Non-European, Non-Western Philosophies

Here are some of the topics we discussed today:


Thich Nhat Han -- There is no way to happiness - happiness is the way.

Karma

The Path: What Chinese Philosophers Can Teach Us About the Good Life, by Michael Puett

Thomas Merton

The Good Place (television)

Defending Your Life (movie)

Prayers of the Cosmos: Meditations on the Aramaic Words of Jesus

by Neil Douglas-Klotz and Matthew Fox

Next week we will take on ideas about property

First 2018 Meeting

For our first meeting in 2018, we will be at the Eastside Branch of the Lexington Public Library, 9:45am-11:45am, January 12


Our suggested topic will be:
Come prepared to talk about a few (1, 2, or 3) great ideas you have encountered from NON-WESTERN, NON-EUROPEAN philosophies (eg Chinese, Indian, African, Pre-European Indigenous, Middle Eastern, etc.)

A starter list:

• Zoroaster -- No guide is known who can shelter the world from woe,  None who knows what moves and works Thy lofty plans.
• The Talmud -- What is hateful to you, do not unto your fellow; this is the whole law. All the rest is a commentary to this law; go and learn it.
• Lao Tzu -- The Tao that can be expressed is not the eternal Tao; The name that can be defined is not the unchanging name.

See our web page at https://reasonockhammencken.blogspot.com

Best regards
Jim Carigan

Algorithm

https://www.solver.com/genetic-evolutionary-introduction

Memes and Genes

http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/MEMGEN.html

Next Week -- 12/15/17

Topics:
-- Time
-- Evolution
-- Cycles

Next Meeting -- December 8

Hello Philosophy Phans --

We will be back at the Eastside Branch of the Lexington Public Library, 9:45am-11:45am.

Our topic will be:

• The Seasons
• Time
• Change
• Cycles

Evolution V -- Change of Politics

Nobody asked but …

A dictionary defines “politics” as

1a : the art or science of government

b : the art or science concerned with guiding or influencing governmental policy

c : the art or science concerned with winning and holding control over a government

2: political actions, practices, or policies

3a : political affairs or business; especially : competition between competing interest groups or individuals for power and leadership (as in a government)

b : political life especially as a principal activity or profession

c : political activities characterized by artful and often dishonest practices

4: the political opinions or sympathies of a person

5a : the total complex of relations between people living in society

b : relations or conduct in a particular area of experience especially as seen or dealt with from a political point of view

A very antiseptic view, eh?  The definition only mentions dishonesty once, power once, and control once.  Yet politics today is dominated by dishonesty about power and control.  It is also dominated by hypocritical promises.  Politics must be transposed so that its emphasis is on honesty, natural order, and natural self control by individuals.  Politics should observe human nature, not plan it.

 — Kilgore Forelle