On Trump: Elias, Civilization and Trump

  Last  summer I read the phenomenal study The Civilizing Process by the eminent sociologist Norbert Elias.[1] some of his findings can be applied to understand the rise of authoritarianism in the West as embodied in the political career of President Trump. This article will present some of the theoretical underpinnings of Elias’ work, then … Continue reading “On Trump: Elias, Civilization and Trump”

On Trump: The Splitting of the Libertarian Movement

It looks to me that the libertarian movement, like the GOP and the Tea Party, is falling apart over the Trump phenomenon. One faction sees Trump as someone who is ignorant of, even a danger to, libertarian and constitutional principles and therefore should not be followed, while another faction thinks Trump will restore a coveted … Continue reading “On Trump: The Splitting of the Libertarian Movement”

On Trump: Diagnosing 301.81 and the Goldwater Rule

During the 2015/16 US presidential primaries consensus emerged among health professionals [1], knowledgeable journalists [2,3,4] and those engaged in amateur diagnoses [5] that the psychological profile of then presidential candidate Donald Trump hovered somewhere between having a (curable) narcissist character trait of a malignant kind and suffering from (irreversible) Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). Making such … Continue reading “On Trump: Diagnosing 301.81 and the Goldwater Rule”

On Trump: Intolerance and Authoritarianism

  To make some sense of the chaos in the Republican Party during the primaries and to partially answer the question why conservatives are flocking to Trump to the extent that he won the 2016 US general election, the following: Political scientist and expert on political authoritarianism Karen Stenner sees three different kinds of conservatism which … Continue reading “On Trump: Intolerance and Authoritarianism”

On Trump: Trump Positively Mentions Arch-elitist Richard Haass. Why?

In March 2016 Trump mentioned Council on Foreign Relations president Richard Haass as an “excellent” foreign policy adviser.[1] This created some consternation in some libertarian and conspiricist conservative circles. What is the big deal here? Why would Trump name the quintessential establishment figure Haass as an excellent (potential) adviser on foreign policy? He probably knows … Continue reading “On Trump: Trump Positively Mentions Arch-elitist Richard Haass. Why?”

The West Turns Eastward

The West Turns Eastward: Madame Blavatsky and the Transformation of the Occult Tradition By Mark Bevir Journal of the American Academy of Religion Vol. 62, No. 3 (Autumn, 1994), pp. 747-767 ABSTRACT THROUGHOUT THE TWENTIETH CENTURY increasing numbers of western men and women have turned to India for spiritual fulfillment. The image of meditation centres … Continue reading “The West Turns Eastward”

An Analysis of ‘What Second Amendment People Maybe Can Do’

Introduction There is talk by Republicans to invoke Rule Nine of the GOP to get Donald Trump out of the presidential race based on the fact that he went way too far with his, as many people perceive, proposal to assassinate his political opponent Hillary Clinton by “Second Amendment people”. The rule allows the Republican … Continue reading “An Analysis of ‘What Second Amendment People Maybe Can Do’”

Unfolding the Art of Georgia O’Keeffe

by Deborah Jenner. O’Keeffe’s special vision bends, buckles and lobs flowers, landscapes and space itself into similar smoothly-painted folds of swirling hues in order to unearth a deeper truth. Abstract Through the metaphor of folding, O’Keeffe’s art reveals an original interpretation of form and colour. Parallels with origami shed light on her approach to composition … Continue reading “Unfolding the Art of Georgia O’Keeffe”

Environmental Virtue Ethics–Review

Environmental Virtue Ethics Philip Cafaro and Ronald D. Sandler (editors) Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2004. Print. A Review-essay by Josef Mathews “No Man is an Island,” writes poet John Donne. The idea contained in those words is a profound and timeless truth. It refers to the sea of connections that bind human beings. Environmental … Continue reading “Environmental Virtue Ethics–Review”

The Inner Life of Krishnamurti

To the editor of the Quest: Please allow me to add a few thoughts to Mr. Moody’s fine article on the inner life of Krishnamurti (Quest, Fall 2015), especially to Krishnamurti’s experiences of immense vastness, energy and sacredness which he described in the diary he kept in 1961.[1] My additional comments fall in four different … Continue reading “The Inner Life of Krishnamurti”