«The practical and esoteric dimensions of Islam intertwine in the Sufi tradition to forge a non-dual relationship between the worshipper and God. Sufis augment their adherence to the Q’uranic doctrine of submission to God (Islam) with a passionate...» Document abstract
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Summary The practical and esoteric dimensions of Islam intertwine in the Sufi tradition to forge a non-dual relationship between the worshipper and God. Sufis augment their adherence to the Q’uranic doctrine of submission to God (Islam) with a passionate love for “doing the beautiful” (ihsan), exemplified by the practices of dhikr and sama’. By remembering (dhikr) and reciting and hearing (sama’) the various attributes of God, Sufis seek to understand their Beloved and remove the veils that stand between Creator and created. As written by the Sufi poet Rumi, “Worship is to offer love. The goal is to be restless in that Beauty and to seek It, nothing more (Chittick, 107).
Table of Contents- The practical and esoteric dimensions of Islam intertwine in the Sufi tradition to forge a non-dual relationship between the worshipper and God.
- The annihilation of ego (fana') is the greatest evidence of a Sufi's submission to God, as Rumi reported on Hallaj's famous account of his fana' experience.
- Everything is perishing but His face- since you are not in His face, do not seek to be.
- That is, the false perception that there even exists anything other than God occurs only to those minds lacking love for God.
- The Sufi metaphor for God describes both a Lover of the beautiful and a beautiful Beloved.
«Panpsychism describes a world in which “everything has a mind (Chalmers 298),” and everything- animal, botanical, even mineral- is conscious. In order to determine whether or not all things are indeed conscious, two problems must be addressed. A...» Document abstract
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SummaryPanpsychism describes a world in which “everything has a mind (Chalmers 298),” and everything- animal, botanical, even mineral- is conscious. In order to determine whether or not all things are indeed conscious, two problems must be addressed. A definition of what it means to be conscious must be accepted, and further, the nature of that consciousness (the mechanism by which experience is experienced) must be ascertained. Rather than actually attempting to achieve a definitive answer to these questions in this paper, several hypotheses and their critiques will be discussed.
Table of Contents- Panpsychism describes a world in which 'everything has a mind (Chalmers 298),' and everything- animal, botanical, even mineral- is conscious. In order to determine whether or not all things are indeed conscious, two problems must be addressed.
- For Thomas Nagel, the question of the consciousness of a particular organism boils down to whether or not 'there is something that it is like to be that organism .?
- Rather than solving the problem of universal consciousness, this Realist approach to panpsychism merely considers what further problems must be addressed before a complete definition can be determined.
- Extrapolating this discussion of mental states to the ‘minds' of those things which we intuitively believe to be unconscious- plants and rocks, for example- leads to a philosophical catch-22.
- The distinction between cognition and consciousness is Chalmers' second significant contribution to the panpsychism debate.
- While Chalmers formulates that ‘everything has a mind,' Buddhism posits that ‘everything is mind.?
- The citta-matra (mind-only) tradition of Buddhism distinguishes three levels of consciousness.
- To relate these concepts directly back to the discussion of panpsychism is quite logical.
- This model of existence, which demonstrates that existence is contingent on consciousness and vice-versa, suggests a possible solution to Nagel's missing link.
«The principle of interconnectedness pervades the worldviews of the Daoist and Buddhist religions originating from India and China. It is fitting that the traditions themselves are historically and textually interconnected in a way that finds...» Document abstract
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SummaryThe principle of interconnectedness pervades the worldviews of the Daoist and Buddhist religions originating from India and China. It is fitting that the traditions themselves are historically and textually interconnected in a way that finds traditions intermingling by borrowing teachings and practices and combining them into unique syncretisms. The often syncretic nature of religion is nowhere more apparent than in Han-period Daoist scriptures. Daoism is by no means a monolithic entity, and its many schools vary greatly in text and practice.
Table of Contents- The principle of interconnectedness pervades the worldviews of the Daoist and Buddhist religions originating from India and China.
- Stephen Bokenkamp indicates that for the Celestial Masters of the Song dynasty
- In their treatment of salvation, The Upper Scripture of Purple Texts Inscribed by the Spirits uniquely exemplify the Buddhist influence on the Shangqing.
- The Sage Lord of the Purple Texts is an example of the perfected man (zhenren) who has attained such status by following the practical prescriptions contained within the text itself.
- While the Shangqing text clearly shares philosophical ground with Buddhism, the Celestial Masters text Inner Explanations of the Upper Heavens is a polemic against the Indian religion.
- In line with the politically charged nature of this Daoist polemic, the utopian undertone of The Inner Explanations seeks to cast the blame for the period's cultural upheaval on the Buddhist insurgence into the Han dynasty.
- No matter which school is being discussed, the object of all Daoist practice is long life.
- Both the Purple Texts Inscribed by the Spirits and the Inner Explanations of the Upper Heavens involve, to different degrees, the cosmic wanderings of Daoist sages.
- The interiorization of Daoist practice is also apparent in the Celestial Masters text of Inner Explanations.
- Those aspects of Buddhism that have been either subsumed into or rejected by particular Daoist schools reflect the underlying conceptual flow of the traditions of Daoism.
«The Daode Jing is a manual, attributed to Laozi, suggesting that non-action (wu-wei) is a way by which one may exist in accord with the cosmic principle of Dao and thus ensure a virtuous self and society. By cultivating the individual body, the...» Document abstract
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Summary The Daode Jing is a manual, attributed to Laozi, suggesting that non-action (wu-wei) is a way by which one may exist in accord with the cosmic principle of Dao and thus ensure a virtuous self and society. By cultivating the individual body, the Daoist sage in turn cultivates the social body. This simultaneously self-oriented and socio-political outlook of the Daode Jing finds its roots in the chaos of the Warring States period of Chinese history. As Livia Kohn indicates, the unrest of this period caused many to yearn for a way to reclaim the serenity of the mythical Golden Age.
Table of Contents- The Daode Jing is a manual, attributed to Laozi, suggesting that non-action (wu-wei) is a way by which one may exist in accord with the cosmic principle of Dao and thus ensure a virtuous self and society.
- The principle of non-action exemplified by the sage derives from what the Daode Jing describes as the constant nature of the Dao.
- As a socio-political text, the Daode Jing addresses the ‘sage' who has cultivated himself towards virtuous living.
- Here, Laozi criticizes the facades of virtue exhibited by aristocratic leadership, and calls for the new model of a humble sage who does not think of himself as a sage at all.
- While such socio-political interpretations of the Daode Jing might be valid, there also exists the strain of Daoists who practice self-improvement without the intention of working towards a sagely kingdom.
- The benefits of such introspection serve both the highest king and lowest peasant, and the principles of non-contention, humility and submissiveness are as valuable now as they were to the court of ancient Chinese emperors.
«"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mocking bird," explains Miss...» Document abstract
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Summary"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mocking bird," explains Miss Maudie in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. This is a simple concept to understand but it becomes a very complex and unifying metaphor in this novel. The action of the story centers about two particular characters. The first is Boo Radley who is a rarely seen neighbor that the community gossips about. He has been locked away from the world, by his father, for much of his life. The community propagates stories of him only coming out at night to hunt animals for food. The children both delight in and fear Boo Radley. Scout, Jem, and Dill spend their summer peeking in the Radley’s windows and trying to make a connection with Boo. The children do forge a friendship with Radley. He leaves little gifts for them in a hole in a tree along a street. In this part of the novel "the emphasis is on people of a race and culture different from that of the Finch children, but it also includes the eccentric Boo Radleys of the world who are so different from the people we are "(Johnson 2).
Table of Contents- Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us.
- The first part of the novel is a very lighthearted and sentimental look at growing up in the south in the 1930s.
- Franklin Roosevelt had just become president and the nation looked to him to restore America's potential.
- The second part of To Kill a Mockingbird is strikingly different from the first. It makes good use of the setting and tells the story of Tom Robinson.
- There is much controversy surrounding the use of To Kill a Mockingbird in schools.
- 'In summary, the two parts of the novel, which focus on the stories of two "mockingbirds" who are considered outlaws, are brought together through the various elements of the fiction to merge in a central theme of growing up to acknowledge the human bonds between ourselves and those so different from us.?
«To abstain or not to abstain? Seems like everyone has their own answer to this question. The educational system is doing most of the answering for us. There are two types of proposed programs that are floating around; abstinence-only programs that...» Document abstract
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SummaryTo abstain or not to abstain? Seems like everyone has their own answer to this question. The educational system is doing most of the answering for us. There are two types of proposed programs that are floating around; abstinence-only programs that teach kids that abstinence is the only good choice and a comprehensive sex education, which acknowledges sex as a premarital behavior and provides safety information. Telling kids all the dangers associated with sex and saying the only way to survive is by not having sex is blatantly wrong. It is denying kids information that can save their lives. Sex education needs to encompass every aspect of sexual relationships, acknowledge that people do and will have sex, and provide them with the tools to make informed decisions.
Table of Contents- To abstain or not to abstain' Seems like everyone has their own answer to this question.
- In an article from Washington University a sex educator and therapist stated that, "Touching and holding and erotic feelings are everyone's birthright and they are a part of lifelong health??
- When sex education became nationwide between 1925 and 1940, educators were afraid that talking about prostitution, adultery, and prophylactic methods would make the students more promiscuous.
- As the number of teenage pregnancies rose and AIDS spread, people became more worried.
- In our current age there is now an ongoing debate as to what type of sex education is more beneficent for our children.
- However the relationship between the decrease in teen pregnancy and these abstinence-only programs, has been misinterpreted.
- Also, advocates for abstinence-only show statistics for an increase of STDs in America.
- Most of the time abstinence programs only teach with fear, scaring children, not really educating them, using actual medical facts
- The next step would be to take this idea and combine it with the teacher-taught comprehensive sex education programs.
«When studying Romeo and Juliet, most critics focus on four main points: Romeo’s and Juliet’s death scene, the relationship between the lovers, a feminist look at Juliet’s character, and the structure of the play as a whole. However, the death scene...» Document abstract
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SummaryWhen studying Romeo and Juliet, most critics focus on four main points: Romeo’s and Juliet’s death scene, the relationship between the lovers, a feminist look at Juliet’s character, and the structure of the play as a whole. However, the death scene is the most criticized aspect of the play, which says that most critics believe it’s the most significant and has the most bearing on the play as a whole. Then the structure of the play is criticized by others, because as David Lucking notes, “ . . . the catastrophe of the play is precipitated by the elementary fact that the two protagonists are, to put it crudely, poorly coordinated from the strictly chronological point of view” (“Uncomfortable time”115).
Table of Contents- When studying Romeo and Juliet, most critics focus on four main points:
- Since the main focus of most critics is the death scene, then there are many different views and beliefs about it.
- Shakespeare also takes death and turns it into ' . . . an indisputable condition of life, as something integral to the cycles of nature . . .?
- Conversely, while the death scene is the most criticized aspect of Romeo and Juliet, some critics also analyze in depth the structure of the whole play.
- Meanwhile, taking another approach, Cardullo quotes critic Bertrand Evans as asking the question
- But another critic, Susan Snyder, suggests that the lovers are too young to be married and too young to be protagonists in a play
- The fourth and final aspect of Romeo and Juliet deals with Juliet's role in the play, as she isn't simply an underdeveloped character, but rather a 'spontaneous, passionate child of nature, whose speech and heart are always one?
- When you look at all four main points that most critics analyze:
- It's probably best that it is the most scrutinized aspect, because it must have worked for him to use it that often.
«In Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination Morrison rejects the theory that American literature reflects white male views. She argues that “Africanism”, a term she uses “for the denotative and connotative blackness that African...» Document abstract
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SummaryIn Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination Morrison rejects the theory that American literature reflects white male views. She argues that “Africanism”, a term she uses “for the denotative and connotative blackness that African peoples have come to signify” (Morrison, Playing, 6), has had a crucial presence in American literature throughout the years. Morrison writes, “These speculations have led me to wonder whether the major and championed characteristics of our national literature —individualism, masculinity, social engagement versus historical isolation; acute and ambiguous moral problematics; the thematics of innocence coupled with an obsession with death and hell —are not in fact responses to a dark, abiding, signing Africanist presence.”(Morrison, Playing, 5)
Table of Contents- In Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination Morrison rejects the theory that American literature reflects white male views.
- Toni Morrison is one of the most prominent contemporary authors in American literature.
- Toni Morrison was born Chloe Anthony Wofford on February 18, 1931 to her parents, George Wofford and Ramah Willis Wofford.
- Toni Morrison lived through the height of the Civil Rights Movement.
- When she attended Howard University, a prominent historically Black university, Morrison became more aware of the harsh lives of many Black Americans, which had been less noticeable in the North.
- Morrison shows the issue of self-hatred in her writings.
- Everybody in the world was in a position to give [black women] orders.
- In Beloved, mothers are also depicted in various ways. Baby Suggs is the grandmother in Beloved.
- In Beloved, Seethe's family is torn because of the impact that slavery had on them.
«Throughout her life, Emily Dickinson wrote nearly 1,800 poems, many of which are known and cherished throughout the world. Like many other great writers, Dickinson not only showed talent in her poetry but in her other forms of writing as well....» Document abstract
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SummaryThroughout her life, Emily Dickinson wrote nearly 1,800 poems, many of which are known and cherished throughout the world. Like many other great writers, Dickinson not only showed talent in her poetry but in her other forms of writing as well. Nearly as famous as her poems, many of Dickinson’s letters to loved ones have been published and have become known for their articulate, loving nature. Perhaps the most popular of her letters, Dickinson’s correspondence with her sister-in-law, Susan Gilbert, has been the source of debate for the academic community, (Kristin M. Comment, Legacy: A Journal of American Women Writers). Full of sexual innuendo and loving remarks, Dickinson’s letter’s to Susan suggest Dickinson’s felt something more than friendship for Susan. Dickinson’s love and dependence towards Susan can be recognized not only in Dickinson’s letters, but in her poetry as well, making Susan Gilbert an inspiration to Dickinson’s writing.
Table of Contents- Throughout her life, Emily Dickinson wrote nearly 1,800 poems, many of which are known and cherished throughout the world. Like many other great writers, Dickinson not only showed talent in her poetry but in her other forms of writing as well
- Emily attended Amherst Academy and spend a year at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary.
- Emily and Susan had met and become close friends before William and Susan's courtship
- While there has been much debate over the issue, it is generally known that Susan never responded to Emily's letters as Emily would have wanted her to.
«At a lecture given at our own Stony Brook University, Michael Ratner asserts that “Justice is losing its power” . What Michael Ratner, the defending lawyer for many prisoners being held at Guantanamo Bay, means by this daring statement is that...» Document abstract
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SummaryAt a lecture given at our own Stony Brook University, Michael Ratner asserts that “Justice is losing its power” . What Michael Ratner, the defending lawyer for many prisoners being held at Guantanamo Bay, means by this daring statement is that America is losing sight of its foundations. He can witness first hand the escalating debate about torture, so central in today’s media, and concludes that we are retreating back to the times before our very own constitution was drafted, back to the times before the Magna Carta. Even though we have established laws, people in such places as Guantanamo, as long as they are claimed as “prisoners of war” are neglected the right of due process and many other civil rights, standard for human beings. It is such accusations that fuel this very debate about the rights a government and its agencies have over their prisoners during wartime. For better answers to such an intricate question one could turn to philosophers, particularly the more contemporary ones that have ethical views on the matter. Two such philosophers are Immanuel Kant and Augustine, one from Germany the other from the Roman Empire.
Table of Contents- At a lecture given at our own Stony Brook University, Michael Ratner asserts that 'Justice is losing its power? .
- Augustine, the fifth century philosopher, and a very important figure in modern Christian and western thought, gives many answers on what man should do with his god given free will. Augustine claims that evil is not derived from the moral judgments of man
- At first glance it seems that Augustine is contradicting himself when he says 'justice is giving each his due' putting forth a very retributive view of punishment, and then saying that an innocent person could be tortured for the benefit of society
- Thirteen centuries later, in an era of radical and daring philosophies, Immanuel Kant also concluded that torture is an unacceptable form of punishment.
- Going back to Kant's idea of categorical imperative, it would become clear that if a soldier decided to torture a terrorist, he would be implying that such behavior would be acceptable as a standard in society.
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