Definition of Philosophy

On Giving

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charitable-givingGiving is a concept that can be found in most religions – if not all.

It is espoused by both the Bible and the Qur’an. In fact if you look at the following verses you’ll be struck by the similarity of what the two religions tell their believers to do.

Giving shows the believers’ love for their God:

“And they feed, for the love of Allah, the poor, the orphan, and the captive.” (Qur’an 76:8)

“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3: 17-18)

Giving in secret:

“If you give alms openly, it is well, and if you hide it and give it to the poor, it is better for you” (Qur’an 2:271)

“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:3-43)

There are other similarities such as the concept of “tithing” wherein a portion of a person’s earning should be given back to the church.

Generosity is also encouraged in Buddhism and Hinduism. In Buddhism they have what they call dāna, which when translated means generosity. However, it means more than just the word but actually refers to the practice of cultivating generosity. To Buddhists the more they give selflessly in this life the better off they will be in the next life. A belief that even Christians whose “treasures are stored up in heaven” and Muslims also believe.

The question now though is this: With all the teachings of different religions telling us to give are you practicing what you say you believe in? Do you give? In what way? How much? And more importantly, WHY?

You can find more info on giving to HAITI at Google’s Haiti Crisis Response Page.

Originally posted on January 25, 2010 @ 3:50 pm

Avatar and the Philosophy of Faith

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avatar-movie-posterI just read one of the most interesting takes on “Avatar”. The movie itself is interesting and entertaining from the CG to the storyline. Ok so interesting and entertaining is actually an understatement, at least compared to my initial reaction – and my second and third. Yes I’ve watched it that many times already and will watch it again if someone asks me to go out to the movies with them!

Anyway what I really wanted to write about is not how cool the movie is but how interesting the philosophy of Randy David, a journalist from the Philippines is. Mr. David mentions briefly the different issues the movie touches on.

In such manner do many of us project our disaffection with our own world (and often with our own selves), and the sense of guilt we feel over its current state. James Cameron’s script is, in many ways, the story of Western colonialism’s plunder and destruction of indigenous societies. It is also a parable on human greed and technological violence.

As he said though that “is only the most obvious level at which the movie may be understood.” He then discusses the concept of the avatar and then somehow twists it around to relate it to Jesus, Nietzsche, Marxism, and of course the concept of faith and belief – a topic that will surely make good fodder for conversation anytime.

For a good philosophical read on “Avatar” you can read the full article “In a World of Avatars” here.

Originally posted on December 26, 2009 @ 10:46 pm

Debate Topics

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DebateIn my last post I talked about the “World Philosophy Day” and gave some suggestions on how you can join the celebration. I also listed some topics you and your friends can debate on or you can just muse over. The more I thought about it though, the more fun/interesting topic I came up with. Here’s a longer list of philosophical topics/questions I got from all over the net:

What makes something funny? – Here’s a discussion on the topic from PhilosophyForums.
Is there a God? – If you want a real debate it would be better to get two close-minded but intelligent people who are firm on their beliefs on this topic – a fundamental God believer (doesn’t matter what the religion is) and an atheist. Sit down and enjoy hearing them debate about the topic ALL day long.
Healthcare – This is an especially relevant debate if you are in the US right now. Of course, this won’t make for a light fun day.
What is music? – People enjoy and can’t bear different types of music. So how do we define music? How do we differentiate it from mere sound or even noise? Better yet, ask “What is good music?”
Whose side are you on – Jon or Kate? – I know the answer should be the kids but if you really had to choose between the two who would you side with? Makes for a totally useless but entertaining debate.

For more debate topics go to Conservapedia.

Originally posted on October 30, 2009 @ 3:02 pm

New Waves in Philosophy of Religion

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new-waves-in-philosophy-of-religionThe book New Waves in Philosophy of Religion has been published by Palgrave MacMillan last December as part of its New Waves in Philosophy anthology series. The series aims to “gather the young and up-and-coming scholars in philosophy to give their view of the subject now and in the years to come, and to serve a documentary purpose.”

New Waves in Philosophy of Religion, edited by Y. Nagasawa & E. Wielenberg, discusses the “perennial problems and emerging issues from refreshingly new points of view and develop original ideas. It addresses such topics as: divine attributes, the origin of the universe, evolution and design, implications and puzzles of religious doctrines, morality and God, and the meaning of life.”

Contents of the book is as follows:

  • Introduction
    Yujin Nagasawa (University of Birmingham, UK) and Erik J. Wielenberg (DePauw University, USA)
  • Chapter 1: A New Definition of ‘Omnipotence’ in Terms of Sets
    Daniel J. Hill (University of Liverpool, UK)
  • Chapter 2: Can God Choose a World at Random?
    Klaas J. Kraay (Ryerson University, Canada)
  • Chapter 3: Why is there Anything at All?
    T. J. Mawson (Oxford University, UK)
  • Chapter 4: Programs, Bugs, DNA and a Design Argument
    Alexander R. Pruss (Georgetown University, USA)
  • Chapter 5: The ‘Why Design?’ Question
    Neil A. Manson (University of Mississippi, USA)
  • Chapter 6: Divine Command Theory and the Semantics of Quantified Modal Logic
    David Efird (University of York, UK)
  • Chapter 7: Divine Desire Theory and Obligation
    Christian B. Miller (Wake Forest University, USA)
  • Chapter 8: The Puzzle of Prayers of Thanksgiving and Praise
    Daniel Howard-Snyder (Western Washington University, USA)
  • Chapter 9: A Participatory Model of the Atonement
    Tim Bayne (University of Oxford, UK) and Greg Restall (University of Melbourne, Australia)
  • Chapter 10: Basic Human Worth: Religious and Secular Perspectives
    Christopher J. Eberle (United States Naval Academy, USA)
  • Chapter 11: Imperfection as Sufficient for a Meaningful Life: How Much is Enough?
    Thaddeus Metz (University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa)

    • Originally posted on May 8, 2009 @ 3:17 pm