Confucianism may be able to be realized in today’s society, but not without abandoning our entire political system. There is nothing innately wrong with Confucius’ teachings; he describes the perfect model for humanity, not a realistic one. But the United States isn’t just flawed; the traits of our government are those which Confucius singles out [...]
The 1920’s should be called the Dreaming Decade. Everyone in America was dreaming of a better future, more freedom, or a safer community. Women had won the vote and now turned to overthrowing old traditions. Blacks migrated north to the promises of a better life. There were also those dreaming of a return to tradition. [...]
Niccolo Machiavelli’s short book, The Prince, is a guide on how to be a successful monarch; “Ruling for Dummies” could be its modern title. One aspect of his advice which is most arguable in its moral implications is that the ends always justify the means. Lying and killing are perfectly acceptable if they keep a [...]
Americans are addicted to the future. Our entire concept of progress is based upon this addiction. If the here and now is unsatisfactory, we believe that we can improve and get better; yet we are never really satisfied with what we have. Even if we attain the goal we started out with, we still want [...]
The most important message of Jesus is that each of us has the ability to become god-like. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near,” [Matthew 4:17] for the kingdom of heaven is the divine seed within each human being. No human is no more or less holy than another because every human has this [...]
The ancient Greeks believed that fate was a combination of the gods’ will, human motivation, and the force of the past. The modern definition is the opposite: a future already defined and unchangeable. Homer’s Odyssey shows the contrast between these two views of fate. Our version of fate does not exist in the saga, in [...]
In Marcus’ world, “all things are interwoven with one another.” [7:9] Unity with multiplicity, conformity with individuality. Even this Roman Emperor grasps the Eastern concept of paradoxes, the “mask of eternity” that exists beyond all duality. Individuals are parts of the whole world, and also parts in the divine omnipresent God. To perceive his direction, [...]
The Underground Man represents the common person who has “lost touch so badly that [he] often [feels] a kind of loathing for genuine ‘living life.’” His severe introspection causes him to be incapable of doing anything without regretting it afterwards. Either his spiteful motives or his mean actions lead him to give up being genuine. [...]
The purpose of Percy Shelley’s poem, Ozymandias, is to remind us of how transient human civilization is. No matter how vast and powerful our kingdoms, time and nature will ultimately take them away. It is a reaction to the Enlightenment, a time when men of reason proposed that human society is on an endless path [...]
Dear Socrates, I agree with you that a philosopher king would be the ideal governor of the State. However, being philosophers, we must strive for the good of our current State. This model must be feasible for it to be of any use. Can the philosopher king truly exist?
Socrates, you say “the philosophers must become [...]