Meditations on First Philosophy

He first realised that it is possible to doubt the existence of everything, including the body. However, it is impossible to doubt the concept of “I” as a thought. “Cogito, ergo sum,” translated from Latin to mean “I think, therefore I am” is the phrase that…

We as physicians can be a tough lot of people. Let’s face it, we had to be to make it through medical school and our fellowship sane and ready to help others. Often, this can lead to a syndrome of not taking the proper care of ourselves, and in some cases, being accused of being horrible patients when the physical effects of not taking care of ourselves start to manifest. Physician burnout can be a real concern for all physicians because of the type of job we take on. We want to be able to…

means that Buddha is the one who has reached the ultimate state of knowing and acquired the ultimate knowledge. Unlike divine knowledge in Abrahamic traditions, the ultimate knowledge of Buddha is not with him at the beginning but cultivated through meditation. Also Buddhism is unlike Abrahamic traditions where it is emphasized that divine knowledge ought to be able to cover all the sentient beings and worlds transcending the limit of space and time which is in correspondence with the all mighty…

Sikhism: A Religion of Selflessness Five hundred and thirty five years ago a religion emerged from Punjab, India. This new religion is known as Sikhism. Although it is relatively new religion, it is the fifth largest religion in the world with an estimated thirty million followers (Sikhs.org). Sikhism focuses on living a truthful life, working hard, and being selfless with others. Living a humble and simple life then gets them closer to their ultimate purpose of their soul reaching Waheguru…

Modern or sociological thinking first appeared in the mid 1600’s to mid-1700. The age of enlightenment refers to the period during which an intellectual movement spread throughout most of the western world. Previously society was dominated by religious doctrine and superstition. The feudal system and divine right to rule was largely unquestioned in society. Rene Descartes published Meditations in 1641 and introduced the "Method of Doubt" in which the concept of God was finally met with…

In addition to the physical aspects of any martial arts, i.e. combat and self-defense, their spiritual aspects such as meditative practice and healing dimensions are fundamental. The nature and importance of “internal energy” (qi, ki, prana) has been among the many topics,* discussed by serious practitioners. However, the emphasis on the mystical transformation (altering an individual’s customary [what does this word mean here?] experience and self-awareness in the world) associated with the…

seniority. There are also different etiquettes for meeting others, seating, and celebrations. When meeting others, there are different rules of etiquette depending on the rank of that person in society. Bowing is proper for meeting others for the first time. Punctuality is highly respected. A person should be on time and ready everywhere he/she goes (CountryWatch). Public affection and dramatic facial expressions should be completely avoided. In traditional society, people must kneel when…

That question was frightening, but it also showed me Descartes views can be easily argued for. In the examples above Descartes shows the Dream and Evil demon hypothesis. I do not believe that he means these statements literally. In the third meditation, Descartes talks about the idea of God. After reading this one can come to the conclusion that Descartes does believe there is a God out there even though his religion is not clear. Off of that premise, I came to the conclusion that…

Descartes, who I see as the earliest skeptic that had revealed the ideas he had of doubt. Seen as the “Father of Modern Philosophy”, he had found him self doubting certain ideas and chose to question them accordingly. To him, “we cannot trust any of our beliefs as long as there is any chance that they might be mistaken”. Throughout there are three subjects that ha been mentioned in Meditation 1: The Senses- level 1, Dreaming- level 2, and The Deceiving God- level 3. Starting with the senses,…

more successful person when it comes to relationships. Convey himself recounts times where he used certain habits to gain something. Throughout the book 7 habits are discussed and each of these habits reveal a deeper truth to an everyday life. The first habit discussed is “Be proactive”. In this section Convey tells the story of a man named Victor Frankl, he was a psychiatrist, a jew, and one of the many being held in concentration camps by the Nazis. When he gained his freedom he became a…