Showing 618 articles
Growing Nihilism Among Young People
Author: Istvan OrbanSeptember 8, 2023
Nihilism is the viewpont or belief that things and life in general are meaningless. It comes from the Latin word nihil, which means ‘nothing’. Nihilism does not accept those moral and knowledge-based values that are owned by societies. Nihilism became known in the 18th century in Europe, when German writers and philosphers discussed the negation [...]
Fear and Courage
Author: Delia Steinberg GuzmánSeptember 8, 2023
That fear is the greatest adversary on the path of wisdom? We already knew that. But we have to experience it. Wisdom is not about filling our heads with ideas that are never applied (precisely because of fear or cowardice, or comfort, which is another form of fear and cowardice); wisdom is to learn to [...]
Humanity’s Relationship with Trees: A History of Climate Change
Author: Florimond KrinsSeptember 8, 2023
The notion of climate change is not as recent as it may seem. We can find its roots way back in the 15th century, a time of European explorers and ocean travels, opening new routes of communications with the Far East as well as discovering the so-called “New World”: the American continent. This continent, even [...]
The Moral Struggle
Author: Delia Steinberg GuzmánSeptember 8, 2023
The true philosopher should think of his struggle as a moral battle. The field of morality includes all those latent powers that are trying to emerge but are unable to do so, because they need our decisive and willing support. Morality is the sum of all our virtues, the combination of all our powers, active [...]
Farewell to Delia Steinberg Guzmán
Author: Sabine LeitnerSeptember 8, 2023
I would like to dedicate this article to my teacher Delia Steinberg Guzmán, International President of New Acropolis from 1991 till 2020, who passed away peacefully on August 15. A few years ago, she said in an interview: “We should all take time to think: why are we in the world? Not because we feel [...]
Theseus and the Minotaur: The Defining Human Image
Author: Siobhan FarrarSeptember 8, 2023
The image of Theseus, hero of Attica, standing at the centre of the labyrinth, holding a magical thread (called a clue) brandishing his sword, about to face destiny in a moment of reckoning with the Minotaur, is perhaps one of the most defining scenes from mythology with a symbolism both rich and complex. What this [...]
Intuition and its Application in Natural Science
Author: Sara Ortiz RousJuly 7, 2023
Our duty is to keep alive in the human being his spiritual intuitions. H.P.Blavatsky The only really valuable thing is intuition. A.Einstein Introduction One of the main characteristics of the human mind is its ability to form concepts, principles and theories for the purpose of understanding the world around us. Einstein used to say [...]
Capitalism and Socialism in Plato’s Republic
Author: Gilad SommerJune 24, 2023
Capitalism and Socialism are commonly portrayed as two contrasting approaches to the distribution of resources within a society. In very simple terms, Capitalism advocates for the freedom of economic activity and individual ownership of property, while Socialism promotes regulated economic activity, and communal ownership of property. Based on these basic definitions, one can understand why [...]
What Has Philosophy Taught Me?
Author: Antonin VinklerMay 14, 2023
Probably, all of us philosophers have to regularly answer questions such as – “What do you need this philosophy for?”. Today I am asking myself that same question – why do I need it in life? what has it taught me? And since it has taught me quite a few things, I will list some [...]
The Challenge of Coexisting with AI
Author: Juan Carlos del RioMay 13, 2023
AI is not a new phenomenon. Humankind, since its beginnings, has tried to create machines and automata, either to place them at our service or to extend our human capabilities. Many of these stories reflect the admiration for these creations and, at the same time, the fear of losing control over these advanced technologies. We [...]
Adam Smith v. Plato: on the Division of Labour and Market Forces
Author: Julian ScottMay 11, 2023
In Book II of Plato’s Republic, Socrates imagines how a typical society might develop from simple beginnings into a more complex and organized entity. He speculates that, initially, everyone might do everything for themselves, such as building their own houses, making their own clothes and growing their own food. But soon, he says, people would [...]
The Wonders of the Mineral World
Author: Agostino DominiciMay 11, 2023
The mineral world, and more specifically the world of precious stones and metals, has always been invested with an aura of awe and mystery. Throughout the ages, kings, magicians, priests and alchemists have often surrounded themselves with special objects born from the mineral world. Objects like magic rings and swords, sacred statues and amulets have [...]