＂The Sun Rising＂ is one of the most outstanding metaphysical poems of John Donne. After a general introduction about the metaphysical poetry and the author, this paper mainly aims to analyze the arresting and origin...＂The Sun Rising＂ is one of the most outstanding metaphysical poems of John Donne. After a general introduction about the metaphysical poetry and the author, this paper mainly aims to analyze the arresting and original conceits and images used in ＂The Sun Rising＂ and comment on their effect on expressing the author＇s feeling and reflecting his emotions.展开更多
Thinking about the problem of terrorism, the author finds its origins in the myth of the Trojan War, treating it as a battle for space, which was the primary basis for the civilizational leap--the expansion of the Gre...Thinking about the problem of terrorism, the author finds its origins in the myth of the Trojan War, treating it as a battle for space, which was the primary basis for the civilizational leap--the expansion of the Greek world to the east, which led to the flourishing of Greek culture, creating a precedent of justified colonialism, provided strategy and tactics-the causal apology of violence-all subsequent wars, colonial campaigns, which was no exception for the migratory flows of the XX century, as a result of which the word ＂terrorism＂ sounded with by force of the song of B. Brecht. The theme of ＂space＂-chucked away, lost, taken away, destroyed, compressed, anarchic, empty, boundless, virtual-remains vital in our time, when the limitless possibilities lead to the limitation of man himself, his emptiness, and ＂complete shortuess＂ （Platonov）, when the treaty as the basis of human existence is rejected, and when you become the Other yourself. The metaphysics of ＂violence＂ is buried in anthropology-in ignorance of one＇s limits by man, in denying the boundaries of ＂another＇s,＂ in unwillingness to ask a question mad find the answer, in laziness and, in fact, in the loss of oneself.展开更多
This paper deals with two case studies： （a） The role played by geometry and physical objects in Galileo＇s Theoremata Circa Centrum Gravitatis Solidorum comparing with Archimedean approach-mental experiments, and m...This paper deals with two case studies： （a） The role played by geometry and physical objects in Galileo＇s Theoremata Circa Centrum Gravitatis Solidorum comparing with Archimedean approach-mental experiments, and method of composition and de-composition, circumscribed and inscribed figures on centre of gravity studies; （b） The complex network of relations, which in Mysterium Cosmographicum, links the experimental part of astronomy to the theoretical aspect and, in the case of Kepler, the metaphysical aspect. The authors focus their efforts on understanding why Kepler reached such a strange, genial and original connection between practice and theory. The aim of this paper is to discuss the relationship between physics-mathematics （-metaphysics） and between experiments-observations-theory in the work of two scientists, Galileo and Kepler.展开更多
Twenty four centuries after Plato＇s formulation of the theory of ideas, it is revealed to us today in all its modernity and far-sightedness. In fact, confronting some of the elements of the theory with recent scienti...Twenty four centuries after Plato＇s formulation of the theory of ideas, it is revealed to us today in all its modernity and far-sightedness. In fact, confronting some of the elements of the theory with recent scientific discoveries, one cannot be anything but astounded by the magnificent capacity of the Athenian philosopher＇s investigations of the perceptible and metaphysical world, a true precursor of the times展开更多
Behind what is called ＂Needham＇s Grand Question＂ （why was China overshot by the West in science and technology？） lies a deeper question of how China came to lose the capacity of deeply reflective thought clearly...Behind what is called ＂Needham＇s Grand Question＂ （why was China overshot by the West in science and technology？） lies a deeper question of how China came to lose the capacity of deeply reflective thought clearly present in the ancient Chinese philosophers. This is a loss felt by all Chinese as a psychological sense of hollowness, a loss of identity, made worse by the seeming inaccessibility of the ancient Chinese wisdom to the modern Chinese mind. It is clear that at some historical point China suffered an extreme psychological blow sufficient to traumatise it at the threshold of reflective thought, unable to look inwards any more. The paper identifies that point as the utter devastation wrought by Kublai Khan and the Mongols 750 years ago. What devastates reflective thought is wilfulness, the insistent focusing of all attention and energy on external, material things, and Kublai Khan was wilful in the extreme. What confirms this as the crippling point is that, in response to Kublai Khan＇s Mongol invasion the Chinese, over time, not only completely altered the geography of China itself, moving their capital to the North （Beijing）, but have ever since fought to establish as ＂China＂ all the territory over which Kublai Khan ruled. China is clearly not free of Kublai Khan＇s shadow. But even more precisely, in the process of doing this--and showing their own wilfulness--in building the Forbidden City in Beijing they built it in the shape of the Chinese metaphysical model of the universe, the Chinese version of the Tree of Life metaphysical glyph But it has an error in it. And the error is precisely that in where it places things, it makes what would have been the attributes of reflective thought subservient to wilfulness. The model itself thus shows the hollowness of the Chinese mind from that moment on. The outer form--the ＂appearance＂---of the ancient wisdom was still there. But the content--the ＂substance＂--of it was not. And with no reflective thought, true creativity disappears.展开更多
Classical Indian Buddhist philosopher Nfigfirjuna is known for his philosophical interpretations of the central conception of Buddha＇s teachings, the philosophy of Middle Path （Mfidhyamika）. Notably he had introduc...Classical Indian Buddhist philosopher Nfigfirjuna is known for his philosophical interpretations of the central conception of Buddha＇s teachings, the philosophy of Middle Path （Mfidhyamika）. Notably he had introduced the unique concept of ＂emptiness＂ （gnyata） to explain the Middle Path philosophy： the philosophical meaning of ＂emptiness＂ is dependent co-arising of various elements that support the worldly experience. This study investigates how this concept is used in explaining the subjectivity of a human person and how it is used for interpreting the unique process of human existence. The discussions on subjectivity are imprecise in modern and contemporary philosophy. But Ngrjuna＇s philosophy enables us to explain subjectivity conclusively, without it having to be explained using metaphysical positions. Sunyata may introduce a new definition for the concept of non-self： not for negating the self but for caring self from the problems of life by making it centered in the Middle Path （madhyama-pratipat）, where one may naturally be able to use his wisdom （prajh） as the guiding principle： not mere knowledge （na）. Sanyat is understood using fourfold （catus.kot.i） logical analysis, not twofold analysis employed normally by other philosophers. Here, the Buddhist notion of self as the co-dependent evolution process of five aggregates （pahcaskandhas） is reinterpreted using the unique method of tetralemma （catus.kot. i）. This critique explores the Western philosophy＇s conceptions on ＂human reasoning, ＂logocentrism,＂ and the objective analytical method of modern science.＂ After careful cross examination of the rival philosophical positions, it reasons out why the ＂rationale of nature＂ is always superior to ＂human reasoning＂ and ＂logocentrism,＂展开更多
In this paper, the author refers to the Latin translation of the Kitab Ihsa ＇al＇ Ulum of Al-Frabi made by Dominicus Gundissalinus in the Xllth Century in Toledo, Spain. This text under the Latin title De scientiis w...In this paper, the author refers to the Latin translation of the Kitab Ihsa ＇al＇ Ulum of Al-Frabi made by Dominicus Gundissalinus in the Xllth Century in Toledo, Spain. This text under the Latin title De scientiis was one of the most influential texts of the Arab and Persian world in the western Latin Europe. It is an introductory text into all until known sciences written for students and laymen （illiterate） who want to study one of these sciences. The text of Al-Farabi discusses the seven liberal arts, all of the works on physics of Aristotle and includes some reflexions on metaphysics, political philosophy and theology. There are two important points： （1） All sciences have a theoretical and practical aspect. All sciences are sciences of principles and causes and their application to the practical world. （2） The so called prima philosophia is the political philosophy and not metaphysics. In this respect, Al-Farabi subordinates theology as a science of the religious laws to politics as a science of civil laws. In the same respect, he combines, under the famous sentence of Plato that philosophers are the governors and the very well companions of mankind, politics with theology展开更多
文摘＂The Sun Rising＂ is one of the most outstanding metaphysical poems of John Donne. After a general introduction about the metaphysical poetry and the author, this paper mainly aims to analyze the arresting and original conceits and images used in ＂The Sun Rising＂ and comment on their effect on expressing the author＇s feeling and reflecting his emotions.
文摘Thinking about the problem of terrorism, the author finds its origins in the myth of the Trojan War, treating it as a battle for space, which was the primary basis for the civilizational leap--the expansion of the Greek world to the east, which led to the flourishing of Greek culture, creating a precedent of justified colonialism, provided strategy and tactics-the causal apology of violence-all subsequent wars, colonial campaigns, which was no exception for the migratory flows of the XX century, as a result of which the word ＂terrorism＂ sounded with by force of the song of B. Brecht. The theme of ＂space＂-chucked away, lost, taken away, destroyed, compressed, anarchic, empty, boundless, virtual-remains vital in our time, when the limitless possibilities lead to the limitation of man himself, his emptiness, and ＂complete shortuess＂ （Platonov）, when the treaty as the basis of human existence is rejected, and when you become the Other yourself. The metaphysics of ＂violence＂ is buried in anthropology-in ignorance of one＇s limits by man, in denying the boundaries of ＂another＇s,＂ in unwillingness to ask a question mad find the answer, in laziness and, in fact, in the loss of oneself.
文摘This paper deals with two case studies： （a） The role played by geometry and physical objects in Galileo＇s Theoremata Circa Centrum Gravitatis Solidorum comparing with Archimedean approach-mental experiments, and method of composition and de-composition, circumscribed and inscribed figures on centre of gravity studies; （b） The complex network of relations, which in Mysterium Cosmographicum, links the experimental part of astronomy to the theoretical aspect and, in the case of Kepler, the metaphysical aspect. The authors focus their efforts on understanding why Kepler reached such a strange, genial and original connection between practice and theory. The aim of this paper is to discuss the relationship between physics-mathematics （-metaphysics） and between experiments-observations-theory in the work of two scientists, Galileo and Kepler.
文摘Twenty four centuries after Plato＇s formulation of the theory of ideas, it is revealed to us today in all its modernity and far-sightedness. In fact, confronting some of the elements of the theory with recent scientific discoveries, one cannot be anything but astounded by the magnificent capacity of the Athenian philosopher＇s investigations of the perceptible and metaphysical world, a true precursor of the times
文摘Behind what is called ＂Needham＇s Grand Question＂ （why was China overshot by the West in science and technology？） lies a deeper question of how China came to lose the capacity of deeply reflective thought clearly present in the ancient Chinese philosophers. This is a loss felt by all Chinese as a psychological sense of hollowness, a loss of identity, made worse by the seeming inaccessibility of the ancient Chinese wisdom to the modern Chinese mind. It is clear that at some historical point China suffered an extreme psychological blow sufficient to traumatise it at the threshold of reflective thought, unable to look inwards any more. The paper identifies that point as the utter devastation wrought by Kublai Khan and the Mongols 750 years ago. What devastates reflective thought is wilfulness, the insistent focusing of all attention and energy on external, material things, and Kublai Khan was wilful in the extreme. What confirms this as the crippling point is that, in response to Kublai Khan＇s Mongol invasion the Chinese, over time, not only completely altered the geography of China itself, moving their capital to the North （Beijing）, but have ever since fought to establish as ＂China＂ all the territory over which Kublai Khan ruled. China is clearly not free of Kublai Khan＇s shadow. But even more precisely, in the process of doing this--and showing their own wilfulness--in building the Forbidden City in Beijing they built it in the shape of the Chinese metaphysical model of the universe, the Chinese version of the Tree of Life metaphysical glyph But it has an error in it. And the error is precisely that in where it places things, it makes what would have been the attributes of reflective thought subservient to wilfulness. The model itself thus shows the hollowness of the Chinese mind from that moment on. The outer form--the ＂appearance＂---of the ancient wisdom was still there. But the content--the ＂substance＂--of it was not. And with no reflective thought, true creativity disappears.
文摘Classical Indian Buddhist philosopher Nfigfirjuna is known for his philosophical interpretations of the central conception of Buddha＇s teachings, the philosophy of Middle Path （Mfidhyamika）. Notably he had introduced the unique concept of ＂emptiness＂ （gnyata） to explain the Middle Path philosophy： the philosophical meaning of ＂emptiness＂ is dependent co-arising of various elements that support the worldly experience. This study investigates how this concept is used in explaining the subjectivity of a human person and how it is used for interpreting the unique process of human existence. The discussions on subjectivity are imprecise in modern and contemporary philosophy. But Ngrjuna＇s philosophy enables us to explain subjectivity conclusively, without it having to be explained using metaphysical positions. Sunyata may introduce a new definition for the concept of non-self： not for negating the self but for caring self from the problems of life by making it centered in the Middle Path （madhyama-pratipat）, where one may naturally be able to use his wisdom （prajh） as the guiding principle： not mere knowledge （na）. Sanyat is understood using fourfold （catus.kot.i） logical analysis, not twofold analysis employed normally by other philosophers. Here, the Buddhist notion of self as the co-dependent evolution process of five aggregates （pahcaskandhas） is reinterpreted using the unique method of tetralemma （catus.kot. i）. This critique explores the Western philosophy＇s conceptions on ＂human reasoning, ＂logocentrism,＂ and the objective analytical method of modern science.＂ After careful cross examination of the rival philosophical positions, it reasons out why the ＂rationale of nature＂ is always superior to ＂human reasoning＂ and ＂logocentrism,＂
文摘In this paper, the author refers to the Latin translation of the Kitab Ihsa ＇al＇ Ulum of Al-Frabi made by Dominicus Gundissalinus in the Xllth Century in Toledo, Spain. This text under the Latin title De scientiis was one of the most influential texts of the Arab and Persian world in the western Latin Europe. It is an introductory text into all until known sciences written for students and laymen （illiterate） who want to study one of these sciences. The text of Al-Farabi discusses the seven liberal arts, all of the works on physics of Aristotle and includes some reflexions on metaphysics, political philosophy and theology. There are two important points： （1） All sciences have a theoretical and practical aspect. All sciences are sciences of principles and causes and their application to the practical world. （2） The so called prima philosophia is the political philosophy and not metaphysics. In this respect, Al-Farabi subordinates theology as a science of the religious laws to politics as a science of civil laws. In the same respect, he combines, under the famous sentence of Plato that philosophers are the governors and the very well companions of mankind, politics with theology
