A response to AP Euro Bit By Bit, By Paul Sargent, on youtube I’ve enjoyed the videos I’ve seen so far – about a dozen. I especially liked your coverage of the Enlightenment and the foundations of modern constitutional democracy. I do have a couple of points I’d like to
Continue readingTag: philosophy
Writings of J. Todd Ring: Why Atheism Is A Bag of Hot Air
Atheism is decidedly unscientific, and anti-empirical, because it dogmatically asserts a claim that it cannot possibly prove or even empirically support. If they were truly empirical, or truly scientific, they would at least be agnostic. But they are neither empirical nor scientific. Besides that, and more importantly, atheism is the
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Core message
“How much do I know? I’m young and unschooled Bet l’m younger than you And even Jesus would Never forgive what you do I want to ask you one question Is your money that good? Will it buy you forgiveness And do you think that it could? I think that
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Candour, Volume One
I get periodically overwhelmed with the suffering of humanity. Spiritual practice should, and eventually does, bring a measure of calm abiding. And while I have practiced, and my inner strength is now, truly, vast; it is not yet limitless. I am human. And at times, this world, this society, does
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: The Top 12 Books For Understanding The World
Or, Why A Critical Reading of History Is Now Critically & Urgently Needed The details are important, but an understanding of the major patterns of history are even more important. I don’t think that is possible without giving due credence to the quiet revolution which occurred in anthropology in the
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Boethius, Stoicism and The Consolation of Philosophy
While I would recommend Boethius, and the Consolation of Philosophy, to all, I would not recommend Stoicism to anyone, for two reasons: 1. It encourages a banishment of feeling and emotion, and an unfeeling indifference to both pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow – a kind of psychic numbness, which,
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Philosophy, Being and Reality
Some reading on the subject of philosophy, ontology, epistemology, metaphysics and the nature of reality that I’d recommend: Choosing Reality, by Allan Wallace, Dreamtime and Inner Space, by Holgar Kalweit, The Holographic Universe, and Mysticism and the New Physics, by Michael Talbot, and an excellent first major book, as an
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: The New Renaissance Women and Men
For thousands of years, philosophers and others have been asking questions such as, What is a just society? What is virtue? What is a virtuous life? What is the good life? What is the source of happiness? What, even, is real? Who are we? Where did we come from, where
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Overviews of philosophy, religion, politics, history & sociology: where one might begin – or continue in more depth
Fascinating look here, in this BBC podcast (linked below), at the history, sociology, psychology, theology and politics of fundamentalism, evangelism, millennialism & apocalyptism. See also, Michael Grosso’s, The Millennium Myth, & The Millennium Book of Prophecy by John Hogue. My own views in terms of religious philosophy, political philosophy and
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: The God Fetish, the God Phobia, and the Fetish of Words: Or, The Idolatry of Ideology
There are some who will read my writing and think – he’s a dangerous right-winger! But if they read more, they will realize that is obviously untrue. Others will decide I am a dangerous leftist extremist; but if they read on, they will understand that I advocate non-violence, freedom, democracy
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Primary Influences
What are my primary influences? Among them: Buddhism, Taoism, the perennial philosophy, Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi and Thoreau, along with the values of the Enlightenment: liberty, equality, solidarity – which I would like to see lived up to, and the sooner the better. In short, we are our brother’s
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: The Definition Of A Warrior
Here is a good working definition of a warrior. Chogyam Trungpa, or the 13th Dalai Lama, can explain it better. I am just a student. (See, Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior, and The Bodhisattva Warrior) Nevertheless, I think the following thoughts are worthy of reflection. A true warrior
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: The Essence of the Path
Here are a few things that I have gleaned, from listening, from study and contemplation, and from some genuine experience. I believe they can be helpful. But above all, think for yourself. Question everything. “Don’t take anyone’s word for things, not even someone you respect, not even myself. Examine things
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Rescuing Plato, Rescuing Ourselves
Despite the fact that Western civilization (sic) has greatly venerated and virtually worshipped the ancients of Greece and Rome, in reality, they had little to offer in terms of philosophy. (I will qualify and elaborate on this broad statement in a moment.) That being said, modern philosophy, from Descartes through
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Happy New Years
Community My New Years Resolution for our society is to no longer worship at the twin altars of individualism and technology but rather to embrace the saviour of community. From the industrial revolution to the high tech revolution we have deluded ourselves that technology would solve all our problems. While
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Derrick Jensen – No, Your Feelings are NOT valid
An important tonic to anti material discourse. Plus, a cute cat in the video. “If your feelings are not based in fact, then they are not valid.” First 6 minutes are great. Kinda rambles in the middle though.
Continue readingScripturient: On growing old
“We truly can’t praise the love and pursuit of wisdom enough,” wrote Marcus Tullius Cicero in one of his last works, How to Grow Old (De Senectute; aka On Aging or On Old Age), “since it allows a person to enjoy every stage of life free from worry.” “Ancient wisdom
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Who’s Side Are You On?
It is very easy to not see the forest for the trees. In fact, it is nearly universal. For example, it took millenia before people broadly began to question whether certain genitalia naturally bequeathed social status and moral superiority, or whether such bias was simply a social habit, born of
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: A New Social Contract: The Parable of the Happy Kingdom
A brief preamble: The old social contract, the last social contract, has clearly broken down. That was the New Deal, which was a compromise between the business elite and the 99%, which lasted between the late 1930s until the 1970s. The business elite, with increased global powers, decided in the
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Getting Off The Treadmill: Seeking More Through Less
Newer, better, more… Newer, better, more… On and on the circle goes. But when you begin to see through such delusions and self-limiting, self-imprisoning patterns, then the door to true wisdom opens. First, however, you must get off the treadmill of always seeking newer, better, more. If it doesn’t exhaust
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