Author: Stijn Latré File Type: pdf What does it mean for a society to be secular? Answering this question from a philosophical angle, Radical Secularization? delves into the philosophical presuppositions of secularization. Which cultural evolutions made secularization possible? International scholars from different disciplines assess the answers given by many leading philosophers such as, among others, Lowith, Blumenberg and Habermas (Germany), Gauchet and Nancy (France), Taylor and Bellah (North America). They examine the theory that secularization cannot only be regarded as a cultural change that was forced upon religion from an external source (e.g. science), but should also be considered as a phenomenon triggered by motives internal to religion. If religions are indeed capable of inner transformations, the question arises whether religions can persist in the secular societies they inadvertently helped to bring about, and how secular societies may accommodate religion.

Author: Chitta Dhar Hridaya File Type: pdf The Sugata Saurabha is an epic poem that retells the story of the Buddhas life. It was published in 1947 in the Nepalese language, Newari, by Chittadhar Hridaya, one of the greatest literary figures of 20th-century Nepal. The text is remarkable for its comprehensiveness, artistry, and nuance. It covers the Buddhas life from birth to death and conveys his basic teachings with simple clarity. It is also of interest because, where the classical sources are silent, Hridaya inserts details of personal life and cultural context that are Nepalese. The effect is to humanize the founder and add the texture of real life. A third point of interest is the modernist perspective that underlies the authors manner of retelling this great spiritual narrative. This rendering, in a long line of accounts of the Buddhas life dating back almost 2,000 years, may be the last ever to be produced that conforms to the traditions of Indic classic poetry. It will not only appeal to scholars of Buddhism but will find use in courses that introduce students to the life of the Buddha. **

Author: Jasper van Buuren File Type: pdf Is materialism right to claim that the world of everyday-life experiencethe phenomenal worldis nothing but an illusion produced in physical reality, notably in the brain? Or is Merleau-Ponty right when he defends the fundamental character of the phenomenal world while rejecting physical realism? Jasper van Buuren addresses these questions by exploring the nature of the body proper in Merleau-Ponty and Plessner, arguing that physical and phenomenal realism are not mutually exclusive but complementary. The argument includes a close examination of the relationships between scientific and pre-scientific perspectives, between living and non-living things, and between humans and animals. **

Author: Florence Tamagne File Type: pdf From Publishers WeeklyIn her first major study, a French historian offers a comparative look at the historical forces that carved out a place, whether celebrated or vilified, for homosexuality in three European capitals. Tamagne is at her best focusing on details of between-the-wars intellectual and cultural life in London, Paris and Berlin, cities that she brings alive in this two-volume work. She considers Europes first homosexual political movement, under the guidance of Berlins Magnus Hirschfeld (he founded the mostly homosexual Scientific Humanitarian Committee in 1897) and its important influence in both London and Paris. Tamagne impressively bridges national and linguistic differenceher studys great achievementwhen she describes these international influences. Otherwise, the story she narrates is familiar enough sexual liberation flourished in the 1920s across Europe, especially in Berlin, but was annihilated in the 1930s by the rise of Nazism in Germany and conservatism elsewhere. But she also arguesquite controversiallythat homosexual suppression by local law enforcement agencies in Germany was more significant than the later persecution of homosexuals in concentration camps. Her narrative can be slow, and the structure disjointed Tamagne often offers more evidence than seems necessary for her claims. But many examples from her vast archive of sourcesletters, memoirs, newspapers, quotes from prominent intellectualsare vivid enough to keep readers intensely interested. Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. ReviewThis is a major contribution to homosexualitys history. Systematically thorough, it encompasses a great range and number of sources, gathered finally in a bibliography (novels, memoirs, biographies, psychology essays in volume 2, national archives, police and magistrate records, and periodicals). The first volume argues that homosexuality, a high culture sort, enjoyed a golden age consequent upon the Great Wars liberalization of morals. In volume 2, reaction and repression march through the 1930s. Unusually, Tamagnes narrative comparing three countries has a close, nuanced analysis of both homosexuals and lesbians. As their affirmations of sexual identity are available in print, Tamagne demonstrates their outlook as she explicates their prose. She omits ordinary people on grounds that sources are scant and unreliable. (A decade ago, George Chauncey rescued from historys neglect ordinary gay men in the New York of Tamagnes period in Gay New York, CH, Nov 04, 32-1725). Tamagne finds that, although homosexuals and lesbians shared a common subculture, they show striking national differences. Volume 2, a less familiar story, uses materials that are similarly much less well known. A lively read. Summing Up Highly recommended. All levelslibraries. --Outstanding Title! CHOICE Sept 2005.Florence Tamagnes work focuses on the three most influential European capitals of the period between the two world wars, 1919-1939. The book provides a thorough, balanced account of the homosexual and lesbian communities in Berlin, London, and Paris, emphasizing the resistance homosexuals faced to find a legitimate place in society in these large metropolitan cities. While conducting her research Tamagne examined a broad and impressive array of documents including literature, police reports, news stories and private correspondence, and she has deftly collated this material into a fascinating historical study. Topics range from the German novel and the construction of lesbian identity to the comparison of National Socialist Germany with the democracies in England and France. A History of Homosexuality in Europe consists of three parts.Part One A Brief Apogee the 1920s, A First Homosexual Liberation, provides a brief history of homosexuality, and then examines homosexual life during the 1920s, in the aftermath of World War I. The book explores this golden era in terms of social movements, clubs, homosexual publications, nightlife and slang, and provides a comparison of the male and female scenes in the three capital cities Berlin, London, and Paris.Part Two, Unacknowledged Fears And Desires Ambiguous Speech and Stereotyped Images suggests that homosexuality became commonplace during the inter-war period. [Continuing in Volume 2,] Tamagne examines the medical model imposed on homosexuals and compares such views to self-imposed concepts of identity.[Further in Volume II] Part Three A Facetious Tolerance Losing Ground Under the Repression. analyzes the years leading up to World War II. The introduction of numerous methods introduced to repress homosexuals in 1933, especially with the rise of fascism in Germany, led to anti-homosexual legislation and a backlash against the permissiveness of the twenties.Throughout the work Tamagne discusses relevant literature of the period. The wide range of authors represented in the study include Gide, Proust, Radclyffe, Nathalie Barney, Colette, Vita Sackville West, and Virginia Woolf. One of the most significant aspects of the book is Tamagnes deft examination of the impact these individuals made on their respective cultures and their seminal role in the development of attitudes toward homosexuals.The book will appeal to scholars of history, GLBT studies, and European literature of the period.Several appendices provide additional valuable material, including German legislation on homosexuality and information regarding the experiments conducted by Dr. Carl Vaernet in 1944 at Buchenwald. There is a detailed bibliography that will be useful to any scholar interested in research of the period. --The Independent Gay WriterTamagne impressively bridges national and linguistic difference her studys great achievement when she describes these international influences. Otherwise, the story she narrates is familiar enough sexual liberation flourished in the 1920s across Europe, especially in Berlin, but was annihilated in the 1930s by the rise of Nazism in Germany and conservatism elsewhere. But she also argues quite controversially that homosexual suppression by local law enforcement agencies in Germany was more significant than the later persecution of homosexuals in concentration camps. Her narrative can be slow, and the structure disjointed Tamagne often offers more evidence than seems necessary for her claims. But many examples from her vast archive of sources letters, memoirs, newspapers, quotes from prominent intellectuals are vivid enough to keep readers intensely interested. A Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. --Publishers Weekly