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Index for this page...
All The Following Items Were Posted On August 1, 2007 World: In everyday speech this word is often used as a synonym for this planet in the solar system. Philosophically, it is used as a synonym for the cosmos or physical universe. The best philosophical use of the word "world" is to designate all of reality, both physical and sensible and also intelligible and immaterial. In philosophical theology as well as in sacred or dogmatic theology, the world consists of the totality of God's creatures, but does not include God. Even if the world or cosmos had never been created, God would have real existence. From Adler's Philosophical Dictionary: 125 Key Terms for the Philosopher's Lexicon. Have you a copy of this book in your personal library? If not, consider getting one. Read Max Weismann's review of this book by Clicking Here.
Socrates (c. 470-399 B.C.) "Socrates believed the only path to knowledge was through discussion of ideas, so he spent his life conversing with followers in their homes and with friends and bystanders casually encountered in the marketplace. Diogenes says he engaged 'keenly in argument with anyone who would converse with him, his aim being not to alter his opinion but to get at the truth.' His dialogues were brilliant, entertaining, stimulating, and intimidating." -- Professor James L. Christian. Read about Socrates in The Radical Academy.
Source: Volume 1 of The Wisdom Seekers: Great Philosophers of the Western World, by James L. Christian. If you want an excellent and comprehensive history of philosophy, the two volumes in this set are among the best available. And I'm not just saying that because Professor Christian is a personal friend. I used his introductory textbook in philosophy -- Philosophy: An Introduction to the Art of Wondering -- when I was teaching an introduction to philosophy course many years ago. It is an excellent introduction. J.D.
FOR THE RECORD 1. POLITICS: When Privatization Goes Bad - Outsourcing Obscenity Law Leave it to ethically-challenged U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to take a great concept -- privatization -- and pervert it into a government-funded religious war on the First Amendment. Citizens visiting the Justice Department Web site to report an "obscene" Web site are directed to a section titled "What Citizens Can Do About Obscenity." In turn, that sends you to ObscenityCrimes.org -- a privately-operated Web site, run by a religious anti-obscenity group, that since 2004 has received federal funding. ObscenityCrimes.org provides an online form you can fill out. Your form will be reviewed by "a team of two seasoned investigators," you are told. If they deem your report worthy, it will be forwarded to the Justice Department and your U.S. attorney. And what organization runs ObscenityCrimes.org? Morality in Media Inc. Morality in Media, according to media law professor Stephen Bates, is a religious organization "that has battled pornography, profanity and blasphemy since 1962. It aims to 'rid the world of pornography' -- most of which is constitutionally protected. The site blames porn for, among other things, the Virginia Tech massacre, international trafficking in women and the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. Playboy promotes sibling incest, and even Cosmopolitan is nothing short of pornographic, says Morality in Media, which also fulminates against 'the hellish sexual revolution,' R-rated movies, gangsta rap and Bratz dolls." Morality in Media disagrees that the First Amendment protects pornography, declaring in a letter to President Bush that the First Amendment is not "a license to publish pornography." You don't have to support pornography to see the dangers of having a religious organization that opposes R-rated movies and Cosmopolitan magazine receiving government funding to wage war against pornography. And you don't have to be a fan of smut to be alarmed at this cavalier treatment of sensitive First Amendment issues by the Justice Department. Source: Stephen Bates - "Outsourcing Justice? That's just obscene" via Advocates for Self-Government. 2. RELIGION: Atheist Love Affair Atheism is one of today's trendiest movements. Secular stalwarts Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris penned some best-selling books on the subject. Now Jonathan Miller, a knighted neurologist, humorist and scholar, has launched a cinematic attack on the religious beliefs of Americans. Miller's three-part documentary, "A Brief History of Disbelief," aired in the U.K. in 2004 and is coming to PBS stations in the U.S. this summer. "When we first made it, it was inconceivable that it would be broadcast in the United States," Miller told TVGuide.com. "I think the success of Christopher Hitchens' 'God Is Not Great' and Richard Dawkins' 'The God Delusion' shows that things have slightly changed. I don't know why, but something has happened to usher in a certain hospitality to controversy on this subject." Apparently, sections of the documentary try to make the case that our nation's founders, including George Washington and James Madison, were anti-religious agnostics who created the much-lauded secular progressive notion of "Separation of Church and State" (which, incidentally, is not contained in the Constitution) because they viewed the world as Miller does. Miller lumps radical Islamists together with evangelical Christians, describing the events of Sept. 11 as "the most powerful expression of religious fanaticism" of our time. "The World Trade Center attacks are one of the reasons I thought it was important to do it [the documentary]," Miller said. "I just thought it was a good place to begin, because of the impact fanatical religion has on our world. I suppose the most dangerous right now is Islam, but fanatic Christianity has also done a great deal of damage to people," Miller added. "Not to mention the current war in Iraq and Afghanistan and the idea of bringing democracy to these countries has this sort of Christian conviction behind it." Meanwhile HBO host Bill Maher is jumping on the religion-bashing bandwagon with a yet-to-be-named documentary feature, which will most likely allow Maher to wax contemptibly on faith. Lionsgate will distribute Maher's flick. The basic premise of the ungodly books and films is that theism is less rational than atheism. But the truth is, it takes a lot of faith to be an atheist.
Source: The Left Coast Report - Commentary by James L. Hirsen 3. EDUCATION: Hand Gestures Dramatically Improve Learning Kids asked to physically gesture at math problems are nearly three times more likely than non-gesturers to remember what they've learned. In today's issue of the journal Cognition, a University of Rochester scientist suggests it's possible to help children learn difficult concepts by providing gestures as an additional and potent avenue for taking in information. "We've known for a while that we use gestures to add information to a conversation even when we're not entirely clear how that information relates to what we're saying," says Susan Wagner Cook, lead author and postdoctoral fellow at the University. "We asked if the reverse could be true; if actively employing gestures when learning helps retain new information." It turned out to have a more dramatic effect than Cook expected. In her study, 90 percent of students who had learned algebraic concepts using gestures remembered them three weeks later. Only 33 percent of speech-only students who had learned the concept during instruction later retained the lesson. And perhaps most astonishing of all, 90 percent of students who had learned by gesture alone -- no speech at all -- recalled what they'd been taught. Cook used a variation on a classic gesturing experiment. When third graders approach a two-sided algebra equation, such as "9+3+6=__+6" on a blackboard, they will likely try to solve it in the simple way they have always approached math problems. They tend to think in terms of "the equal sign means put the answer here," rather than thinking that the equal sign divides the problem into two halves. As a result, children often completely ignore the final "+6." However, even when children discard that final integer, they will often point to it momentarily as they explain how they attacked the problem. Those children who gestured to the number, even though they may seem to ignore it, are demonstrating that they have a piece of information they can't reconcile. Previous work has shown that the children with that extra bit of disconnected knowledge are the ones ready to learn, which suggests that perhaps giving children extra information in their gesture could lead to their learning. Cook divided 84 third and fourth graders into three groups. One group expressed the concept verbally without being allowed to use gestures. The second group was allowed to use only gestures and no speech, and the third group employed both. Teachers gave all the children the same instruction, which used both speech and gesture. After three weeks, the children were given regular in-school math tests. Of those children who had learned to solve the problem correctly, only a third of the speech-only students remembered the principles involved, but that figure rose dramatically for the speech-and-gesture, and the gesture-only group, to 90-percent retention. "My intuition is that gestures enhance learning because they capitalize on our experience acting in the world," says Cook. "We have a lot of experience learning through interacting with our environment as we grow, and my guess is that gesturing taps into that need to experience." Cook plans to look into how gesturing could be implemented effectively in classrooms to make a noticeable improvement in children's learning. "Gesturing does have one clear benefit," Cook adds. "It's free." Source: NewsMax Health Reports "Faceless bureaucrats in federal agencies waste so much money that they need someone constantly looking over their shoulder. This is why congressional oversight is so important. But, let's face it: when we approve congressional earmarks for indoor rainforests in Iowa or teapot museums in North Carolina, we make the most spendthrift faceless bureaucrat look frugal." -- Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), U.S. House of Representatives, July 17, 2007. "First, picture the material standard of living you could have afforded back in 1979 with the median [U.S.] household income then of $16,461. Now picture the mix of goods and services you could buy in 2004 with the median income of $44,389. Which is the better deal? Only the most blinkered ideologue could fail to see the dramatic expansion of comforts, conveniences and opportunities that the contemporary family enjoys." -- "The Culture Gap," Brink Lindsey, Cato Institute, July 10, 2007.
COUNSELING CORNER: Will Rogers about getting older... Will Rogers (1879-1935), the American humorist and actor, nicknamed the "cowboy philosopher," who died in a plane crash with Wylie Post in 1935, was probably the greatest political sage this country has ever known. Here is Will Rogers' advice about getting older:
Just in case you didn't know it, Will Rogers was a highly skilled rodeo performer and he came to exemplify, for many Americans, the common man in rhetorical arms against injustice and governmental stupidity. He appeared in several John Ford movies, most notably Judge Priest (1934).
A LITTLE OF THIS & A LITTLE OF THAT A Little Wisdom: I haven't a clue as to how my story will end. But that's all right. When you set out on a journey and night covers the road, you don't conclude that the road has vanished... And how else could we discover the stars? A Little Advice: When you do a good deed, get a receipt, in case heaven is like the IRS. A Little Question: Whose cruel idea was it for the word "lisp" to have an "s" in it? A Little Put-Down: "Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful." -- Ann Landers, (1918-2002) famous American advice columnist. A Little Proverb: Patience is the companion of wisdom." -- St. Augustine ((354 - 430), Medieval Christian philosopher. A Little Reflection: Monogamy is like good crystal -- beautiful -- but once you get it, all it takes is one chip and it's never the same again. A Little Definition: CHICKENS: The only creatures you eat before they are born and after they are dead. A Little Quote: "Sometimes, when I look at my children, I say to myself 'Lillian, you should have remained a virgin.'" -- Lillian Carter (mother of former president Jimmy Carter, and Billy, of course.) A Little Observation: "By definition, a government has no conscience. Sometimes it has a policy, but nothing more." -- Albert Camus (1913-1960), Algerian-born French writer and, according to some, Existentialist philosopher. A Little Quip: "The fate of the planet is in the hands of a bunch of retards I wouldn't trust with a potato gun." -- General Kimsey from Armageddon.
Some interesting & provocative articles on other websites: Tales of Titans and Hobbits, by Juliusz Jablecki: Literature can exert a powerful influence on our ideological views. Ayn Rand, after all, was primarily a novelist. Many people were converted to liberalism (or at least some variety of it) after experiencing in person her unquestionable charisma and magnetism, but the significance of her novels, most notably Atlas Shrugged, can hardly be overlooked. Global warming zealots are stifling scientific debate, by Ian Plimer: Tonight's airing of The Great Global Warming Swindle and the associated discussion on ABC TV should be a hoot. The ABC has structured the panel to try to get their preferred political position aired. The panel composition will minimise scientific discussion. It contains journalists, political pressure groups and those who will make a quid out of frightening us witless. Socialized Healthcare Is Not Cheaper Than Free Market Healthcare, by Mark R. Crovelli: In the fall of my sixth year of grade school, I was treated to my first real lesson in American politics on the occasion of the annual election for president of the student body. It was a lesson I have not forgotten after all these years, and a lesson which has gained increased importance for me in the current phase of the election cycle whenever I hear politicians making bombastic promises to reform healthcare. Working for the Clampdown, by James Bovard: How many pipe bombs might it take to end U.S. democracy? Far fewer than it would have taken a year ago. The Defense Authorization Act of 2006, passed on September 30, empowers President George W. Bush to impose martial law in the event of a terrorist "incident" or if he or other federal officials perceive a shortfall of "public order" or even in response to antiwar protests that get unruly as a result of government provocations. Leave those kids alone, by Christopher Shea: The idea that adults should be playing with their kids is a modern invention -- and not necessarily a good one. The Virtue Of Selfishness - 50 Years Later, Ayn Rand's Followers Are Few But Devoted: The members of the Connecticut Objectivist Discussion Group patiently explain that their philosophy is not against charity. "It's fine to help your fellow man," says Kim McNeil. "What's not fine is to put anyone else's needs before your own." The small but dedicated group has been meeting for eight years, hashing out the ideas of Ayn Rand and the philosophy she coined, "Objectivism." Hitchens' Hubris, by Tom Piatak: Although Hitchens' book is lively and well written, it is fatally marred by its many rhetorical evasions and falsehoods. Throughout the book, whatever Hitchens dislikes is blamed on religion and whatever he likes is credited to something else. Militarism -- America's State Religion, by Justin Raimondo: When a futile, unwinnable, and savage war turns our soldiers into skull-wearing juvenile delinquents on a rampage, our neocon cultists turn on … a soldier who dares to speak truth to their pompous platitudes of soldierly virtue. Homer Simpson - A great thinker?: Homer Simpson, the overeating, binge-drinking father of three, is one of the great characters in modern television culture. A great thinker? Not so much. But if you ask King's College professor William Irwin, the often-idiotic cartoon character has more to do with the intellectuals of ancient Greece than you think. Richard Rorty - What made him a crucial American philosopher?, by Stephen Metcalf: On June 8, 2007, American philosopher Richard Rorty died at the age of 75. Rorty is now commonly associated with one of the roster of scare words used to get Americans to vote against their own self-interests: He was (supposedly) that bicoastal monster known as a "relativist." The false dichotomy of Science vs. Religion - The more fruitful dialogue would be between Certainty and Doubt, by Matt Hogan: One of the big questions of the day is whether capital "S" Science will win out against capital "R" Religion. To my mind this is a false debate: no self-respecting scientist would take religion on as a suitable opponent, and no religious person should posit their spiritual conception as factually accurate. Marxism and the New Synthesis in Moral Psychology, by Thomas Riggins: Jonathan Haidt, of the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, has an important article in the May 18, 2007 issue of Science ("The New Synthesis in Moral Psychology." Since we live in a time of rampant amorality (to say nothing of immorality) in government and civil society, I think a review of this article for Political Affairs will further advance a study of the role of Marxist thinking in our times. Reluctance to confront religion's grisly secret, by Ron Ferguson: The problem is that even within the mainstream there is an unwillingness to confront religion's badly-hidden grisly secret with courage and clarity. The confusion of humanly sacred texts with the very word of a mysterious and elusive God is now one of the greatest dangers of our time.
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