The Symbolism of the Charioteer
Author: M.A. Carrillo de Albornoz & M.A. FernándezAugust 22, 2014
The charioteer is the symbol of calmness, self-control and mastery of the mind and psyche, so ever changing and unstable. He reduces the manifold, reaching us from the outside world, to the inner unity of will. The horses of the chariot are our instincts and passions. In general there are four of them, corresponding to the number of planes making up the human being, according to the seven-fold [...]
Forty Years Fighting Racism and Intolerance
Author: John GilbertAugust 8, 2014
A century with no solidarity One of the worst plagues that the twentieth century has had to bear is racial discrimination. It has not only plunged over half of the human population into oblivion and poverty, but during the periods of greatest alienation, it has also led to the systematic extinction of certain minorities. When this century sees its end, it will be remembered as one in which [...]
Ramses II
Author: Alex WarrenAugust 8, 2014
If, today, at the end of the twentieth century, one were to ask the average person to name an Egyptian pharaoh, the reply would probably be, "Tutankhamen." This, of course, is due to the highly unusual discovery by Howard Carter in 1922 of the child-king’s small but almost intact tomb. Tutankhamen died at age 17. Outside of the contents of his tomb, little is known of his reign, and he is not [...]
The Mysterious Fraternity of the Rosicrucians
Author: Julian ScottAugust 8, 2014
In 1614 and 1615, two ‘Rosicrucian Manifestos’ were published in Germany. They described the foundation of the “Fraternity of the Rosy Cross”, outlined its basic principles and invited learned men of good will to apply for membership and contribute to a “general and universal reformation of the whole wide world”. The first Manifesto, entitled “Fama Fraternitatis (Fame of the [...]
The Crisis of Western Education and the Role of Philosophy
Author: Sabine LeitnerAugust 8, 2014
Introduction In the developed world, the standards of literacy, numeracy, general knowledge and behaviour are falling. Millions of young people have also become disaffected from school and, despite the fact that previous generations have fought hard to make what was once a privilege of the rich accessible to all, do not see much point in formal education. In the U.K. for example, the figures [...]
Plato
Author: AnonymousAugust 8, 2014
The son of Ariston and a descendant of King Codrus and Perictione, who was a descendant of the great lawgiver, Solon, he was born in Athens in 429/28 B.C. and died in 347 B.C. His real name was in fact Aristocles and Plato was a nickname that means "broad-shouldered". It was apparently given to him by Ariston, his wrestling teacher. According to Diogenes Laertius, he was born on the 7th day of [...]
Aristotle
Author: AnonymousAugust 7, 2014
We owe to the Greek historian Diogenes Laertius most of our information on the life and works of this philosopher, who, together with Socrates and Plato, symbolize Western philosophical inquiry. He was born in 384 B.C. in Stagira (Thrace) and died in Chalcis (Euboea) in 322 B.C. His father, Nicomachus, was physician to Amyntas, the father of Philip and king of Macedonia. On the death of [...]
The Occult Philosophy in the English Renaissance
Author: Julian ScottAugust 5, 2014
The official history we learn at school or read in most books gives us only a partial view of reality and leaves out things that do not fit into the prevailing view. A case in point is the English Renaissance and its links with occultism. The standard history of that age tells us of the exploits of Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh, of the glittering court of Elizabeth I and of how the [...]
An Opera in Stone: Hampi
Author: Manjula NanavatiAugust 4, 2014
Libretto Hampi’s history melds so seamlessly into legend that it is difficult to establish where one ends and the other begins. This tiny hamlet lay nestled within the area known as Kishkinda which, according to the Hindu epic Ramayana, was the realm of the Monkey Gods. Following Ravan’s abduction of Sita, Ram and Lakshman arrived here, and were met by Hanuman and Sugriva. The cave where [...]
How to solve the economic crisis: Initiatives inspired by the teachings of Plato and Confucius
Author: James H LeeAugust 4, 2014
The modern liberal economic system has proven incapable of solving the economic and financial crises in the world,using traditional solutions. Initiatives undertaken by brave men and women whose creativity and determination inspired by timeless teachings of Plato and Confucius are showing the way. The term “State” initiated by the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 (1) refers to a geographical [...]
The Emperor’s New Clothes
Author: AnonymousJuly 21, 2014
Many years ago, there was an Emperor, who was so excessively fond of new clothes, that he spent all his money in dress. He did not trouble himself in the least about his soldiers; nor did he care to go either to the theatre or the chase, except for the opportunities then afforded him for displaying his new clothes. He had a different suit for each hour of the day; and as of any other king or [...]
Life Of Pi – Insight
Author: Rahil MehtaJune 26, 2014
This book by Yann Martel published in 2001, subsequently inspired a movie of the same name in 2012 (By Director Ang Lee). The book has won a series of awards including the UK man booker prize. The story is about a 16-year old boy who suffers a shipwreck in which his family dies, and is stranded in the Pacific Ocean on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger. The story describes the fantasy (?) [...]