Intelligence testing, which is an important tool for psychological screening and profiling of subjects, has attracted much criticism from various quarters. Intelligence testing, as in standardized IQ tests, have certain limitations, which render them in-comprehensive. For example, psychologists such as Daniel Goleman have introduced a new dimension to cognitive tests by recognizing the importance of…
The set of religious observances known as the Five Pillars of Islam
All people of the Islamic religion are expected to observe a set of five simple rules which are called the Five Pillars of Islam. These are, namely, “Belief, Worship, Fasting, Alms giving and Pilgrimage”. The Five Pillars act as a template for how the faithful have to conduct themselves in relation to fellow believers as…
How did Saint Paul universalize Christ?
There are many Apostles and Saints who propagated the message of Christianity across the world. Among these St. Paul is one of the more prominent. Also referred to as Apostle Paul or Paul of Tarsus, this early missionary carried the message of Jesus Christ to unchartered geographies and its people. His contribution to the writing…
Why are Shakespeare’s rulers deeply mentally anguished?
In most of Shakespeare’s plays, the rulers are portrayed to be in a state of mental stress. This is particularly true with respect to the two plays – King Lear and Measure for Measure. King Lear, which is a tragedy, is full of expressions of anguish and pathos by the old king, whose mental faculties…
Book review and analysis of the Richard Dawkins chapter in ‘Seeing Further’
Richard Dawkins has contributed enormously to the general readership’s understanding of Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. Starting from his seminal first book The Selfish Gene Theory, his writings have come to represent robust scientific logic and high literary quality. His latest contribution toward this end comes in the form of a chapter written…
Existential inquiry in ‘Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge’ by Ambrose Bierce
Ambrose Bierce’s short story titled An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge is one of the classics of the art form. The story could be read from three different angles. First, the political angle provided by the American Civil War of the 1860s. Second is the cultural angle, whereby the unique flavors of the American South…
David Irving: A Brief Profile
David Irving is one of the most controversial modern historians. Born in Britain in 1938, Irving has written many books about the Second World War and its leaders. For example, he has written detailed accounts of Adolf Hitler, Winston Churchill, Goebbels, etc. In his books, he focussed on the military aspects of the war. But…
Why can Buddhism be considered “psychological”?
Buddhism is a major religion in current times, but its origins goes back thousands of centuries. Having originated in North Eastern India, it had spread far and wide in the Eastern hemisphere, making it a dominant religion in the Asian continent. Buddhism has been in existence even before the rise of Judeo-Christians, making it stand…
What is the basic world view of tribal religions?
Since tribe formation is the earliest form of human organization, tribal religions can said to be the earliest expression of organized religion. Since human tribes lived in a state of nature and their survival depended on benign natural conditions and events, they recognized the power of natural elements. These elements included fire, water, air, earth…
An open letter to Assata Shakur in response to her autobiography
Dear Assata Shakur, I would like to start by saying that your autobiography has had a profound effect on me. You will always remain an inspiration for generations of underprivileged groups as well as students like me. I was much impressed by the clarity of your thoughts and the rationale for your goals. The quality…