Category: Philosophy
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Introduction to the Pre-Socratic Sages, Part II: All the Wise Sages
INTRODUCTORY NOTE One of the reasons I have written this is to inspire us as world travelers, cosmopolitans, students, academics, teachers and so on. To begin, we must understand that if you sought to write a philosophical treatise or found a school (whether intentionally, directly or indirectly), how much the ideal of modern perfection and…
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Introduction to the Pre-Socratic Sages Part I: The Traditional Seven Sages and their famous Maxims
THE STANDARD TRADITIONAL SEVEN SAGES OF ANCIENT GREECE The Seven Sages (or Seven Wise Men) of ancient Greece were a group of renowned statesmen, lawgivers, and thinkers from the 7th–6th centuries BCE, celebrated for their practical wisdom and pithy maxims. Ancient sources vary on the exact list, but the most traditional and commonly accepted ones…
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Our Pre-Stoic Roots in Human Rights Theory in the United States
On the sacred philosophical tradition underlying the foundations of Western Civilization influencing republican theory of human rights in the United States from Heraclitus of the Ioanian tradition, even preceding him. Tracing this history demonstrates how the concept of a divine (primordial) element becomes gradually secularized through the Renaissance Humanists, Enlightenment and Neo-Classical Republican traditions. ORIGINS…
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Adam Weishaupt on the Source of the Decay of all Nations
“Since the number of men is large but the earthly realm is not inexhaustible, one man can no longer profit from the labour of twenty. Moderation, contentment, and frugality must become the general morals of mankind. (…) The whole earth becomes a garden, and nature has at last completed her day’s work here below, bringing…
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Heraclitus of Ephesus: Philosopher of the Ever-Living Fire in the Ionian Tradition
Imagine stepping into a river, only to find that both you and the water have transformed in the blink of an eye. “No man ever steps in the same river twice,” declared Heraclitus. This simple yet profound observation captures the fundamentals of his philosophy; and one that revolutionized how we understand change, unity, and the…
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David Reigle’s Analysis on legitimate Buddhist Esoteric Lineage in Theosophy: Great Madhyamaka and Samkhya
INTRODUCTION In David Reigle’s analysis when discussing the relation of Theosophy to Great Madhyamaka and the Samkhya school, he positions Theosophy as the contemporary manifestation of an ancient Wisdom Tradition, emphasizing its doctrinal coherence with esoteric Eastern systems, rather than eclectic borrowings. This distinction in defining Theosophy is key to future research, because standard definitions…
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Logos and Divine Providence in George Washington’s Faith
An equivalent of the “divine spark” in ancient Stoic philosophy is the logos spermatikos, which was transmitted through Roman Republicanism, Christianity, and Enlightenment thinkers. While George Washington’s writings and speeches do not explicitly use the term, his quiet Christian faith relies heavily on Christian divine providence, natural rights endowed by a Creator, and the moral…
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Athena, Virgin Guardian of Aries: Courage and Noetic Enlightenment in Hellenic Esotericism
INTRODUCTION TO ZODIACAL SYMBOLISM AND SALVATION IN PRYSE’S INTERPRETATION We adventure once more into The Restored New Testament (1914) of Theosophist James Morgan Pryse to understand the significance of Athena in Hellenic religion. Pryse’s work reinterprets the New Testament as a Hellenic mystery drama infused with esoteric symbolism, blending Greek mythology, zodiacal astrology, and theosophical…
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Limits of American Political Imagination: Bronze Age Pervert on Republics
The classical republics and democracies would be called “Nazi” by Americans in our day, especially with the loose manner people employ the terms against their political opponents of being Nazi and Fascist — a demonstrably failed tactic. This tactic has proven to be a failure for anti-right forces, statistically and observably. I am not sure…
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Paradise Lost: Why Americans have trouble with their idea of Authority?
Cultural and philosophical shifts in thinking between the 40s and 60s in the United States were reactions one after the other partly as a result of social engineering and enforcement of social rules (or pressures). This history demonstrates the illusion of free choice and individualism in the U.S., particularly in our present time. The very…
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Albert Pike’s Life, Education and Writings | Seminars of Manly P. Hall
Manly P. Hall establishes a background about Albert Pike in this seminar. I strongly argue, that despite shortcomings, as possessed by many of his time, the history of Pike’s life is very important here to our history and is a lesson for us. It establishes Pike and his legacy as an exemplar of cross-cultural wisdom…
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Early Reflection on my Journey to Greece: Black Classicism, Childhood and American Identity
I just returned abroad from my journey to the island of Hydra (Gr: Ύδρα, romanized: Ýdra) and Athens in Greece back home to the state of Illinois and came back very happily engaged to my beautiful partner. It has been over two years since I went on a trip through a tour agency to Italy…
The American Minervan 