Philosophy // Current

On Thinner Ice: New photography project provides stark proof of melting glaciers on the roof of ...

Hover your mouse into the picture to see the difference. Excerpt: "Global... more

lookatmypix
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3 days ago
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4 comments

Words of Wisdom: 101 Tips from the World’s Most Famous Authors

These valuable bits of information provide guidance on strengthening your writing... more

sunnyspeaks
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5 days ago
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Gallery - Ten inventions that changed the world - Image 1 - New Scientist

With 9581 votes, the medical X-ray radiograph was deemed the most important... more

quanta
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6 days ago
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Are you asleep? Exploring the mind's twilight zone - life - 07 October 2009 - New Scientist

When we woke them up abruptly, and they rated themselves as alert and ready to go,... more

quanta
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Only Gnosis can save us

For sure the human race is now being tested. We are now seeing the culmination of centuries of actions and thoughts coming to fruition. And there are those who claim that the human race will not survive this century because our actions have become more about pleasing ourselves than looking to how they will effect the future.

I agree with those who claim this. On the whole humans have become shallow, selfish, egocentric creatures who care nothing for anything but their own gratification. Not unlike many civilizations before us that fell because of these same tendencies. We say we must learn from the past in order to not repeat it, and then we forget to remember because it is too inconvenient to do so. We disrespect and disregard the wisdom of the ages and of nature that tell us everyday the secrets of and answers to lifes's questions.

We have become arrogant in thinking that nature is owned by us when it is we who are one with it. By thinking we alone are omnipotent over all other species we have now doomed our own. This arrogance is seen daily in everything from our polluted toxic environment, to our social ills, to our wars. And yet through it all we continue to claim that such abuses to the Earth and to ourselves are in the end for our own good. We live in denial to validate the very actions leading us to our fate.

In the Gnostic faith which I believe, the Earth we now live in and perceive is a great illusion perpetrated by those who put up these materialistic distractions in order that we may never know Gnosis, the true light. And in discerning this belief one cannot help but be struck by its relevance in today's world. We treasure money more than life itself. We look upon the powerful as strong and the truthful as weak. Our climate of discourse is one of self aggrandizement rather than self determination and caring for all. We seek to own instead of share, and look at disasters only as important when they land on our own doorsteps. In moral and conscious terms we are the antithesis to what the human in humanity should be imparting on the world. And yet, we wait patiently for "God" to save us. We even hook up large instruments looking for "God particles" to give us some meaning to life. And we are looking in the wrong places.

Is there hope for us? Will we collectively seek out the answers to the mysteries of the ages in the right place? Will Gnosis ever come? There are many references to the light, seeing the light, etc. in philosophic and religious writings down through the ages. Jesus Christ was described as "the light of the world." These are not references to be taken to mean that Christ is God, but to tell us he was the messenger to reveal how we can see the light that lives in all of us. Even our forefathers understood that and built Washington DC based on these mysteries and answers to finding that light in governance and the power and promise of man becoming God through the apotheosis. Of course, this means seeing all humans as equal and therefore is the reason why our world is now so out of balance. Our materialistic tendencies clouding the truth.

This is the key to hope for humanity. The simple action of "seeing the light" in ourselves and each other and in all that sustains us. And how is this done? Through simply seeing the world as it was meant to be seen beyond the distractions...a place where we live in harmony with nature, trust in its order, and see our interrelationship with it in nourishing our souls. This brings out our light, our divine selves, and brings us to Gnosis. The realization that we are the saviours we have been waiting for.For sure the human race is now being tested. We are now seeing the culmination of... more

JanforGore
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10 days ago
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Socratic Dialogue: Our Need for Introspection

When a man came to converse with Socrates, he usually thought that he had a fair... more

Allorno1
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11 days ago
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Badass of The Day; Dojo of the Four Winds

"In the absence of the warrior-protector, the only way that a government can protect a... more

remanns
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12 days ago
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3 comments

Interview with Author Ryan Dawson on his new book for children, “Journey of Oktavius”

Ryan Dawson is the author of a new children’s book titled, “Journey of... more

LeahMcNeirArt
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14 days ago
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2012: Six End-of-the-World Myths Debunked

quanta
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What IS the Meaning of Life?

"Before you read this, realize that the truth isn’t always true and the false... more

FishaHouse777
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14 days ago
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Earliest reference describes Christ as a magician. Could he have been an ancient Sorcerer?

Everybody has opinions yet there are sufficient facts to label him as Magician or... more

Ragan
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14 days ago
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"First as Tragedy, Then As Farce": Philosopher and Cultural Theorist Slavoj Žižek Speaks at Cooper U

Dubbed by the National Review as “the most dangerous political philosopher in the... more

quanta
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15 days ago
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People’s Reaction to Me Being an Art Student

This graph caught my attention. Look at how many people ask how he is going to... more

lookatmypix
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18 days ago
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Philosophy Slam takes philosophy out of the classroom

College students rarely get the opportunity to engage their school president in a heated philosophical debate.

But Jacksonville University President Kerry Romesburg - tieless and casually dressed with his top button undone - took to the stage of a downtown bar Tuesday night to field intellectual challenges from students and community members.

It's called a philosophy "slam," JU philosophy professor and event coordinator Erich Freiberger said.

A speaker is given about five minutes to discuss a contentious topic, come out either for it or against it and defend that position to audience members who provide philosophical interjections.

"It's a fun, fast-paced way to take on difficult issues," Freiberger said. "And this event is particularly fun for me because I don't usually get the chance to question my boss."

The night's topic was how business and ethics intermingle. The crux of Romesburg's argument was that ethics vary as they pertain to businesses and human beings. As long as they operate within the law, businesses have one purpose - to make money. People, however, are bound by different ethical constraints.

That elicited a chorus of shouts and guffaws from one crowd member, who launched into a lengthy side debate with another man who sided with Romesburg.

"That must be the slam!" a woman yelled over the verbal sparring.

The din of conversation was eventually extinguished by a spectator who shushed the noisier speakers like they were in a rambunctious class.

"Their arguments were quite impressive," Romesburg told The Times-Union on Wednesday. "It was a far cry from my usual speaking engagements, but I loved the interplay between myself and the audience."

David Schwam-Baird, a political science professor at UNF and frequent slam participant, said the philosophical showdowns allow for a more freewheeling type of discussion than the traditional lecture setting. And it exposes students to various schools of thought that they might not experience when poring over textbooks.

"It's more conducive to critical thinking for some students," he said. "It takes them out of the lecture mind-set that they should passively accept information. They shouldn't think learning is confined to a classroom setting."College students rarely get the opportunity to engage their school president in a... more