Showing 121 articles
What is Soul?
Author: Julian ScottMay 11, 2016
Last summer we were privileged to host a talk at our centre on the subject of ‘Soul’ by Matthew Del Nevo, a visiting philosopher from Australia. Matthew is Associate Professor in Philosophy at the Catholic Institute of Sydney, where he lectures mainly in the area of the history of ideas and modern continental philosophy. He [...]
The Art of Creative Writing
Author: Natalia LemaApril 19, 2016
It is a common belief that writing is only for those who possess a talent and that creativity is something that some people have and others don’t. However, another way of looking at it is to see creativity as one of our human characteristics, and writing as a unique opportunity to nurture our mind and [...]
How Can We Humanize the World We are Living In?
Author: Pierre PoulainMarch 23, 2016
When I was a child I was a fan of Science-Fiction books. I remember especially some classics such as the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov, and books written by Van Vogt, Philip K. Dick, Robert Heinlein or Philip Jose Farmer, just to mention a few. While reading those books I was dreaming of the future. [...]
Beauty and meaning
Author: Sabine LeitnerFebruary 29, 2016
Recently I have been pondering the ability to perceive beauty and meaning. In order to perceive anything it is necessary to develop organs of perception. In order to see we needed to develop eyes. Without ears, sound waves would be non-existent for us. If someone talked to us about fragrance and smells we wouldn’t know [...]
Australian Aborigines
Author: Natalia LemaNovember 2, 2015
Australia is the sixth largest country in the world, with an area of 7.6 million km2. It is a developed country and one of the wealthiest in the world. Its aborigines arrived 40,000 – 60,000 years ago, probably travelers from Asia who had a great ability to adapt to new circumstances. Europeans came later on [...]
The Heroic Spirit
Author: Natalia LemaOctober 11, 2015
Many of us associate the term ‘hero’ with a brave character mostly from stories, myths and historical events: a very special person who is able to overcome weaknesses and fears, displaying great courage and other virtues such as sacrifice and strength. We might even think about a sort of warrior who is victorious, saves others [...]
Bringing Back the Happiness
Author: Pierre PoulainOctober 7, 2015
I was in Marseilles, in France, last December. I was presenting a special photographic exhibition about “Paradoxes” at the opening of a congress organized by the International Institute Hermes, for the 2400 year anniversary of the Academy of Plato. At the end of the congress, Fernando Schwarz, the director of the Hermes Institute gave a [...]
No offence, please, but we need more integrity
Author: Sabine LeitnerSeptember 1, 2015
No offence, please, but we need more integrity I assume that most people don’t want to offend anyone. Most people also prefer to avoid conflict. But is it actually possible never to offend anyone? And would it be a good thing? Here a quote from the American TV series Ladies Man: “Now, political correctness is [...]
Must we live in stress?
Author: Ilanit AdarAugust 19, 2015
Every period in life as in the life of a society as a whole, can be characterized through different aspects: social, economic, scientific, educational and others. Every period is different from the previous one and from the following one, because everything changes with time… If we consider the social-psychological perspective of the actual period, we [...]
The Inner Mirror
Author: Jorge Angel LivragaJuly 20, 2015
Today, as the myth of equality is losing force, it is easier to appreciate the wisdom of the ancients, who affirmed that all things and all beings have a different existence. More than that, even within the same person it is difficult to find two identical states of mind throughout the course of a day, [...]
Tranquility – Don’t We Wish We Had a Little More Of It?
Author: Michael HerdJuly 2, 2015
Tranquility – defined as peace, calm, quiet and stillness. Yes, many people wish that they had more of these qualities in their lives. In their modern fast paced lives, jam packed with plans, hopes, dreams, deadlines and demands. People have wanted this for quite some time now. An indication today could be the range of prescription [...]
Leading a Fulfilling Life
Author: Delia Steinberg GuzmánMarch 27, 2015
We sometimes ask ourselves: what is life? What does it mean, for a philosopher, to live? The special mode of existence that has been afflicting the human being over the last few centuries has made us forget certain simple but important values, while their place has been taken by meaningless elements. This is why it [...]