Entries from March 2014

Monday, March 31st, 2014

Saint Augustine: Confessions

Saint Augustine was the bishop of Hippo.  He was partly responsible for stabilizing the early Christian church and he was the first thinker to offer a coherent philosophy consistent with the teachings of Jesus and the letters of Paul.

Saint Augustine’s Confessions is composed of 13 different books and are broken up into different parts of Augustine’s life; books one to nine address his life beginning as an infant, book 10 highlights his temptations, and books 11 to 13 explanation of Genesis. I will be discussing the first three books. In book one, Augustine discusses his life as an infant and how much he allegedly sinned at the point of his life, even though he doesn’t remember.  In book two, Augustine discusses a particular story where he and his friends commit a sin. And book three, He is forced to move to Carthage and continues speaking of his past sins and temptations as a teenager. He also gets to know Manicheism. I believe Augustine’s main goal of this book is for others to learn.

Confessions was written around the year 397. It was written, for several reasons, religion being a main one. While Augustine discusses his journey and sins that he has committed in the past, Confessions is not an autobiography, rather a personal perspective towards God, and how Augustine sees and feels about Him.

In his analysis of Confessions, Richard Miller says regarding evil, “According to Augustine, evil arises when we seek to overcome our fundamental lack as mortal creatures by attaching ourselves to changeable goods in excess of their quality and being. We confuse mutable for immutable goods, drawn as we are to objects of beauty that are finite and contingent in our restless quest for enduring happiness.”

 Discussion Questions:

  1. According to Augustine, what is evil? How do you think he defines it?
  2. Why did Augustine steal a pear? Why was this significant? What can be observed from this? What are Augustine’s feelings and views on sin?
  3. What does Augustine mean when he asks God to “come into him”? (Book 1 section 2)
  4. What were the three Manichee challenges?

 

Max

 

 

 

Source:

Miller, Richard B. “Evil, friendship, and iconic realism in Augustine’s Confessions.” Harvard Theological Review 104.4 (2011): 387+. Biography in Context. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.

Document URL
http://ic.galegroup.com.remote.baruch.cuny.edu/ic/bic1/AcademicJournalsDetailsPage/AcademicJournalsDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=BIC1&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Journals&limiter=&currPage=&disableHighlighting=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&search_within_results=&p=BIC1&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CA271595502&source=Bookmark&u=cuny_baruch&jsid=50cb8668a8735a3ced6c1cb210aeb6f1

 

 

Tuesday, March 25th, 2014

Zhaungzi: Daoism

Zhuangzi’s writing focuses on the philosophy of Daoism. In contrast to Confucianism, Daoism doesn’t offer a method or a system for enlightenment whereas Confucianism provides guidelines for moral living. In Zhuangzi’s writing, he entertains that “Dao” or “The Way” is the source to happiness, but following “The way” is mysterious, strange and spontaneous. The Sage shall accept all chaos and feelings as worthwhile and valuable. The sage is not concerned with changes in the world because they accept that they must live in accordance to nature. His ideas implements a “free” lifestyle.

Zhuangzi’s idea of achieving “the dao” or “The Way” entertains that one must be able to “make all things equal”. This suggest that one should find equality between self perspectives and other’s perspective. In other words, one shall not have feelings, or thoughts of the world/nature and accept all that is happening among him. This is the key to achieving happiness and wisdom. Do you think this idea is realistic or idealistic? Why?

 

Tuesday, March 25th, 2014

Zhuangzi: Daoism

This excerpt focuses on the philosophy of Zhuangzi, or Zhuang Zhou, who lived during fourth century B.C.E. His beliefs were firmly rooted in Daoism, which promotes the attainment of individual harmony or, the Way.  Throughout this except we see a great deal of emphasis placed on the one as opposed to the society. We also see how in order to achieve harmony within one’s self; one must consider that there are no absolutes in life. Spanning the duration of this text, we see countless examples of paradoxes that are left without answers. In this way, Zhuang Zhou is extremely skeptical. This differs from the writings of Confucius because Confucius believed in a moral code that an individual should uphold when interacting with a society, family, and so on. While Confucius preached “do onto other as you would have done to you”, Zhuang Zhou’s philosophy was more focused on the individual and finding your natural path or Way.

Discussion Question: “Confucius and Zhuangzi abide by very different philosophies. Confucius focused on an individual’s relationship to a society and believed that we have a duty to do right by our fellow man. Zhuangzi believed that we have we should attain individual harmony through the Dao, or Way. Which philosophical view do you feel is most applicable and practical in our modern-day society? Why?”

Cheng, Patrick Low Kim. “Confucianism Versus Taoism.” (2011): n. pag. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Mar. 2013.

Wednesday, March 19th, 2014

The Analects of Confucius

The Analects of Confucius are a collection of passages that introduce the words of Confucius and his disciples. In book I Confucius places a huge importance on the idea of Ren. Ren is defined as goodness or humanity, the idea of putting the needs of others in front of yours. Ren is said to be only obtained by a junzi or an ideally ethical person. Personally I believe a junzi  is more of a god like figure that a normal person cannot become. Book II focuses on the role of government, Confucius states that one should not rule by laws and punishment but with de (virtue) and li (ritual). Also an important idea of filial piety is introduced which is the idea that you respect and take care of your parents and elders with true intent and concern. Lead by example not by force and fear. Book III and IV further outlines Confucians ideologies, dao, junzi, de, li and ren tying together all the ideals of Confucianism.

Discussion Question:

Do you think a person can ever have the characteristics of becoming a junzi? Do you think Confucius is using this idea of a junzi to create order?

-Dennis Hong

Wednesday, March 19th, 2014

The Analects of Confucius

The philosophy of Confucius emphasized personal and governmental morality. In the book, he repeatedly stresses the concept of goodness or humanity (Ren).He thought that only a person of superior moral character (JunZi) could be an ideal ruler. He believed that if a ruler led his people by setting  good examples to them, that orders would be deemed unnecessary because others will follow the proper actions of their ruler. He spent his whole life looking for a perfect ruler, but he never found one.

discussion questions:

Confucius emphases a ruler should rule by means of virtue (de), rather than by the use of policies or physical punishments. Do you agree with him? If so, why do we need laws and rules in society today?Are Confucius’s ideas on the governance realistic or idealistic?​

-Xianhui Xu

 

Sunday, March 16th, 2014

The Bhagavad Gita and Duty

The Bhagavad Gita focuses on the 18 day battle between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Throughout this journey the concept of Dhrama brought up. Dhrama is described as one’s role in society, and without the fulfillment of Dhrama, society is will be un-balanced. Dhrama is mostly determined by what caste you are born in. Arjuna, the protagonist of the Bhagavad Gita is born into the Ksatriya Varna, the warrior class; therefore he has a duty to fight. But because the enemies, the Kauravas, are his cousins, he has a familial duty not to fight them. This provides the main tension of the story, if Arjuna fulfills his personal Dhrama, then he will have sacrificed his familial duty, and if he upholds his familial duty, he will not fulfill his own personal Dhrama. Arjuna asks his mentor, Krishna, an incarnation of the god Visnu, for advice. Krishna says that Arjuna must follow his own personal Dhrama otherwise the balance of society will be ruined.

“Bhagavad Gītā” as Duty and Virtue Ethics: Some ReflectionsAuthor(s): Bina GuptaSource: The Journal of Religious Ethics, Vol. 34, No. 3 (Sep., 2006), pp. 373-395Published by: on behalf of Journal of Religious Ethics, IncStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40017693 .Accessed: 11/03/2014 22:13

Sunday, March 16th, 2014

The Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita is divine wisdom that is used by mankind at all times. In order to help human beings face and solve the ever present problems of birth, death, pain, suffering, love, hate, etc. The book allows a human being to be free from all limiting factors and reach the state of perfect inner balance. “Jnana (knowledge), Bhakti (devotion), and Karma (action).” The Gita inspires action with awareness or selfless action, which doesn’t please anyone’s ego but is for service and not for power. When you find the intersection between selfishness and action that directs a soul towards nirvana. In the Gita we see three Gunas get mentioned which are: raja, saatva, and tamas. The Gita keeps reminding us throughout that we should always try to be in our Saatva state, but what about our other emotions? And are human beings the only ones that have these 3 Gunas? According to Durai, R.: almost everything in creation has the 3 Gunas.

Durai, R. (2012, Dec). Three gunas. India Currents, 25, 52. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/955174889?accountid=8500

Discussion Question: Do you believe that the Gita is trying to get us to repress our emotions? Why or why not?

Saturday, March 15th, 2014

Literature & Art: The Eumenides & The Bhagavad Gita in Painting

Hi everyone,

For this post I want you to think about the relationship between literature and visual art. I encourage you to respond to my questions below to fulfill one of your blog-response requirements. The first image is a modern rendering of The Furies (from The Oresteia). This painting (a triptych) is by Francis Bacon and was first exhibited at the end of the war in 1945. The title of the painting is “Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion,” thereby relating this painting to the saints traditionally represented at the base of the cross. Bacon also connected this painting to The Oresteia, claiming that the figures here represented are in fact the furies. Consider the following questions and feel free to answer all (or any) of them in your responses:

Francis Bacon, ‘Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion’ c.1944

What do you think the connection between Christianity/the cross/saints and Greek mythology/The Oresteia was for Bacon? He clearly sees the two connected here as he brings them together in his explanation of the painting — what might such a connection mean? What is your interpretation of the painting? Why do you think the furies are represented like this, and what could this mean? Can you make any connection between the furies and the fact that this painting was done right after World War II? 

Now here is a painting entitled “Krisna and Arjuna from the Bhagavad Gita” by Allah Bux. (Link for the image included as well).  You can respond to any of these questions as well. After reading The Bhagavad Gita, how do you interpret this image? What do you think the painter is trying to represent? How do you interpret the background of the image? 

And finally: How do these two images differ, and/or how are they similar? How can we use the differences and/or similarities between these two images to think about how these two texts might relate to one another? 

http://huntington.wmc.ohio-state.edu/public/index.cfm fuseaction=showThisDetail&ObjectID=30017546&detail=largeZoom

Tuesday, March 11th, 2014

The Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita is like the Hindu bible. It shows the conversation between Arjuna the warrior and his charioteer, the God Krishna. Before the war starts it shows the two families called the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Both of these families though belong to the Bharata family and essentially these two families are cousins. But as time goes on these two families drift apart and end up going to war. And the protagonist Arjuna is faced with a decision on whether he should attack the Kauravas or not. Arjuna looks to Krishna for help or advice on what he should do. This is when Krishna begins to tell Arjuna of the three different paths. The first is Karmamarga which is the path of action. The second is Jñanamarga which is the path of knowledge. And the third is Bhaktimarga which is the path of devotion.

In K. N. Upadhyaya article The Bhagavad Gita on War and Peace, he raises the question whether the Gita enjoins violent or nonviolent means. He then goes on to talk about the three spiritual paths and finally comes to his conclusion.

Discussion Question: Out of the path of knowledge, path of action, or path of devotion. Which do you think is the most important path? Why?

Sunday, March 9th, 2014

The Eumenides

In “Aeschylus’ ‘Eumenides’: Some Contrapuntal Lines,” David H. Porter proposes the argument that the play’s ending was sort of anticlimactic, and the seeming progress towards a civil society
achieved by way of the establishment of a judicial court was not actually all that impressive. Throughout the finale, Orestes was never alone, and was continuously in need of the support of others.
The trial was dominated by the Gods, with Orestes only playing a small part. The deciding vote was cast
by Athena. In his speech following his acquittal, Orestes made no mention of the twelve Athenian men who took part in the trial, but offered praise and blessings to the Gods. We also saw the return of
the misogynistic, patriarchal bias that was so prevalent at the time.
Do you think Mr. Porter makes a strong case for his claim that no revolutionary change did occur, and the humans were simply used as pawns while their fates continued to be determined by the Gods?
Or, perhaps, was it a genuine effort and proper step in the right direction in favour of a democratic process instead of the old take-matters-into-your-own-hands method?

Porter, David H. “Aeschylus’ ‘Eumenides’: Some Contrapuntal Lines.”
The American Journal of Philology , Vol. 126, No. 3 (Autumn, 2005) , pp. 301-331
Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press
Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3804934

~ Joshua Sturm