Henry James on Christianity and morality. In the first lecture, James provides a scientific statement of the Christian doctrine of the Lord, or Divine Man. Some key points:
- God alone is the sole and universal being, while humans and all creatures are merely images or reflections of God's being.
- Nature does not truly image God as it acts out of external constraint rather than internal spontaneity.
- Only man possesses true personality and the power of self-derived action, allowing man alone to be a true image of God.
- For an action to be truly personal, both the internal spiritual self and external natural self must be perfectly united in the action
1. The document discusses the author's personal journey through Freemasonry over 40 years and how it relates to spiritual paths described by ancient Greek philosophers and Christian mystics.
2. It explores concepts of initial spiritual awakening or "photismos" and how Masonic rituals correspond to stages of ethics, intellect, and contemplation of God.
3. The author reflects on how mystical traditions like Sufism describe both a "divine darkness" of transcending knowledge and apprehension of God through love, relating it back to Masonic teachings.
Chapter 1The Allegory of the CaveAt the beginning of Book VII .docxwalterl4
Chapter 1
The Allegory of the Cave
At the beginning of Book VII of Plato’s Republic, Socrates famously invokes an image of human nature with respect to education and the lack of it, likening our situation to that of prisoners in a cave. Imagine an underground cave-like dwelling, its entrance entirely out of sight. Inhabiting this cave are human beings whose feet and necks are chained so that they can neither get up nor turn their heads; they can only see straight ahead. Above and behind them burns a fire, and between them and the fire there is a raised path and a low wall, like the screen above which performers display their puppets. Behind this wall men pass to and fro carrying statues and figures of human beings, animals, and other objects in such a manner that the artifacts appear over the top of the screen, projecting onto the wall opposite the fire. The prisoners, unable to see neither the objects carried behind them nor one another, behold only the shadows of themselves and of the statues cast onto the wall in front of them.
The prisoners represent the vast majority of the human race: “they’re like us.” They live in a world in which images are mistaken for realities. What is a shadow, after all, but a mere image of something real (in this case a statue, which is itself an image of something even more real, namely a living human being or animal)? Moreover, the prisoners have not the faintest clue that throughout their entire lives they have been exposed to nothing but distortions of the truth—they are, in other words, unaware of their ignorance (just like Euthyphro, the fanatical young priest about whom you will read in the next chapter). The shadows represent the authoritative opinions that govern the hearts and minds of whole communities, and give a transcendent purpose and meaning to our particular existence.[1] These shadows are to be contrasted with the light of truth illuminating the world beyond the cave (but which also makes the shadows visible within it). The people carrying the statues are the lawgivers and poets who establish the cultural values and cosmic worldview that characterize and define a given society. In his excellent commentary on Plato’s Republic, Professor Allan Bloom explains: “We do not see men as they are but as they are represented to us by legislators and poets. A Greek sees things differently from the way a Persian sees them. One need only think of…the significance of cows to Hindus as opposed to other men to realize how powerful are the various horizons constituted by law or convention.”[2] These authoritative opinions are not accurate reflections of nature, but rather a curious amalgam of natureandconvention. To quote once again from Professor Bloom: “The first and most difficult of tasks is the separation of what exists by nature from what is merely made by man.”[3]
This, precisely, is the business of philosophy, which literally means “the love of wisdom,” coming from the ancient Greek words philein, me.
The document discusses the relationship between the mind and body, known as the "mind-body problem". It explores how some have viewed the body as a source of temptation and sin throughout history. However, it also argues that viewing the body or mind as the sole problem is misguided. Instead, it proposes that certain forms of exercise can help bridge the mind-body divide by using physical means to induce mental states. Yoga is presented as an early example of this, with postures meant to help spiritual goals. The document concludes by suggesting a variety of exercises tailored to different life challenges that can help mind and body thrive together.
The Allegory of the CaveAt the beginning of Book VII of Plato’s .docxtodd801
The Allegory of the Cave
At the beginning of Book VII of Plato’s Republic, Socrates famously invokes an image of human nature with respect to education and the lack of it, likening our situation to that of prisoners in a cave. Imagine an underground cave-like dwelling, its entrance entirely out of sight. Inhabiting this cave are human beings whose feet and necks are chained so that they can neither get up nor turn their heads; they can only see straight ahead. Above and behind them burns a fire, and between them and the fire there is a raised path and a low wall, like the screen above which performers display their puppets. Behind this wall men pass to and fro carrying statues and figures of human beings, animals, and other objects in such a manner that the artifacts appear over the top of the screen, projecting onto the wall opposite the fire. The prisoners, unable to see neither the objects carried behind them nor one another, behold only the shadows of themselves and of the statues cast onto the wall in front of them.
The prisoners represent the vast majority of the human race: “they’re like us.” They live in a world in which images are mistaken for realities. What is a shadow, after all, but a mere image of something real (in this case a statue, which is itself an image of something even more real, namely a living human being or animal)? Moreover, the prisoners have not the faintest clue that throughout their entire lives they have been exposed to nothing but distortions of the truth—they are, in other words, unaware of their ignorance (just like Euthyphro, the fanatical young priest about whom you will read in the next chapter). The shadows represent the authoritative opinions that govern the hearts and minds of whole communities, and give a transcendent purpose and meaning to our particular existence.[1] These shadows are to be contrasted with the light of truth illuminating the world beyond the cave (but which also makes the shadows visible within it). The people carrying the statues are the lawgivers and poets who establish the cultural values and cosmic worldview that characterize and define a given society. In his excellent commentary on Plato’s Republic, Professor Allan Bloom explains: “We do not see men as they are but as they are represented to us by legislators and poets. A Greek sees things differently from the way a Persian sees them. One need only think of…the significance of cows to Hindus as opposed to other men to realize how powerful are the various horizons constituted by law or convention.”[2] These authoritative opinions are not accurate reflections of nature, but rather a curious amalgam of natureandconvention. To quote once again from Professor Bloom: “The first and most difficult of tasks is the separation of what exists by nature from what is merely made by man.”[3]
This, precisely, is the business of philosophy, which literally means “the love of wisdom,” coming from the ancient Greek words philein, meaning “to .
Presentation on Sophy's world : 2000 years' philosophy in 45 slidesNayana Renukumar
Sophy's World (Sofies Verden) is a Norwegian novel by Jostein Gaarder translated into English by Paulet Miller. It is a wonderful book of philosophy for young adults compressing 2000 years' philosophy in about 500 pages. Through my presentation, I aim to condense the key philosophical concepts of this book in about 45 slides so that all of us can have a quick look at the philosophical reflections which have made us what we are today.
Slowing the Two Cultures continental drift. The humanities are drifting further and further away from the realities of science and technology.Their marginalization should worry us all. I survey the current state of affairs 50 years after CP Snow's talk, and suggest how poets should retool.
The document discusses Aristotle's views on friendship and happiness. It summarizes that for Aristotle, true friendship is based on mutual respect for each other's virtues, and that friends want the best for one another. Aristotle believed that happiness means finding purpose to realize one's potential while becoming the best version of oneself. The document also notes that Aristotle distinguished three types of friendship: those based on pleasure, utility, and virtue.
This document summarizes key passages from an ancient Taoist text called the Secret of the Golden Flower. It describes the Golden Flower as representing the Light or spirit within humans. It discusses circulating the Light through meditation to achieve non-action and create a crystallized spiritual body. It explains that the Light resides between the eyes (Heavenly Heart) and must be protected and strengthened through meditation to overcome rebirth and achieve immortality.
Pythagoras and Democritus were ancient Greek philosophers. Pythagoras established a school based on his religious teachings and morality. He believed in reincarnation and that numbers underlie the universe. Democritus developed an atomist theory that all reality is composed of atoms and void, rejecting the existence of gods. He pursued an early form of hedonism and emphasized moderation and distinguishing useful pleasures.
Friedrich Nietzsche and Karl Jaspers were modern philosophers. Nietzsche declared "God is dead" and presented the Übermensch as overcoming nihilism. He believed the will to power explained all of nature and society. Jaspers saw transcend
Essay 6.1In the late Han period, a sweeping anxiety concer.docxSALU18
Essay 6.1
In the late Han period, a sweeping anxiety concerning the ending of the present cosmic cycle had taken the populous on whole. It was their belief that their world, and universe in general was at the cusp of a great turning point, of which they could not reconcile the current state of being they had become so familiar with. However the in the Purple Texts, Yang Xi’s calculations of time cycles leave many specifics to the speculation of the reader. Such uncertainties led to numerous accounts of the actual string of events leading to the end time’s narrative. Though the technicalities were contested, the messages in the purple text makes clear Yang Xi sensed the final years of his society were at hand.
The details of this apocalyptic scenario envisioned the destruction of all evil nested in the old world, though also the salvation of those deemed “seed people” in order that they may carry forward from their home to a new heaven and earth. Thusly, this dichotomy of good and evil leveraged one’s inclination for self-preservation and resonated the core of every disciple. However, it was also known the Purple Texts held such power that one who gained access and devoted themselves to its teachings was thereby saved from the coming ruin. Worldly manifestations enlightenment were discouraged as the Confucian virtues were alleged to only qualify one through transcendence for the lowest places of celestial bureaucracy upon the cycle’s reestablishment. Along these sentiments, people were encouraged to immediately start their own study of the practices endorsed by the Purple Texts so they may make it onto the list of the seed people.
Although message of salvation through the Purple Texts had reached its audience, the population at large still went uneasily about their place among a new earth and heaven. The bureaucratic culture of the Daoist religion had washed their aspirations with expectation and doubt. Disciples sought discern the order or rank they may attain in the renewed earth and heaven. With this sentiment, the Purple Texts outlines what was then known as the “Marks of Transcendence”, characterized by the interpretation of bodily details that were ascribed a propensity of greater calling for the person with such physical distinctions. Such a practice closely mirrored the foundations of physiognomy, a practice that drew distinct contention through the Doaist contemporary. However in late the Han period, a corporate culture had overtaken society’s structure and individualism was looked down upon in order for ritualistic orthodoxy to flourish. Thus the importance of a method to discern the core mettle of a person arose to the consensus of all who held anxieties towards the imposing fate of end times. The “Marks of Transcendence” depicted even hidden features of a person, only known to the spirits, characteristics of which communicated a person’s moral character as well as the condition of one’s book of life in the myriad heavens.
Howev ...
"The Astronomer-Poet of Persia and Percy Bysshe Shelley"~ Rituparna Ray Chaud...Rituparna Ray Chaudhuri
"Then to this earthen Bowl did I adjourn
My Lip the secret Well of Life to learn:
And Lip to Lip it murmur'd-"While you live
Drink!-for once dead you never shall return." "
The document provides an overview and analysis of the Tao Te Ching, a classic Chinese text traditionally attributed to Laozi (Lao Tzu). It summarizes the text's key teachings and philosophy. The Tao Te Ching advocates avoiding interference and letting nature take its course. It emphasizes simplicity, humility, and reversion to one's natural state rather than striving. The document analyzes how the text's philosophy promotes harmony with oneself and nature, in contrast to other philosophies that cause conflict through desires and opposition to the natural way.
This document discusses various philosophical arguments that have been used throughout history to provide rational justification for belief in God. It outlines logical proofs put forth by thinkers like Aristotle, Aquinas, Anselm, and others. It also examines criticisms of these types of arguments, noting issues like ambiguous premises, dependence on outdated scientific assumptions, and the inability of logic alone to prove empirical claims. The document aims to provide context around the development and critique of different theological proofs and approaches to reasoning about God's existence.
The document discusses the key ideas and impacts of the Enlightenment period. It emphasizes that the Enlightenment saw humans aspiring toward using reason rather than passion to understand the world. Figures like Descartes and Newton questioned existing systems and authorities through applying logic and reason. This led to revolutions in both social and religious thinking, including questioning divine rights of kings and humanity's fallen nature. It also discusses how the Enlightenment elevated the powers of human reason and thought it could help illuminate eternal truths and solve problems.
Lecture in KKP002: Imagining the Creative Future - one of a series of 'thpought world' or 'paradigm' lectures designed to problematise a contemporary 'creative industries practice.
Taoists believe that wisdom is realizing our unity with nature and living in harmony with the natural cycle of life and death (the Tao). Though individuals pass away, the Tao is eternal. The Taoist soul is like a drop of water in a stream, being part of the greater flow of the Tao even after death of the individual. Democritus expanded on the atomic theory, believing all things are made up of indivisible atoms and that the cosmos follows discernible natural laws.
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THE QUEST FOR THE HOLY GRAIL: Closing the Circle of SpirituaityWilliam John Meegan
This paper analyzes biblical and other religious scriptures to understand how they describe "closing the circle of spirituality." The author realized these sources were describing the same psychological and spiritual processes using different symbols. Analyzing the first word of Genesis, "BERESHITH," the author finds it represents the cooperation of the conscious and unconscious minds. Bringing insights from Carl Jung, the author argues the ancient scriptures understood the psyche in a way comparable or greater than modern psychology. Comparing scriptures could lead to new understandings of religion, mythology and the human psyche.
The document discusses different philosophers' views on the concept of self:
1. For Socrates, self-examination is essential to living an examined life. He questioned people's awareness of themselves and their virtues.
2. Plato added that the rational, spirited, and appetitive souls must be governed by reason.
3. Augustine and Aquinas viewed humans as composed of a mortal body and immortal soul, with the soul giving humans their essence.
4. Descartes defined self as mind/consciousness, separate from the extended body. Hume saw self as a bundle of impressions and ideas. Kant argued the mind organizes sense impressions.
5. Ryle rejected the
The document discusses Theosophy and the Mahatmas, including Helena Blavatsky and Henry Steel Olcott who co-founded the Theosophical Society. It provides biographical details on several Mahatmas such as Koot Hoomi, Morya, and K.H. It also discusses Alfred Sinnett's correspondence with the Mahatmas and their views on keeping occult knowledge secret from the public.
Similar to Sample_WLIT_Essay1_Bridge_to_the_Gate_Melissa_Crider (20)
1. Melissa Crider
NWACC spring 2012
Professor Matthew C. Henriksen
ENGL 2213-02 Survey of World Literature to 1650
Monday 6:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.
Essay 1
Bridge to the Gate
A Reflection on Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching & Marcus Aurelius' Meditations
March 12, 2012