Browsing 2.14 Graduate Programs of Philosophy and Religion (Human Sciences) by Author "Giordano, John"
Now showing items 1-10 of 10
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Buddhadasa on environmental consciousness and its relationship to environmental ethics
(Bangkok : Assumption University, 2020) -
Chantal Mouffe and religious pluralism: agonistic experiments in non-western societies
(Assumption University Press, 2017)
This paper examines questions regarding the alleviation and management of religious conflict. It will first examine the philosophical framework of Chantal Mouffe as a response to Carl Schmitt’s critique of pluralism. Then it will give examples of conflict resolution and the preservation of diversity in such regions as, Lebanon, Indonesia and Thailand. Finally, it will examine these examples as exercises in “agonistics” as understood by Mouffe. This will be shown to be a valuable framework for conflict resolution and democracy in the ASEAN ... -
Georg Simmel's philosophy of money; an application to bitcoin
(Bangkok : Assumption University, 2020) -
Human autonomy and the overcoming of alienation in immaterial labor with reference to Zen Buddhism
(Assumption University Press, 2018)
This paper, will be a reflection on the changes in labor and alienation in the information age. It will focus specifically on the concept of immaterial labor and how this effects human autonomy and the consciousness of alienation. The paper will trace these concepts from the writings of Marx, to the approaches of Hardt and Negri and Franco “Bifo” Berardi. It will then show how the shortcomings of these theories which concern human autonomy in the face of the alienation of material labor can be complemented by the insights into practice ... -
Individual enlightenment and social responsiblity: on the sociological interpretations of the Holy Monk Khruba Boonchum
(Assumption University Press, 2018)
This paper will assess some sociological interpretations of Theravada Buddhism and Holy Monks which rely on such concepts as charisma, millenarianism and utopianism. In the past, sociologiests like Weber and Murti misinterpreted Buddhism as focusing upon individual enlightenment rather than the welfare of society. But these interpretations of Theravāda Buddhism overlook that the Buddhist concept of enlightenment has a deep relationship with social development and social responsibilities. Buddhism has a highly developed sociological basis ... -
On bitcoin and Simmel's idea of perfect money
(Assumption University Press, 2019)
Georg Simmel in his book Philosophy of Money,described how money evolves through history and predicted that it will evolve to the point where it no longer relies on any substance. He called this stage “perfect money,” which he described as “money detached from every substantial value”. Today we are faced with the development of cryptocurrencies, of which Bitcoin is the best known. Bitcoin presents a new system of transaction which does not require governments or middlemen to regulate trade. Since such currencies are completely beyond ... -
Overcoming the passions in Spinoza: a Buddhist reading
(Assumption University Press, 2020)
Spinoza’s philosophy and Buddhism have often been compared based upon their tendencies towards seeing the world as a single order and moving beyond our passions and desires. But the comparison of these philosophies also creates interesting problems. One problem is the way we relate to this order itself. In Spinoza we achieve enlightenment when we recognize that we are a part of a single substance which has its own order and necessity. This leads us to transcend the bondage of our passions through reason. And ... -
The problem of presential knowledge in the illumination philosophy of Suhrawardi
(2020)
In Islamic philosophy the relationship between God and the Human subject has been an interesting and difficult problem. While mystics claim a direct connection with God, philosophers and other theologians find that the use of reason creates a distance between God and the Human subject. This is reflected in the way Islamic philosophy attempts to ground itself through the concept of selfevidence. Avicenna, who was a follower of Aristotle, believed that existence is self-evident, and the reason for the existence of all beings is God. But this ... -
Rene Guenon on the realization of traditional knowledge
(Assumption University Press, 2017)
This paper investigates the ‘metaphysical’ perspectives of the French philosopher named René Guénon. Although Guénon was French, he was often critical of Western ways of thinking. Especially with regard to the concept of the metaphysical. Turning to the etymology of the word metaphysics, for Guénon metaphysics stands for whatever lies ‘beyond physics.’ This is different than the Aristotelian understanding of metaphysics, since it is always directed to the idea of the natural sciences viewed as a whole. This is a kind of thinking recognized ... -
Scientia sacra: a holistic educational approach for transforming environmental consciousness
(2020)
This research studies the educational approach to the environmental crisis called Scientia Sacra which was developed by Seyyed Hossein Nasr, a perennial and a contemporary Islamic philosopher. The paper aims to understand the background and underpinnings of this philosophy. It will discuss Nasr’s critique of modernism as the root cause of our environmental crisis, and the manner in which he sees an educational approach informed by the concept of scientia sacra as the solution. The researcher also discusses various critiques of Nasr’s approach and ...