tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85017994116637581902024-03-13T06:36:59.655-07:00Cafe-philo at South Kensingtonxiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-18579395758720033242013-01-31T14:40:00.001-08:002013-01-31T14:40:50.381-08:00Film Club: TOUCHING THE VOID<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LpgO0KEGmpU/UQryhvZ10_I/AAAAAAAAATw/lyM22hPZxz4/s1600/touching-the-void.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LpgO0KEGmpU/UQryhvZ10_I/AAAAAAAAATw/lyM22hPZxz4/s400/touching-the-void.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Jaana </b>writes:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the spirit of approaching ski season, the film group congregated around Touching the Void, a re-enactment of a mountaineering exploit almost gone bad. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 17px;">Absolute trust is a prerequisite for surviving in the hostile conditions - then, what to do when the two alternatives are to cut the rope, leaving your possibly-already-dead partner behind, or stay put, and slowly perish together with him? The mountaineering code is ice clear: never leave your buddy.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We know that in the end, against all odds, both survived, making this an uplifting story in mind over matter. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The man with a broken leg came back to tell his story, and emphasise that he didn't blame his partner. The mountaineering community was not as understanding. Would the moral judgement have been different, had the abandoned party died, or had never been found?<br />When the code of honour calls for self-sacrifce, to which point should we obey?</span><br />
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xiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-6020663468209076742012-12-26T05:01:00.000-08:002012-12-26T05:01:16.862-08:00Economics Courses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--1hnjRMiUDM/UNr0wulO6NI/AAAAAAAAATc/oVF5pJHjXUU/s1600/richpoor2.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--1hnjRMiUDM/UNr0wulO6NI/AAAAAAAAATc/oVF5pJHjXUU/s1600/richpoor2.bmp" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"><br /><a href="http://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/Humanities/Business_and_economics/The_economic_crisis_in_Europe" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US">The Economic Crisis in Europe</span></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> – Or is it <i>only</i> an economic crisis? Throughout the course, we will consider the diverse situations of European nations, the issues of political integration, the single currency, sovereign debts, and why austerity won’t work. What may well be at stake is </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;">a social model, a lifestyle, a civilisation, that are uniquely European.<br />A 10-week course at City Lit, every Wednesday, 10am -12:00, from 9 January.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.marywardcentre.ac.uk/Courses/Humanities/viewcourse.asp?CourseTitle=ON-POVERTY:-AN-INTERDISCIPLINARY-COURSE-IN-PHILOSOPHY-AND-ECONOMICS&CourseID=1173&DeptID=5&Details=0" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank">On Poverty</a> – Its persistence shames policy makers and embarrasses economists. The course will address three fundamental notions: the nature of poverty (economical, social, spiritual); why it still exists; how to make it history. Issues of governance, inequality and sustainability, will generate vibrant discussions. We will examine a range of short texts drawing on both philosophy and economics, from the Bible and Koran to Martha Nussbaum, Marx, Rawls, Peter Singer and Amartya Sen. If you know little about economics, discussing poverty is a myth-busting introduction to the subject.<br />11 weeks, at the Mary Ward Centre, every Wednesday, 6 – 8pm, from 9 January.</span>xiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-15408044163237238972012-11-28T13:55:00.001-08:002012-11-29T13:54:32.032-08:00Far from the madding crowd... <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BHh5k5Jh5jY/ULaErwSauFI/AAAAAAAAATA/2u9XkVbSrPI/s1600/islandboat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BHh5k5Jh5jY/ULaErwSauFI/AAAAAAAAATA/2u9XkVbSrPI/s400/islandboat.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The human race of the 21st century: are we still the same species as we were a few hundred years ago? Could we survive on a remote island without running water, cars, television, Internet? Marie Gabriel, who quit her career in the media in London two years ago, spent an interesting year on a tiny island in the south Pacific. </span><a href="http://positivenews.org.uk/2012/culture/travel/9001/simplicity-solace-pacific/" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Read Marie's experience</a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">We may like to ask some other questions from her experience:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OuphfHn1oKk/ULaEzZEW6uI/AAAAAAAAATI/gGXdmfNbroE/s1600/islanders.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OuphfHn1oKk/ULaEzZEW6uI/AAAAAAAAATI/gGXdmfNbroE/s320/islanders.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">How does one maintain harmonious relationships with his fellow cohabitants? </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Living in such ‘primeval conditions,’ are there any thoughts for ‘privacy’?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">In a close-knit community like those on a small pacific island, could there be guaranteed survival of species without incest?</li>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-saoXvrMEo6k/ULaEbwQ-3kI/AAAAAAAAASw/WYS3ocAEZZs/s1600/cobraverde1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-saoXvrMEo6k/ULaEbwQ-3kI/AAAAAAAAASw/WYS3ocAEZZs/s320/cobraverde1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Could peace of mind be attainable when one is far away from it all?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Apart from the challenge of survival, what possibility is there in terms of inspiration for profound thoughts? </li>
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xiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-81734631105426145582012-11-23T13:35:00.000-08:002012-11-26T13:38:38.533-08:00Tchi Mbouani: Fragiles églantines<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4nBdMv-i2iQ/ULPgQJmxFII/AAAAAAAAARo/Gh53sE_0uV8/s1600/TchiMbouani2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4nBdMv-i2iQ/ULPgQJmxFII/AAAAAAAAARo/Gh53sE_0uV8/s200/TchiMbouani2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fragiles-%C3%A9glantines-French-Edition-ebook/dp/B008IJEJUW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1353963834&sr=1-1">Fragiles églantines</a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="FR" style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">A travers une quarantaine de poèmes, le recueil dresse le tableau d’une
existence citadine, et parcourt des thèmes variés tels que le rapport au temps
et les émotions face aux paysages urbains. L’œuvre se penche sur les solitudes
ressenties dans un monde consumériste et dépeint les rapports souvent froids
que les hommes entretiennent. Sur un ton grave mais dynamique, "Fragiles
églantines" saute courageusement dans le nouveau siècle avec son lot de
crises, de désenchantements, mais aussi d'aspirations. Chacun peut se sentir
proche des épisodes narrés au fil des vers. </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">En
cela, l’œuvre s'inscrit solidement dans l'universel.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="FR" style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JGPoAJ9Pm1I/ULPgVIYZGOI/AAAAAAAAARw/yDdBvG3Y-xs/s1600/TchiMbouani.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JGPoAJ9Pm1I/ULPgVIYZGOI/AAAAAAAAARw/yDdBvG3Y-xs/s320/TchiMbouani.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="FR" style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">Tchi Mbouani Ngaliae est une auteure française d'origine camerounaise, née
à Lille en 1982. Elle a grandi dans le Nord de la France où elle poursuivit des
études de commerce. Tchi Mbouani a toujours été animée par une passion pour la
littérature. Elle signe avec 'Fragiles églantines' sa première oeuvre publiée
en langue française.</span><span lang="FR" style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tchi Mbouani, a young francophone poet of Cameroon origin,
born in Lille 30 years ago, has recently published her collection of poems <i>Fragiles Églantines</i>. Her poetry shows her extraordinary
sensitivity in an apathetic society. A rare gem!</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The volume is available at Amazon.com. <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fragiles-%C3%A9glantines-French-Edition-ebook/dp/B008IJEJUW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1353963834&sr=1-1">Fragiles eglantines</a></span></span></div>
xiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-80774955173592310032012-11-01T12:02:00.001-07:002012-11-01T12:57:35.121-07:00Speaking ill of the dead: Dreyfus, Guildford Four Maguire Seven, and Jimmy Saville <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2hM0ZIbApvQ/UJLGtJ1RQjI/AAAAAAAAAQE/H-D9rewKtIY/s1600/bosch3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2hM0ZIbApvQ/UJLGtJ1RQjI/AAAAAAAAAQE/H-D9rewKtIY/s400/bosch3.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<b>Amy</b> writes:</div>
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<span style="font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px;">Some time after WWII my grand-mother said to my sister: "That Dreyfus man, really, he was guilty. Wasn't he?" I would not say that my grand-mother was anti-Semitic or racist. But I would say that the fact that the great-grand-son-in-law who lives in her house is Malagashi, and two of her descendants' families are half-Jewish feels like some kind of divine retribution. </span></span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px;">My grand-father was a career officer. </span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px;">His wife must have thought something like this: "There is no way this little Alsatian Jew, of no consequence whatsoever, can be right and the French army wrong." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px;">But at least the Dreyfus Affair provoked a hurricane in France.</span></span></div>
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For a long time a dull mist hanged over the 1977 conviction of the Guildford four and Maguire seven. They were only little Irish people of no consequence and everybody needed badly to find culprits 3 years after the Guildford pub bombings. The way their convictions were obtained and sustained does not make for pleasant reading. They were acquitted only in 1989 in the case of the Guildford four, and 1991 in that of the Maguires. I do not know how long it took before the Irish establishment listened to and was convinced by the evidence given by children abused by their priests. It was more important for the bishops to protect the reputation of the Church than to protect the children and they were good at it. </div>
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We know how long it took for the abuses of Jimmy Saville to come to light. But it seems to me that, in every case, the greatest guilt belongs not so much to the French army, the English police, the forcibly celibate priests, the addicted Saville as to the establishment, and possibly ourselves, always prepared to give more credence to the mighty and powerful than to the little people.</div>
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Let us not renew this error. Let us leave the police and judiciary to do their job in peace (and hope for the best!) while looking out for any sign of a witch-hunt incited by the powerful and mighty media.</div>
xiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-21856239195009871872012-09-30T10:21:00.000-07:002017-03-12T06:36:14.940-07:00Bosch and Freud - on Art and Madness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S_ovjfh85Rg/UGh7Y3nDnMI/AAAAAAAAAPA/FMqG6E8_Zt4/s1600/bosch5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S_ovjfh85Rg/UGh7Y3nDnMI/AAAAAAAAAPA/FMqG6E8_Zt4/s320/bosch5.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;">The rise of
Renaissance started in the Low Countries – called </span><st1:place style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;" w:st="on">Flanders</st1:place><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;">.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Great artists appeared as the representatives
of the late medieval new thinkers.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;">The
status of artist rose from those considered as craftsman – </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;">“Mechanic artist” to
a respectable free thinker, imaginative creator – “liberal Artist”.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OCswt-F6g0I/UGh70nn7HAI/AAAAAAAAAPI/VmADsSQpuGE/s1600/boschportrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OCswt-F6g0I/UGh70nn7HAI/AAAAAAAAAPI/VmADsSQpuGE/s1600/boschportrait.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;">The first of such
representative was Hieronymus Bosch whose paintings of demonic figures in the
guise of religious themes displayed his unbridled fantasies of the bestiality
and humanity, the corruption of both human and animals, in the chaos of the world
– reflecting the period in history where clashes between various continents and
ideology seemed to have come to the central stage of civilization in the 15</span><span style="font-size: 14px; text-indent: -18pt;">th</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> century.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;">The Turkish Ottoman Empire took
over the Byzantine in the 11</span><span style="font-size: 14px; text-indent: -18pt;">th</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> century and occupied S.E.Europe,</span><st1:place style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;" w:st="on"> the Black Death wiped out half of the European population</st1:place><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;">…</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Bosch, artist of
the 15th century, marked a point of departure from the Dark Ages to the Age
of Enlightenment. As a northerner, with
his typical dark imagination, enhanced by witch’s oil (a type of drug) he found his
unique style of Gothic art – grotesque but realistic figures fornicating,
gorging, binge drinking, defecating at the same time… The symbolism mingled with
realistic figures created an exotic background evoking nightmarish scenes,
which exist neither in “<st1:place w:st="on">Paradise</st1:place>” nor in “hell”.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Freud said that
man who is unhappy with reality tends to go on the path of “Regression” –
hoping to reverse back to the childhood dreams in order to escape the reality
and such a man becomes a neurotic individual… If he possesses artistic flair,
he can transform this negative force into an ability of a genius to create
great art works… </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Many people in
the “Dark Ages” unhappy with the way of life resorted to heresy or hermitage
or in silent self-reflection to seek answers in religious meditation. Driven by fear or guilt, or feeling of
insecurity, those who would be misfits in normal social life went on pilgrimage or retreated to deep forest in remote mountains. Those who took refuge in austere monasteries
on the top of Montserrat (Franco-Spanish border), away from the rest of the
world, found solace in a life of
poverty, and self-punishment. But did
they find “Redemption”?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Related post:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 15px;"> <a href="http://cafe-philo-southkensington.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/lart-est-il-la-representation-de-la.html">L'Art, est-il la representation de la folie?</a></span></div>
xiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-37673194739721049562012-09-20T11:54:00.000-07:002012-09-20T12:16:00.243-07:00More about 'proper philosophy', human nature and egoism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<b>Amy</b> writes:<br />
<br />
Of course I do not want anything changed in our lovely meetings at the cafe-philo. But having heard on three occasions different people commenting that these were not 'proper' philosophical discussions, I was curious to know what such a discussion would be. My proposal was for a unique experiment just as we have had philosophy students talking to us once a year.<br />
<br />
Is curiosity a specific feature of human nature? No, my cat was curious. Same with egoism (which we discussed at the last session). Like apes nowadays some prehistoric men did happily lend their nut-crushing stone, some not. But only man could use words to tell his friend whether it was worth or not asking for the loan. As language got refined an abstract concept of selfishness /generosity emerged which became more and more complex and imprecise as time passed. Sometimes, we discuss our various ethical topics as if there existed up there, where God resides, a big dictionary in which there is the definite definition of these various concepts and as if the only reason we cannot consult this dictioinary is that we are human, with very limited faculties. I believe that the only dictionaries in existence are the little ones handed to us by our parents, masters and friends which are slightly amended by each generation and each of us to suit our needs. Though the dictionaries of a given culture are very similar there are no two identical ones. Hence our lively discussions.<br />
<br />
Of course it may be said that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was such universal dictionary. But all Adam and Eve learned from eating its fruit was that it was shameful to be seen gallivanting in the nude in the Garden of Eden (a piece of information for which they payed an outrageous price and anyhow how is it that it was OK before they ate the fruit?). As for the ten commandments, they are exactly that: commandments: thou shall, thou shall not. The only commandment worth discussing at the cafe-philo is honouring father and mother. What does honouring consist of?<br />
<br />
I wonder what Moses would think of our discussions on the percentage of selfishness entering the motives of a man jumping in the water to save a stranger's life. But then was Moses a philosopher? xiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-13684754737647560742012-09-14T14:35:00.000-07:002012-09-14T14:35:00.452-07:00Is human nature essentially Egoistic or Altruistic? <br />
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Debate on 8/9/2012: what is Egoism?<br />
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Example 1: if you are climbing a mountain with a friend and a huge rock is falling towards you. Do you expose yourself in order to shield your friend or do you run for your life and leave your friend in danger? Suppose you are with your children in a similar situation, do you protect your children first or yourself first?<br />
<br />
Example 2: Making blood donation, is it as an altruistic act or an egotistical act? On the face of it, as blood donor does not gain anything from his action, so it is an act of pure charity. On the other hand, one may say that giving blood is to protect one’s own interest because one never knows that one day he may need blood transfusion himself when he is ill. <br />
<br />
Example 3: Artists, writers and other personalities with great achievements often ignore their family or friends, so that they can concentrate on their creative works. Their glory and fame often come later and compensate for the suffering they have caused to their friends and family. Are they selfish people?<br />
<br />
Example 4: Philosopher Kant is a passionate advocate of altruism. He asserts that a good will is the only intrinsically good thing and that an action is only good if performed out of duty, rather than out of personal need or pleasure. Suppose if you are sick and one of your friends comes to see you, he says to you, ‘I come to see you out of my duty, it’s not for my pleasure.’ Do you regard him as your real friend?<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
Example 5: Ayn Rand’s novel ‘Atlas Shrugged’ has provoked huge reaction in the US and became one of the most popular novels in America. The novel paints a dystopia where citizens refused to be exploited by over taxation and government regulations. The story is to demonstrate that <span style="background-color: white;">a world in which the individual is not free to create is doomed, that civilization cannot exist where every person is a slave to society and government. The book has become a bible for the western model of individualism and libertarianism. So what does it prove? Triumph of Egoism? However one must not confuse Egoism with Individualism. Individualism does not denote utter selfishness while the former does.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>(</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">The discussion was in French. Apologies to </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">Francophone</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> readers.) </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Related post:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8501799411663758190#editor/target=post;postID=1209067039458103070">Forum: does Altruism exist?</a></b></span>xiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-78110442878983186302012-09-08T10:12:00.000-07:002012-09-09T08:32:54.775-07:00What are 'proper' philosophical questions?<br />
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<b style="font-size: 12pt;">Amy</b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> has a proposition to make</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">:</span></div>
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I have heard it said a number of times that our discussions at the
cafe-philo are not proper philosophical discussions. <span style="font-size: 12pt;">So I ask myself what is a proper philosophical discussion. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And I get an idea:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">First you would need to find out who are the 'proper' philosophers among
the attendants of the cafe. Would they have to declare themselves or be
declared by Christian?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The 'proper' philosophers would propose the topics in the ordinary way, the
whole assembly choosing the one they prefer.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The discussion would then be restricted to the 'proper' philosophers,
except for the end of the session when the rest of us would discuss
the propriety of the word 'proper' applied to philosophy as well as the topic
itself.</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">That's my idea.</span></div>
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Amy</div>
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<br />
related posts:<br />
<a href="http://cafe-philo-southkensington.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/sommes-nous-tous-des-philosophes.html">Sommes-nous tous des philosophes?</a><br />
<a href="http://cafe-philo-southkensington.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/is-philosophy-dead.html">Is philosophy dead?</a><br />
<a href="http://cafe-philo-southkensington.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/what-good-is-philosophy-for.html">What good is philosophy for?</a><br />
<a href="http://cafe-philo-southkensington.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/philosophy-overview.html">Philosophy overview</a></div>
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xiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-55822970162216291762012-09-07T14:38:00.000-07:002012-09-10T05:11:34.709-07:00Does is make sense to talk about human nature?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">(Debate on 1/9/2012) What do we know about human nature behind its mask? We often say it’s ‘human nature’ to be selfish, to be greedy, to be jealous, to be cruel, to be competitive, to be ambitious… But is there any scientific base to prove that these are unique attributes of humanoid?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;">Human nature is incredibly complex. The purpose of the discussion is to differentiate the nature of humanoid from the nature of other animals. We can then determine whether we were created by God, or whether we were descendants of monkeys. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;">In contrast to the debate on religions and morality, several of our scientifically minded philosophers gave fascinating answers branching out to the studies of neurology, stem-cell research, and brain scans. We discovered the shocking truth that Human Nature, in the age of genetic engineering, is edging towards a new stage on the evolution ladder of primates. I wonder if we are heading towards a Brave New World as prophesied by Aldous Huxley, in which only Alpha and Beta the Super-human will still be natural born humanoid, while the rest, especially Epsilons will be reproduced as millions of duplicates spawn from one single egg, deliberately created with limited cognitive and physical abilities, so that they can be easily conditioned to perform simple and repetitive tasks. We have heard of the horror of Dolly the cloned sheep. Brace ourselves for the invasion of Epsilon clones.</span>xiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-33617639308817327222012-09-06T05:17:00.000-07:002012-09-10T05:21:55.436-07:00Film Club: BLADE RUNNERObscure / Experimental kicks off! The world consists of two kinds of people: those who have not seen Blade Runner, and those who have seen it more than once. Whichever category you belong to, join us to watch the Final Cut, the only version over...<br />
<br />
<br />
18th September, 18.00 -22.00<br />
By invitation only. xiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-44660050932743961292012-08-21T04:35:00.000-07:002012-09-09T08:50:45.273-07:00Economics Courses<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/Humanities/Business_and_economics/Are_we_all_doomed_-_A_course_for_the_economically_challenged"><i>Are we doomed</i></a>?</span> Economics course in <a href="http://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/Humanities/Business_and_economics/Are_we_all_doomed_-_A_course_for_the_economically_challenged"><b>CityLit</b></a> running for 12 weeks, starting Wednesday 19 September, 10 to 12 noon. It’s all about the economic crisis. The causes will be revealed: consumer societies drowning in debt, blinkered economists, an unviable fractional reserve banking system, greed and corruption. The consequences will be examined, misery and the “1%”. And we will confront various theories to discern which one promises plausibly to pull us out of the doldrums. Absolutely no prior knowledge of economics required (but the course is a good introduction to the whole subject). Do enrol. We owe it to ourselves, as voters and taxpayers, to consider what’s happening in our economy. <br />
<br />
Two other related courses, at the <a href="http://www.marywardcentre.ac.uk/Courses/Humanities/viewcourse.asp?CourseID=1174&DeptID=5&Details=1"><b>Mary Ward Centre</b></a>, <a href="http://www.marywardcentre.ac.uk/Courses/Humanities/viewcourse.asp?CourseID=1174&DeptID=5&Details=1"><i><span style="color: blue;">Literature & Economics</span></i></a>, and <a href="http://www.marywardcentre.ac.uk/Courses/Humanities/viewcourse.asp?CourseID=1072&DeptID=5&Details=1"><i><span style="color: blue;">History of Economic Thought</span>.</i></a><br />
<br />xiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-41012372862283450002012-08-16T03:06:00.000-07:002012-09-08T10:54:03.745-07:00War, sport and childbirth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h3>
Amy writes:</h3>
What do they have in common? The adrenaline of course.<br />
<br />
That many years ago, baby in my arms, I pondered on the circumstances in which a man could experience such overwhelming emotion. I could only think of a dog fight, when the enemy aircraft has been hit and nose-dives. I had not yet seen an Olympics champion. Now I recognize in the tears and the smiles, male and female, the overflow of adrenaline and the unique thought: 'I have done it'. The 'it' not being so much properly defined (I am alive. I am the best in the world. I have produced a perfect baby) as a vague 'I have done what my adrenaline wanted me to do' We can reason all we want after but there is as little room for reasoning during the contest as for analysis during a dream. And this is good. Let us give our no doubt remarkable intelligence a little rest now and then. <br />
<br />
About violence: childbirth is as violent, for the baby as well as the mother, as a dog fight. About the reward: the female Olympic champions smiled at their medal the same way as a mother at her baby. ( I would rather have a baby though it will already have lost some of its shine after the first night).<br />
<br />
I feel I have to declare my interests in sport: null. Hence the lamentable state of my muscles, hence my difficulties in walking, hence my numerous absences from the cafe philo, hence my brooding at home, hence my numerous contributions to the blog. Which, by the way, is sadly neglected by all of you.<br />
<br />
Amy Gibsonxiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-88981585956325240332012-07-31T13:45:00.000-07:002012-08-16T03:12:37.961-07:00On 'Social Darwinism'Christian writes:<br />
<br />
Are you not hearing pundits associating a liberal society, free trade, and generally ‘the market’ to Social Darwinism? The latest example comes from no less than the President of the United States. In a speech to a gathering of newspaper editors last week, President Obama accused his opponents of “thinly veiled Social Darwinism”. The theory teaches that evolution is a cosmic struggle in which the strong overcome the weak. As human generations unfold, the unfit among us get no chance to reproduce, whilst the strong survive, have progeny, and ensure our species’ gradual progress. To aid the poor, the weak and the disabled, distorts that healthy and natural selection. What claptrap! As David Gordon, the author of An Introduction to Economic Reasoning, notes (after Kropotkin and others): “Darwin did not teach that human evolution depends on ruthless struggle. To the contrary, he emphasized the importance of social unity and collaboration. ‘Selfish and contentious people will not cohere,’ Darwin declared, and without coherence, what could be effected?” <br />
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You won’t find a more radical herald of free markets than Murray Rothbard. “If the Social Darwinists’ idea,” wrote this outspoken libertarian economist and philosopher, “is that the unfit are being protected by modern medicine and philanthropy, and are debilitating the race by being permitted to live and have children… the mere statement of it exposes it as obvious bilge.”<br />
<br />
Let’s push the reasoning further. Even if all that discourse about survival of the fittest and rugged individualism accurately described evolution, and it doesn’t, why should it guide our behaviour? Even if we knew the aim of biological evolution, and we don’t (assuming it exists), what is the value in attaining it? Sheer luck played the biggest part in determining who survived since the beginning of life; and mere survival is hardly evidence of high moral qualities. <br />
<br />
Darwin held Malthus’s views on the struggle for existence in high regard. Not so Malthus’s friend and critic, David Ricardo. The law of comparative advantage, which Ricardo identified, one of the few valid ones in economics, confirms not only the benefits of the division of labour, but adds a twist Adam Smith had missed: Even those who are the most productive in every field (the ‘fittest’ and ‘strongest’) have interest in an association with the less able. A baker takes an assistant; a dentist hires a secretary; a company outsources its textile manufacturing in a poor country. The baker, the dentist, the company, could perform the less skilled work themselves, obviously. But they want to concentrate on high-value tasks. The market’s incentive is not to seek a profit, but the maximum profit. And for that reason, everyone is needed and invited to cooperate.<br />
Christian<br />
12 julyxiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-79283099041983446552012-05-16T12:59:00.000-07:002012-09-10T05:21:07.909-07:00Obscure films, experimental method...<br />
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Our friends Jaana and Nicola are the initiators of this new monthly event taking place in a West End Pub. Jaana and Nicola take turns in choosing the film, so there is a personal recommendation, and a back ground story before the lights get dimmed. Discussion afterwards.<br />
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After two successful sessions, the next film will be: <i>Capturing the Friedmans</i>, "an instructive lesson about the elusiveness of facts," as one film critic put it.<br />
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All is well in a middle class family till the police knocks on the door, and father and son both are accused of a crime which they either committed, or didn't. Difficult to tell. The director had access to home videos shot by one of the sons. They display the family tensions during the trial, and seem to offer proof for both the guilty and the innocent.<br />
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<i>Capturing the Friedmans</i> was nominated for an Oscar in documentary category, and won a Grand Jury prize at Sundance.<br />
<br />
To see a trailer <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0342172/">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0342172/</a><br />
<br />
By invitation only.<br />
<br />xiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-65128053664053492732012-05-09T13:56:00.000-07:002012-05-09T13:56:01.312-07:00Brain-washing and Human conditioning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><br /></b><br />
<b>Amy</b> writes:<br />
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Hannah Arendt, who is a
proper philosopher, said it in proper philosophical language: "This is why men,
no matter what they do, are always conditioned beings. Whatever enters the
human world of its own accord or is drawn into it by human effort becomes part
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One might say that there is
not much difference between 'human conditioning' and 'brain-washing'. Except
that 'brain-washing' is a derogative term and therefore attributes a negative
moral value to what has no more to do with morality than the law of
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But then we are conditioned
by our judeo-christian culture to pass moral judgments whether or
not morality is involved. Do we not make of our all-powerful god an all-loving
god? Which is something of an oxymoron. The Greeks did not have such problems,
their gods being a rather nasty lot. </div>
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Whether or not we approve
of our upbringing we have to be brought up. And let us not forget that our
children will judge their upbringing just as we do ours, i.e. according to the
dictates of their generation! For, if there is a 'conditioning' which may
be qualified as 'brain-washing' it is that of the 'isms' of each generation. I
have known a fair number of them during my long life: marxism, freudism,
feminism, atheism, multiculturalism, rights of man, climate change, etc. all of
which is very honourable as long as it does not ossify into its 'ism'. </div>
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My 'isms' being mainly
determinism, relativism and scepticism. Not very constructive, I confess. But
that's who I am.</div>
<div id="ecxyiv1606706124yui_3_2_0_18_133608721705386">
Amy </div>
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</div>xiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-88744287909148990802012-05-06T05:37:00.001-07:002012-05-09T13:47:56.842-07:00Public persona vs Private persona<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vOuV7SH8f90/T6Zucx23A9I/AAAAAAAAAMw/2Oih-47WThA/s1600/privacy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vOuV7SH8f90/T6Zucx23A9I/AAAAAAAAAMw/2Oih-47WThA/s320/privacy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Yesterday we discussed: Do we have a right to privacy? Is the right to privacy a thing of the past? Can anybody still manage to keep a personal secret while the internet is capable of detecting every movement of everybody? <br />
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Community spirit can sometimes feel like a community prison while everybody is being watched by everybody else. Martin said it's like living in a insular little village wherever you go you are being spied upon by your neighbours peeping out of windows behind their curtains.<br />
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As a Buddhist converted to Christianity, Suk had an extraordinary dream in which she was reincarnated as a "Hebrew" woman but not a Jew. She related this dream to a friend in a private email. But soon after her email was sent to one person, she immediately received hundreds of HATE mails accusing her of anti-Semitism. She found it incomprehensible as she was only telling a innocent dream to her friend. How does this email spread to so many strangers?xiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-72769158150828649042012-04-30T01:17:00.000-07:002012-05-08T01:27:32.022-07:00La démocratie, malgré ses imperfections, reste-t-elle le meilleur régime politique ?Last Saturday's discussion repeated a subject that we have discussed before: La démocratie, malgré ses imperfections, reste-t-elle le meilleur régime politique ? It was supposed to be a topical subject to tie in with the French Presidential Elections. However the topic has been sidetracked to many other subjects. As usual, lots of criticism of China and certain Islamic states. The conclusion is, predictably, the democracy is the best system in the world despite all its temporary glitches.xiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-27300142558092483322012-02-27T08:28:00.001-08:002012-05-09T13:49:34.909-07:00Brainwashing?<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LSC8Ca8XnHI/T0uuoXVRw4I/AAAAAAAAAMo/DRJL-TH4tq0/s1600/displaced+face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LSC8Ca8XnHI/T0uuoXVRw4I/AAAAAAAAAMo/DRJL-TH4tq0/s320/displaced+face.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<b>Amy</b> writes:</div>
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At the end of Saturday's discussion about controlling
others it was mentioned that we brainwash our children from the time
of birth. A flippant though fashionable remark not to be taken seriously. Do
we qualify the care with which we choose the food we give our children as
gutwashing? (Being French, according to my children I gave them too much salad
and fruit and not enough Irish fries or English puddings. Though now, while
considering themselves as British, they feed their own children salads and fruit
and I am the one who brings the pudding). </div>
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<br /></div>
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I have tried since Saturday to make a
joke by putting together the 2 metaphors of 'brainwashing' and 'throwing out the
baby with the water of the bath' Could not do it. Would somebody
cleverer?</div>
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<br /></div>
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Another idea while taking in my wet washing. Should a
mother not nurse her baby because he/she will absorb her ideas with her milk? 3
metaphors.</div>
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Amy</div>xiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-89021838394431458022012-01-23T13:44:00.000-08:002012-05-09T13:59:20.530-07:00Islanders & God<br />
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Dear philosophers,</div>
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our conversation last Saturday centred on the subject of God. Most of you would say, Come on! Not again! How many times have we approached the very same topic? But the question is asked in a different way this time: How to describe God to a people on an island? - sounds like a title for a creative writing course, that would trigger vivid imagination. As explained by Paul, who proposed the question, it is inspired by a book he read: <i>Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes</i> by Daniel Everett. The book is about an isolated tribe of Amazonian Indians (Hence the idea of an
island) whose language Everett had learned in order to translate the bible for
them. At the end Everett concluded that these people had no need for a god. In
fact he lost his own faith - a proselytizer has become a proselyte himself.<br />
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Our friend </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">Amy</span></b><span style="font-size: small;"> writes: </span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1vgEqoEKSqo/Tx3Swwmg0fI/AAAAAAAAAMU/Xm2oRRPsJM4/s1600/island+god.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1vgEqoEKSqo/Tx3Swwmg0fI/AAAAAAAAAMU/Xm2oRRPsJM4/s320/island+god.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I had a strange experience recently. I watched the dvd of a film I had seen some 30 years ago, had much admired and had quoted frequently ever since: Jacques Tati's Playtime. Well, none of these episodes of which I had such a vivid memory were in fact as I remembered them. Slowly but surely my mind had twisted the images to make them fit my argument.</div>
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I observed the same kind of distortions at last Saturday café-philo. The question was how to describe God to people who had no notion of him/her/it. While I was moderately interested in the answer to such a question I was fascinated by the way it was interpreted. The majority of comments were about religion, conversion, domination, none of which had to do with the subject. </div>
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I was brought up in a French protestant family in which religion was strictly confined to Sundays when my parents went to church and the children to Sunday school. God was never mentioned during the week. My atheism is in the image of my parents' religion: mild and tolerant. I am always surprised by the strident atheism I keep encountering in G.B. (never in France, which does not mean it does not exist). I can only wonder if such atheists have been force-fed religion in their childhood.</div>
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Amy</div>xiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-33249376161303196522011-11-27T06:40:00.001-08:002012-01-23T12:52:30.438-08:00Lust for life <br />
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Our dearest friend Céline passed away yesterday after her long and indefatigable battle with cancer. Born in Tours, France in 1976, Céline came to London 10 years ago as a student. After her completion of a degree in publishing at the London University of Arts, she embarked on a career in the prestigious French publishing house Hachette as a PA to the Manager Director. Her keen intellectual interest also brought her to the Café Philo at the French Institute and she became a valuable friend to many of our café philosophers. She had contributed many blog posts to this website and to our Forum:<br />
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<a href="http://cafe-philo-southkensington.blogspot.com/2011/06/faut-il-desobeir-pour-exister-vraiment.html">Faut-il désobéir pour exister vraiment ?</a><br />
<a href="http://cafe-philo-southkensington.blogspot.com/2011/04/la-tolerance-fait-elle-progresser-la.html">La tolérance fait-elle progresser la paix?</a><br />
<a href="http://cafe-philo-southkensington.blogspot.com/2011/03/quelle-est-la-question-fondamentale.html">Quelle est la question fondamentale?</a><br />
<a href="http://cafe-philo-southkensington.blogspot.com/2011/02/la-redistribution-de-la-richesse-est.html">La redistribution de la richesse est-elle possible?</a><br />
<a href="http://cafe-philo-southkensington.blogspot.com/2011/01/sommes-nous-tous-des-philosophes.html">Sommes-nous tous des philosophes?</a><br />
<a href="http://dilemme.../">Dilemme...</a><br />
<a href="http://cafe-philo-southkensington.blogspot.com/2010/12/marriage-vs-love.html">Marriage Vs Love</a><br />
<a href="http://cafe-philo-southkensington.blogspot.com/2010/10/le-souvenir-appartient-il-au-monde.html">Le souvenir appartient-il au monde spirituel ou réel ?</a><br />
<a href="http://cafe-philo-southkensington.blogspot.com/2010/09/lart-est-il-la-representation-de-la.html">L'Art, est-il la représentation de la folie?</a><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xDDyCgYw5iw/TtJPT1_jKzI/AAAAAAAAAMM/FRpk9M2YIPI/s1600/Celine-dolphin2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xDDyCgYw5iw/TtJPT1_jKzI/AAAAAAAAAMM/FRpk9M2YIPI/s320/Celine-dolphin2.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celine in Mexico 2005</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In addition to her intellectual interest, Celine enjoyed an active social life in the bustling London scene. She appreciated West End theatres and cinemas, frequented numerous opera houses in London and in Paris. She was a member of a Salsa dance club, as well as a rock-climbing club. A passionate animal lover, she participated in several campaigns devoted to the protection of wild life. In her Facebook account, she listed the following animal rights groups that she was affiliated with:<br />
<span class="hiddenitem2"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;"><a href="http://www.causes.com/causes/563137" target="_blank">Stop Sara Palin from kills polar bears</a>, <a href="http://www.causes.com/causes/561427" target="_blank">Help Teach Empathy for Animals! STOP Abuse Beatings Brutality Cruelty Fighting Suffering & Torture</a>, <a href="http://www.causes.com/causes/197972" target="_blank">Aidez les bonobos du Congo !</a>, <a href="http://www.causes.com/causes/541978" target="_blank">SAUVONS LES TORTUES MARINES DE POLYNESIE</a>, <a __untrusted="true" href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.causes.com%2Fcauses%2F229468&h=lAQEHFEf7" target="_blank">Soutenir les femmes battues contre la violence conjugale</a>, <a href="http://www.causes.com/causes/246793" target="_blank">Contre les combats de chiens</a>, <a href="http://www.causes.com/causes/36978" target="_blank">Animal Testing is MURDER!</a>, <a href="http://www.causes.com/causes/245192" target="_blank">Help stop DOG-FIGHTING</a>, <a href="http://www.causes.com/" target="_blank">causes.com</a>, <a href="http://www.causes.com/causes/484850" target="_blank">Turn Facebook Pink For 1 Week For Breast Cancer Awareness</a>, <a href="http://www.causes.com/causes/22372" target="_blank">STOP DANCING BEARS</a>, <a href="http://www.causes.com/causes/7269" target="_blank">Dolphin Massacre in Japan</a>, <a href="http://www.causes.com/causes/500795" target="_blank">Stop the Animal Abuse</a>, <a href="http://www.causes.com/causes/307463" target="_blank">Animals Skinned Alive! Help Stop Chinese Fur Farms!</a>, <a href="http://www.causes.com/causes/530250" target="_blank">SAVE SOUTH AFRICAS RHINO</a>,</span></span><br />
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Celine’s cheerfulness and her optimistic outlook of life in spite of her terminal illness were an inspiration to us all. I take this opportunity to invite you all to share your thoughts on our website.<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Celine, Rest in Peace. </span>xiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-80059582095516894282011-11-16T15:04:00.000-08:002011-11-27T05:53:08.716-08:00French Revolution and today's world<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OR4Q_IJK50g/TsRAnzXaZQI/AAAAAAAAAL4/bOY8zNOOoVw/s1600/delacroixLiberty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="311px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OR4Q_IJK50g/TsRAnzXaZQI/AAAAAAAAAL4/bOY8zNOOoVw/s400/delacroixLiberty.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">We can see some interesting parallels between the situation today and the pre-Revolutionary France of the late 18<sup>th</sup> century. Join the debate at our <a href="http://cafephilo.forumotion.co.uk/t10-conspiracy-or-natural-course-of-event">Forum</a>: </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://cafephilo.forumotion.co.uk/t10-conspiracy-or-natural-course-of-event"><strong>Conspiracy or just the natural course of event?</strong></a></span>xiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-55992157502849392052011-10-05T04:30:00.000-07:002011-10-05T04:59:58.789-07:00Do we need religion? <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rgmbCYoC2YA/Tow92OJBKsI/AAAAAAAAALk/ZrbYlRMSTqQ/s1600/StFrancis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="347px" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rgmbCYoC2YA/Tow92OJBKsI/AAAAAAAAALk/ZrbYlRMSTqQ/s400/StFrancis.jpg" width="400px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Man cannot live on bread alone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The question debated last Saturday (1 October) has been asked many times before. Jesus answered: “<em>one must not live on bread alone, but on every word coming out of the mouth of God.</em>” <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We need religion like we need music, art, books, theatre, films and other creative and imaginative works. Religion is part of our spiritual world.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We need religion because religion teaches us what’s right what’s wrong and it acts like moral codes which form the basis of law and order for the maintenance of a cohesive society. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We need religion because our desire of adhering to a group of people helps us find our exclusive identity and destiny. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But we also have our doubts: </div><ul><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Is religion a form of superstition as it appeals to the irrational part of our psyche? </div></li>
<li>Is religion an impediment to the progress of science, since Creationist view conflicts with the Evolutionist theory?</li>
<li>Does the concept of “sanctity of life” interfere with individual’s personal choice? </li>
<li>Can different religions co-exist in harmony?</li>
<li>Was religion the main source of human conflicts and genocides?</li>
<li>Apart from main stream religions (e.g. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism etc) are these not also religions - the likes of Scientologist Church, Free Masonry, Mafia, Klu Klux Klan, Money Worshipping? </li>
</ul><span style="font-size: x-small;">Quote:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">“<em>It is too difficult to think nobly when one thinks only of earning a living</em>” - Jean-Jacques Rousseau</span>xiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-38013264485754229472011-09-16T07:50:00.000-07:002011-09-16T07:50:43.810-07:00Course: History of Economic Thought<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9F1UZt5oZhk/TnNhoLv1-8I/AAAAAAAAALg/BvCh251MkP8/s1600/euro+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" rba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9F1UZt5oZhk/TnNhoLv1-8I/AAAAAAAAALg/BvCh251MkP8/s320/euro+sign.jpg" width="240px" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Everyone seems to be talking about the economy these days. But do they always make sense? Politicians, pundits, and business leaders, sound like they have lost the map. In a </span><a href="http://www.marywardcentre.ac.uk/Courses/Humanities/viewcourse.asp?CourseID=1072&DeptID=5&Details=1" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">new course I will be teaching at the Mary Ward Centre this term </span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we will question the great thinkers of the past, from Aristotle to the Enlightenment, from the Bible and Islam to the modern economic theories of Liberalism, Socialism, and Keynesianism, and we will try to shed some light on perennial problems: What is money? Is charging interest moral? When is a price fair, and are price controls always detrimental? How much social inequality is tolerable? On these and other burning questions let’s find out what philosophers have to teach us. After all, it concerns us all, as workers, consumers, savers and citizens.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Christian</span>xiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501799411663758190.post-21049314845094271242011-08-21T11:07:00.000-07:002011-09-16T08:02:55.593-07:00Make War, not Love...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RNpoCAFQcBc/TlFH9oMtA1I/AAAAAAAAALY/1H-FY4pzfFk/s1600/ants+war1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" qaa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RNpoCAFQcBc/TlFH9oMtA1I/AAAAAAAAALY/1H-FY4pzfFk/s1600/ants+war1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong><em>Empire Strikes Back!</em></strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;">The written history of Mankind remains a litany of wars. From ancient time to modern days, Men never seem able to live in peace and harmony as if Peace was alien to human nature. The testosterone level of men dictates their desire to fight and to kill in order to relieve the boredom of living in peace. The aspiration to win and to dominate others somehow gives expression to life based on ideals – proud of being warriors, they believe that they are fighting for a “Noble Cause” - in the name of the King or Queen or in the name of their Motherland or Fatherland, or in the name of “DEMOCRACY”, they are willing to give up their own lives. Patriotism summoned when all else fails – “Democracy” Über Alles! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">From this point of view, men are no different from Ants – one group of ants invading the territories of another group of ants, annexing one colony after another to build a massive Ants Empire. Might is right - smaller ants are crushed by Bigger Ants in ants warfare. No time for peace treaties in their world or a moment of reflection; when there is shortage of food or fuel, shortage of land and natural resources, including oil, gas, gold, or diamond, or money, Bigger Ants have to take drastic measures of population reduction by massacring the smaller ants and eat them. </span><br />
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The question is: is Mankind heading subconsciously towards another act of suicidal and cannibalistic warfare - the Armageddon, as prophesied by the Abrahamic religions? <br />
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Topic of discussion on Saturday 20/8/11: "<em>Is it human nature to make war?</em>"xiaoweihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05410549531710952189noreply@blogger.com0