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Category Archives: Jewish Philosophy
If We Can Learn, We Can Do Better
The world is scary right now. But it won’t stay that way. Things will get better. The pandemic will subside. We will mourn our dead, be they many or few. We will go on. But if we can learn, then … Continue reading
Eavesdropping on God and the Devil
Eavesdropping isn’t exactly a sin, but it’s certainly impolite. And yet I couldn’t help it. Much. I was getting some coffee in the break room. Outside, in the hallway, God was having an argument with the Devil. I tried not … Continue reading
What Is Humanity?
Back in the 1960s, the great rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote Who Is Man? based on lectures he gave at Stanford University. But to ask “who is man?” assumes that we’ve’ previously answered the question “what is man?” If humans are … Continue reading
Posted in Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Life
Tagged Fukayama, Heschel, Human Dignity, Human life, Human Rights, Human worth, Identity, Justice, Materialism, Morality, Scientism, The other, What is man
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Some Comforting Thoughts
Life can be troubling, especially during periods of heated social conflict. Politicians and the media are no help. Most now devote themselves to fomenting hatred and division. Schools are no help. Most now devote themselves to replacing knowledge with superstition. … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Life, Psychology
Tagged Adages, Courage, Optimism, Perseverance, Serenity, Stoicism, Wisdom
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Do WMDs Make Religion Too Risky?
On his blog, philosopher Eric Kaplan posed a serious question (paraphrased here): If our weapons can destroy all life on earth, can we still afford to believe in a God who plays favorites? People sometimes claim that God is “… … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Christianity, Epistemology, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Philosophy, Psychology
Tagged Aggression, Atheism, Belief in God, Kin Selection, Philosophy of Religion, Religion, Sapolsky, Steven Weinberg, Theism, War
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We Don’t Always Need to Talk
“We need to talk.” Those words inspire dread. They usually portend something unpleasant. At home, your spouse might be angry because you forgot to take out the trash. At work, your boss might scold you for neglecting to put cover … Continue reading
Posted in Human Relations, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Life, Psychology
Tagged Communication, Confucius, Consideration for others, Kindness, Silence, Small talk, Talking
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We Can Have Unity Without Unanimity
Winston Churchill (1874-1965) was Prime Minister of England during World War II. He rallied his people to fight back against Nazi Germany even though some of them advocated surrender. Faced with such disagreement, Churchill said something that’s still relevant in … Continue reading
Is the Bible Worth Reading?
Is the Bible worth reading? I think it is, but you can find intelligent, moral people on both sides of that question. American novelist Mark Twain, best known for Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, had a low opinion of the … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Christianity, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism
Tagged Bible, Biblical literacy, Binding of Isaac, Cultural literacy, Genesis 22, Mark Twain, Moral dilemma, Moral reasoning
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