Showing 8 articles
Do You Want to Time Travel? Or the Power of Historical Fiction
Author: Gilad SommerJanuary 19, 2025
Since the early days of science fiction, man has been dreaming of building a time machine. But what if I told you time machines are accessible to everyone, and that they require even less energy than a smartphone? I am referring to books, and specifically books of historical fiction. Not only are they time machines, [...]
The Fate of Empires
Author: Gilad SommerJuly 4, 2022
In 1976, at the age of 79, after a lifetime of service in the British army where he held high commands and fraternized with presidents and kings, Lieutenant General John Bagot Glubb, a.k.a Glubb Pasha, wrote a short but penetrating essay about the life cycle of superpowers called “The Fate of Empires”. In this small [...]
History of Education in the Western World
Author: Jim PangApril 30, 2022
The history of education has also been described as the the history of civilisation. Education has a role in perpetuating and passing on knowledge and values to the next generation. Therefore, it has a culturally specific connection -“enculturation” as defined by the cultural historian C. Dawson. The education systems of the world are the product of centuries [...]
Onset of a New Golden Age – Q&A with Pierre Poulain
Author: Manjula NanavatiMarch 21, 2018
At 61, Pierre Poulain exudes an integral energy. His stance is erect, as if poised for action, his eyes curious and attentive, and his speech swift and voluble. He describes himself as a Philosopher – Photographer, combining these two apparently unrelated disciplines seamlessly. He founded New Acropolis in Israel in 1986, and has taught philosophy [...]
The Danger of ‘Historical Illiteracy’
Author: Sabine LeitnerApril 30, 2017
Studies in several countries have highlighted that there is growing ignorance and lack of interest amongst young people about even basic historic facts of fairly recent national history. Americans of all ages fail to answer simple questions like “Who won the Civil War” and “Who did we gain independence from?” One of the most frequent [...]
Do We Need Tradition?
Author: Gilad SommerDecember 3, 2014
The word ‘tradition’ comes from the Latin trans + dare: deliver, give across. It refers to the transmission of experience which lies at the base of every established civilization. Today, however, tradition has become a synonym of something which is old-fashioned and obsolete, nothing more than an interesting relic of the past to be put [...]
The Myth of Unending Progress
Author: Jorge Angel LivragaAugust 26, 2014
The term “progress” derives from the Latin “progressus” which means, quite simply, the action of going forward. It is a mere illusion of the senses, intoxicated with hope, the supposition that every forward movement is synonymous with improvement, happiness and joy. The arithmetic progression of 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. does not mean that 2 [...]
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) [...]