Phronimon (2005) Vol. 6 No. 1
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Item Plato and Vedanta(2005) Ram, IndranieThe relationship between Plato’s conception of the existence of a soul as compared to the Vedantic view of a soul will be analysed. Vedanta philosophy holds in agreement with Plato that there is a magazine of knowledge and power within us already. By amalgamating the thinking of Plato and Vedic philosophy I will attempt to show how philosophical thinking is universal. This universality allows one to critically appraise knowledge from multiple perspectives providing a lever for a new understanding of oneself and thereby challenging one to broaden his/her own perspective, enabling one to see, whether one likes it or not, what s/he has become, and can through self-analysis become. My purpose in this paper is to develop a capacity to see the world multi-dimensionally, integrating, enlarging, and expanding our artificially restricted horizons. A combination of methods and a receptive attitude toward knowledge has widespread implications for the interpretation of the lives we live. It is my purpose to demonstrate the validity and necessity of an examination of multi-cultural dimensions of reality, in this instance the Greek and Hindu perspectives and teachings. The ability to make moral distinctions can be linked to an evolutionary progression of one’s soul’s journey. The implicit, intrinsic nature of consciousness to the mind – body duality will be analysed. I will propose that the elevation of one’s consciousness in the search for a perfect state of being is the common thread in both Plato and Vedanta.Item One more time : views on Aristotle's pholosophy and intercultural philosophy(2005) Van der Westhuizen, JacobIn my view a philosopher is a person of wisdom who produces a guide to life, providing us with some tools for dealing with practical problems and survival issues on at least five adaptation domains. These are a) metaphysics: man’s relationship to the cosmos; b) politics: man’s relationship with others; c) ethics: man’s relationship with himself and his behaviour toward others; d) epistemology: man’s relationship with his mind and his method of thinking; and e) aesthetics: man’s relationship with and appreciation of beauty. This paper is destined to mainly present an unshackled response to the informed and well-versed papers by Anastasios Ladikos titled Revisiting the virtue of courage in Aristotle; and Murray Hofmeyer: The Promise and Problems of Intercultural Philosophy; (Phronimon – Journal of the South African Society for Greek Philosophy and the Humanities –Volume 5(2) 2004). My concern with Aristotle’s ideas stems from the fact that his propositions are connected to ancient battlefield circumstances and conditions, as well as the Spartan Culture of his time. If juxtaposed with scenes of violence in our time we can draw many parallel behavioral patterns that can pass as valid and reliable characteristics of modern-day soldiers in mortal, face-to-face combat or victims of crime in violent confrontation with rapists, murderers and assaulters.