Ancient Greeks often wondered whether non-Greeks could do philosophy. Some thought the discipline had its origins in the wisdom of Egypt and Mesopotamia. Some counted itinerant Scythian sages or Jewish preachers as philosophers. Others said no: whatever the intellectual merits of neighbouring peoples, it is a distinctively Greek practice. A new, angrier version of that ancient debate has arisen amid the culture wars of the last 50 years. Is philosophy an exclusively western phenomenon? Or is denying it to non-western peoples a form of neocolonialism? Or does the imperialism lie, rather, in folding non-western thought into a western category? Difficult questions, and the answers are not always obvious. There are plenty of things we think are normal, but here are ten things Irish people do that the world thinks are weird. The answer would appear to be the latter and whilst Baggini tries to downplay the practical and theological aspects in the work of, say, Aristotle, it rapidly becomes obvious that modern Western philosophy has sprouted from the impractical and useless results of the pursuit of technical knowledge (science), higher purpose in life (theology) and community cohesion (traditional stories) amongst others; it comes from the dead-ends of intellectualism if you will. Things which had practical application eg capitalism or psycho-analysis rapidly disassociated themselves from philosophy and the narrow, inflexible, arbitrary constraints of axioms, propositions and inductive reasoning - i.e. rationality. I didn't learn as much as I wanted to, I was only really able to digest what I already had a grasp of, like karma, for example. Other than that, perhaps I should re-read this book when I get a better grasp of different philosophies. What percentage of the public think vaccines are safe? What share thinks they are ineffective? And what share denies their importance? In this post we present the global data on attitudes to vaccination. Here is a summary of the results:

How the World Thinks review – a global history of philosophy

His attempts to stress the importance of the meeting were undercut by a familiar idiosyncrasy, it said. “He wanted to appear ‘cautiously optimistic’, and yet he couldn’t avoid slipping into his usual over-the-top rhetoric,” the paper reported. The journalistic nature of the book, and how he goes to interview experts on these particular cultures Engaging, urbane and humane. … In our embattled age, Baggini’s self-awareness, acuity and willingness to listen and learn point valuably away from parochial myopia and towards productive dialogue.” Tim Whitmarsh, the GuardianBelief in the autonomy of science entails that the scientist belongs in the laboratory and it is for society to decide how to best use its findings. “Science has nothing to be ashamed of even in the ruins of Nagasaki,” said the scientist and broadcaster Jacob Bronowski. “The shame is theirs who appeal to other values than the human imaginative values which science has evolved. The shame is ours if we do not make science part of our world.” Even Winston Churchill said, “It is arguable whether the human race have been gainers by the march of science beyond the steam engine.” Pondering “the consequences of entrusting a human race so little different from their predecessors of the so-called barbarous ages such awful agencies as the atomic bomb,” he pleased, “Give me the horse.” How support varies across the world is shown in the map. We see high support for vaccination across almost all countries. In most countries over 80% of respondents think child vaccination is important, in many countries it is over 90% who think so. Also discussed on Tim Haigh’s Book’s Podcast, Newstalk’s Talking Books with Susan Cahill, The Institute of Art and Ideas Philosophy for Our Times podcast ( Soundcloud or iTunes) and Meet the Macs with Fief Macrander . In the first global overview of philosophy, Julian Baggini travels the world to provide a wide-ranging map of human thought. One of the great unexplained wonders of human history is that written philosophy flowered entirely separately in China, India and Ancient Greece at more or less the same time. These early philosophies have had a profound impact on the development of distinctive cultures in different parts of the world. What we call ‘philosophy’ in the West is not even half the story. Julian Baggini sets out to expand our horizons in How the World Thinks, exploring the philosophies of Japan, India, China and the Muslim world, as well as the lesser-known oral traditions of Africa and Australia’s first peoples. Interviewing thinkers from around the globe, Baggini asks questions such as: why is the West is more individualistic than the East? What makes secularism a less powerful force in the Islamic world than in Europe? And how has China resisted pressures for greater political freedom? Offering deep insights into how different regions operate, and paying as much attention to commonalities as to differences, Baggini shows that by gaining greater knowledge of how others think we take the first step to a greater understanding of ourselves. How the World Thinks: A Global History of Philosophy by Julian Baggini – eBook Details

things Irish people do that the world thinks are weird 10 things Irish people do that the world thinks are weird

Irish people are loved around the world for so many things, including the music they’ve shared, the food they’ve exported, and, of course, the beer they’ve brewed. But there are some things Irish people do that the world thinks are weird. The focus on regional traditions can inevitably lead to caricatures. When confronted with a picture of a circle, we are told, “a westerner sees first and foremost a circle, the round line. A Japanese sees at least as immediately the space contained within the circle”. Well maybe, but it reads a little like gap-year ethnography. More awkwardly, he writes about his frustration at a meeting of the Indian Philosophical Congress, where “extreme deference was shown to invited speakers and grandees”, leading to rambling, over-running speeches; such “fawning”, he argues, is connected to an emphasis in Indian philosophy on pratyaksa, the insight that comes to the wise as a result of long experience and practice. But to be fair, he repeatedly strives to break down simplistic cultural oppositions. Polarities are sketched not as ends in their own right, but as starting-points on a voyage to a more sophisticated understanding. Focusing on distinctions between East and West does not just ‘help to understand our differences, it points us to similarities which enable us to see these differences in more nuanced and sympathetic terms’. It may seem so normal to an Irish person to put crisps in bread, but it is one of those things Irish people do that the world thinks are weird. Maybe they need to try it! 8. Sayings that make no sense – I will, yeah Credit: Pixabay / NDEAt 20 we don’t care what the world thinks of us: at 40 we worry about what it is thinking of us; and at 60 we discover that it wasn’t thinking of us at all. But the truth is, that no man is much regarded by the rest of the world, except where the interest of others is involved in his fortune. The common employments or pleasures of life, love or opposition, loss or gain, keep almost every mind in perpetual agitation. If any man would consider how little he dwells upon the condition of others, he would learn how little the attention of others is attracted by himself. Julian Baggini sets out to expand our horizons in How the World Thinks, exploring the philosophies of Japan, India, China and the Muslim world, as well as the lesser-known oral traditions of Africa and Australia’s first peoples. Interviewing thinkers from around the globe, Baggini asks questions such as: why is the West is more individualistic than the East? What makes secularism a less powerful force in the Islamic world than in Europe? And how has China resisted pressures for greater political freedom?