At the service of philosophy – Manly P. Hall’s life and teachings
Author: Agostino DominiciJune 13, 2016
A few years ago, while browsing on YouTube, I happened to stumble across some old recordings of lectures covering an array of metaphysical and mystical topics. I was quickly taken by the depth and breadth with which the speaker, effortlessly, delivered his talks. Soon I learned that the person behind those words was a very special man indeed. Manly P. Hall, though unknown to the academic world, [...]
The Mind – a parent who just can’t say no
Author: Gilad SommerMay 15, 2016
“Nature is enough for everything she asks of us. Luxury has turned her back on nature (… ) pressing man's intelligence into the development of vices. First she began to hanker after things that were inessential, and then after things that were harmful, and finally she handed the mind over to the body and commanded it to be the out and out slave of the body's whim and pleasure.” (Seneca, [...]
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, a month or a year. Unfortunately, apart from the exceptions that prove the rule, these states [...]
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 is so difficult to define what life is. It goes without saying that life is [...]
Philosophical Activism: For Best Results Start at the Root
Author: Gilad SommerMarch 4, 2015
Many of us feel the need to take concrete action, with the hope that our children may have a better place to live in. However, without contemplating the deeper reasons for our problems, activism can become a Sisyphean task – acting repeatedly, without making any real change. Wangari Maathai, the late Kenyan Nobel prize winner, spoke about certain aid campaigns that completely missed their [...]
The Practice of Philosophy
Author: Fernando SchwarzJanuary 31, 2015
Philosophy, or love of wisdom, is not something abstract. It’s about how to understand life better and therefore how to live better, individually and collectively. We all have something deep within ourselves, but sometimes we’re afraid to look for it. It’s like diving within yourself to look for the inner gold. You need courage to dive into the water, because there are many fears: the [...]
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 in a museum. Nevertheless, tradition is a living [...]
Simply Philosophy
Author: Yaron BarzilayMay 12, 2014
When mention is made of philosophy, one might imagine that a rain of words will fall, combined with complicated sentences and theories.This way of seeing philosophy is far from the true spirit of philosophy which basically aims to bring us closer to simplicity and clarity. What we need is a simple definition of philosophy. The culture we are living in today is a culture of complexity that is [...]