Anselm of Canterbury was one of the early promoters of the Ontological Argument supporting the existence of God. He argues that God exists on the basis that ‘something-than-which-nothing-greater-can-be-thought’ should necessarily exist in reality. In other words, just as anything a painter can conceive of can be materialized into a painting, the conception of God is…
Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience by Sharon Salzberg
It is important for all of us to have spiritual moorings. To be able to negotiate the vagaries of life, a spiritual support is essential. Sharon Salzberg’s informative book Faith is a personalized account of the necessity of faith. Talking from her experiences as an American Buddhist teacher, Salzberg offers readers several insights on the…
The considerable overlap between Buddhism and Neuroscience
Following the thesis of Weisman’s article for the Seed Magazine, this essay will further furnish evidence in support of its claims. This essay will argue that much of the distilled wisdom of Buddhist thought is congruent with modern findings in neuroscience. Of late Buddhism has found a following in the West. The major reason is…
Can political regimes have legitimacy without democracy?
It is imperative that any political regime first gains its legitimacy before enforcing its authority on people. At the outset, it is important to differentiate legitimacy from legality. Legality is a technical concept, which may or may not always satisfy criteria for legitimacy. Legitimacy, on the other hand, is ascertained through an ethical evaluation of…
Stalin’s Barber by Paul M. Levitt
Consciously or not, Stalin conjoins religion and politics. Why? Religion, especially the monotheistic religions profess the idea of damnation and divine retribution for sinners. Stalin must have thought that where bullets and the baton are inadequate in suppressing dissent, the fear of God would serve as a complete deterrent. Another explanation for Stalin’s mixing of…
Characteristics of 19th century Nation States
The 19th century saw many key developments in political science. It was a period of fertile intellectual discussion about various forms of government and their merits and demerits. It was a time when many societies were coming out of agrarian economies and embracing industrialization. On the political front, imperialism still held sway as the dominant…
Exploring the way poets present their thoughts about relationships
The three poems in question are much contrasted in their content, tone and style. The poem by Willam Butler Yeats is a classic, whose lines have been invoked on many a romantic occasion by the English speaking peoples. The poem is a ode to love, but its real beauty comes from the angle of self-love….
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan: A Leadership Profile
One of the persons I admire a lot is Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. He is the current President of the United Arab Emirates. The UAE does not follow a democratic political system, but is a monarchy. As a result Mr. Al Nahyan inherited the Presidency from his father on 3rd November…
Should a liberal-democratic government protect the ‘social rights’ of its citizens?
It is self-evidently true that a liberal-democratic government should protect the ‘social rights’ of its citizens. There are copious arguments from various eminent thinkers that back up this claim. Ranging across eras and philosophical schools, various intellectuals have endorsed the protection of social rights of citizens. This essay will draw upon the ideas of philosopher…
C. A. Campbell’s Has The Self ‘Free Will’?
Rubric: What two conditions must be satisfied, according to Campbell, in order for a choice to be an exercise of free will (in the morally significant sense)? How do these two conditions relate to determinism? Also provide a reasoned evaluation of Campbell’s defense of free will. At the outset, there is no consensus among philosophers…