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Both Buddhism and Stoicism emphasize self-control, ethical living, and the attainment of a passionless state. However, the Indian philosophy predated Stoicism by about 500 years. Did Buddhism influence Greek Stoicism and thought, and, if so, how did it do so a continent away? Similarities between Stoicism and Buddhism: A shared path to inner peace Practitioners of Stoicism and Buddhism deeply understand life’s impermanence and the need to overcome desires. The philosophies teach mental discipline and detachment from external circumstances as paths to inner peace. In Stoicism, “apatheia” means freedom from emotional disturbance, closely mirroring Buddhism’s “nirvana,” the liberation from suffering....

"Catholic intellectual?" Is that a contradiction in terms? Of course not. It is silly to say so, even though progressives like to float the idea every once in a while when they are having a hard time pushing through one of their favored reforms. The 20th century was, after all, the century of Chesterton, Belloc, Christopher Dawson, Ronald Knox and Jacques Maritain.In fact, it would be easier to make the case that Catholic intellectuals sometimes spend too much time being intellectuals, too much time with scholarly explorations of the Faith, and not enough with the child-like imagery on their Christmas...

Crocodile and the Baby Paradox A crocodile swipes a baby, but he tells the mother he will return it if the mother is able to correctly answer a single question: "Am I going to return your baby?" The mother says, "No, you will not." How can her answer be correct, though? If he returns the baby because her prediction was accurate, then her prediction wasn't accurate after all, and by the set up of the problem, he must keep the baby. If he keeps the baby because her prediction was inaccurate, then her prediction was correct and he must return...

What Is a Cosmos? The Greek Idea of Cosmos and its Contemporary Meaning By David Fideler The Greek word cosmos cannot be translated into a single English word, but refers to an equal presence of order and beauty. When the Greek philosopher Pythagoras first called the universe a cosmos, he did so because it is a living embodiment of nature’s order, beauty, and harmony. The fact that the physical world embodies beauty and harmony can be demonstrated in many ways, but rational proof is only required when we have forgotten our own connection with the underlying fabric of life. When...