Caricatures of Former Greatness

The idea that we are always evolving from a simpler, coarser state to one that is more complex and refined is commonly held, but is it always true? I have found many cases in my short life which give evidence to the contrary, where well-developed bodies of knowledge were abandoned for new and supposedly better …

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Living in an Air Castle VII

"The air-castle typifies any delusion or folly that makes man forsake real living for an idle, vague existence. Living in air-castles means that a man sees life in a wrong perspective. He permits his lower self to dominate his higher self; he who should tower as a mighty conqueror over the human weakness, sin and …

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Altruism is Possible and Altruism is Real

I read a fascinating article in the New York Times called "Is Pure Altruism Possible?" The article's author, Judith Lichtenberg, is a professor of philosophy at Georgetown University who is writing a book on charity and her interest seems to be in part to discover ways to increase altruism in the world today. While much …

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