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Chapter 5 of the book "From Information to Transformation: Education for the Evolution of Consciousness," by Tobin Hart is presented. It discusses the definition of the word understanding which literally means to stand among or under. It notes that understanding or heartfulness creates connections and closes the distance between self and other. It mentions that character engages the development of wholeness which includes the incorporation of the knowing heart.

A section from part two of the book "Michael Faraday's Mental Exercises: An Artisan's Essay-Circle in Regency London," by Alice Jenkins is presented. It explores the view of Faraday known as the "inertia of the mind," in which he analyzes man's ability to achieve "perfection" based on divine and religious standards. It defines the analogy created by Faraday between mechanical systems, based on Isaac Newton's inertia, and mental processes. An excerpt of his lecture on the topic is provided.

Chapter Six of the book "Thinking of Others: On the Talent for Metaphor," by Ted Cohen is presented. It discusses the importance of having virtuosity that the athletes would possess during a certain competition so that they will be able to overcome whatever difficulties they would encounter. Meanwhile, the author cites an example how the divers and ice skaters fight and overcome the difficulties.

Chapter four of the book "Value Inquiry Book Series: Pragmatism, Education, and Children: International Philosophical Perspectives" is presented. It offers a reexamination of the potential of the pragmatism of philosopher John Dewey and his philosophy of growth, in consideration of the so-called Emersonian moral perfectionism. It says pragmatism, Dewey's pragmatism in particular, is widely known for its optimism and inadequate recognition of the tragic. It cites the attempt of philosopher Richard Rorty to conduct a reconstruction of this pragmatism.

An essay is presented on the author's experience of being an anorexic and starving herself to attain a body of perfection. She states that she hated a classmate who posed questions regarding the mental state of girls who see themselves fat in front of the mirror. She relates her experience of controlling herself from eating healthy foods which she and her friend, Ana, considered as forbidden food until she her hipbones. She discusses how she recovered from anorexia nervosa.

These two scholars were more than a little acquainted: Vygotsky was Shpet's student at the Shanyavsky People's University, and he attended Shpet's seminar for two years. At the beginning of the 1920s, Vygotsky started to work at the psychological institute where, as Aleksei N. Leont'ev has noted, Shpet was the most famous professor. At the end of the 1920s, Shpet and Vygotsky both taught at the Pedology Department of the Second Moscow University. Despite all these connections, there is only one reference to Shpet in Vygotsky's works (in The Psychology of Art), and even this is only in passing. And Shpet's books Phenomenon and Meaning (1914), Aesthetic Fragments (1922), and The Inner Form of Word (1927), in which he discussed thinking and language, thought and word, meaning and sense, and external and inner forms of a word were all published significantly earlier than Vygotsky's Thinking and Speech (1934). Today, it is hard to guess why Vygotsky and his whole scientific school (Aleksandr R. Luria, A. N. Leont'ev, Aleksandr V. Zaporozhets, and others) ignored Shpet's works. It could have been fear or caution born out of Shpet's style of behavior and writing. This style was characterized by freedom and dignity and the independence of his thought from Marxist-Leninist ideology,which at the time was growing stronger and stronger. The Bolsheviks felt this independence, dismissed Shpet several times from his academic positions, and, in the end, arrested and shot him in 1937. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This chapter examines the philosophical dimensions of Vygotsky's legacy. Vygotsky was a profoundly original thinker, but he was not one whose independence of thought caused him to neglect the ideas of others. On the contrary, Vygotsky was exceptionally well-read. He had an impressive command of the European psychological literature and considerable knowledge of adjacent fields, such as anthropology and educational theory. His appreciation of literature and literary theory is well-known and justly celebrated. Less often remarked upon, however, is his debt to philosophy. In this field, too, he was well-versed, having majored in philosophy and history at the Shanyavsky People's University. Vygotsky was much influenced by the philosophical vision of Marx and Engels: Almost all of the many references to their writings in Vygotsky's Collected Works are to philosophical themes. He was also inspired by a number of philosophers who had influenced Marx and Engels, notably Hegel (whom Vygotsky had read in high school), Spinoza, and Feuerbach. Marxism and its antecedents, however, by no means exhaust Vygotsky's philosophical interests. He cites numerous other philosophers, including Aristotle, Bergson, Brentano, Descartes, Dewey, Dilthey, Fichte, Hobbes, Husserl, James, Kant, Lichtenberg, Malebranche, Nietzsche, Neurath, Plato, and Scheler. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chapter 4 of the book "Toni Morrison and the Bible: Contested Intertextualities" is presented. It explores how Morrison handles the concept of love, exile, identity and family in her novel "Song of Solomon." It depicts how Morrison used the process of revaluation or redefinition in transforming love into self-love, possession, and vengeance. It also depicts the concept of wholeness, defined as a condition to combine love and dominion, in her novel.

The author discusses the importance of workmanship in the making of a successful work show. She states that the mechanical perfection in making the hand made box was specially meant for somebody and not for selling purpose. She further opines that a scar in the lid hampered the beauty of the work show which signified unprofessional repairment which has resulted in the flower's lapse on the lids of the work show.

This chapter examines the concept of dialogue. The works of philosopher Martin Buber, on dialogue, have an important part in the studies of the author on dialogue, in particular in examining the ontology of the between or relationship that Buber articulated in his writings on I-Thou and I-It. Concepts such as confirmation, individuation, image, wholeness, free person, otherness, imagining the self, monologue versus dialogue, sphere of between, unification and genuine dialogue are addressed in this chapter.

The article discusses the factors which contributed to the failures of the Universal Peace Union (UPU), a popular organization of perfectionist pacifists led by Alfred Love. According to the American Peace Society (APS), UPU's message of eternal peace had little impact to the society. APS criticized Love for failing to recognize the efforts of many men and many forces who had been effectively at work to accomplish the objectives of the peace movement. Moreover, it can be said that UPU's tangible success are minimal. In the international scene, UPU had added its voice to the growing interests in arbitrations between nations but still many other international conflicts did occur while UPU was in operation.

The article discusses the goals of the Universal Peace Union (UPU), a popular organization of perfectionist pacifists. The civil war experience united the perfectionist pacifists to restore the true spirit of Christianity to the world. Through UPU, the perfectionists worked hard to eradicate the causes and customs of war by promoting the laws of God. The perfectionists have attacked evil and injustice wherever they perceived it because they believe that every evil act hinders the advancement of eternal peace.

The article discusses the Universal Peace Union's (UPU) vision for United States. Perfectionist pacifists from UPU thought that if they can turn United States into an ideal Christian society, then it will serve as an example that other nations will emulate. As the first step in their realization of universal peace, the perfectionist pacifists convince the U.S. citizens to reconcile all civil governments with the laws of God.

The article discusses the factors which made the perfectionist pacifists to unite and organize. The civil war experience reaffirmed values and beliefs of the perfectionist pacifists. This experience stimulated them to declare their views on non resistance and Christian perfection. The perfectionist pacifists experienced a renewed sense of obligation to help others gain "citizenship" in God's realm during the civil war.

Chapter4 of the book "Soldiers of Peace: Civil War Pacifism and the Postwar Radical Peace Movement". It discusses the non-violent trait of the perfectionist pacifists. The perfectionists waged a non violent and unrelenting war against the federal government. They demanded the government to surrender, which means that the latter should cast aside its ungodly characteristics and conform its laws and constitution to the laws of God.

The article discusses the roots of Perfectionist Pacifism. The perfectionist pacifists came from various traditions and backgrounds. One of the source is the abolitionist movement, a movement which desires to reject all forms of evil. Moreover, three nonresistant sects which includes the Shakers, formally known as the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, the Rogerene Quakers and the Bible Christians of Philadelphia espoused perfectionism stemming from their eschatological belief.

The article discusses the citizenship obligations of the perfectionist pacifists. The perfectionists believe that the civil government is only secondary to the government of God. Perfectionist pacifists disobeys all the laws of the federal government that opposes to the laws of God. During the civil war, perfectionist pacifists proved that they will obey their religious convictions over their civil responsibilities when the two are in conflict.

The article focuses on the perfectionist pacifists movement. The perfectionist pacifists, who was brought together by the civil war believes that they are the citizens of God. They share several basic assumptions concerning their Christian obligations and have worked hard to persuade the rest of the world to follow them.

In the thirty years after 1914, idealist philosophers found themselves divided and uncertain. Many left boxes of unpublished material which record their struggles. Much that remains will prove to be of interest as philosophers return to some of the traditional questions, but much of it is as yet unexplored. Despite the fact that a concern with language was prominent in the British idealist movement, by the end of this period the movement, along with its realist rival, was eclipsed by a ‘linguistic philosophy’ which was stridently anti-metaphysical in tone. In France the near-idealist philosophie de l'esprit was similarly eased out by existentialism, though Jean Guitton (1939) thought a logical idealist development of Malebranche remained one of the two great philosophical possibilities. In Austria and Germany the idealist tradition continued in the work of the phenomenological movement which flourished alongside the brief flowering of logical positivism; by the end of the period, however, phenomenology itself gave way to Heidegger's philosophy of being which rejects idealism by affirming the priority of being over thought. Only in Italy did idealism remain the dominant mode of thought, and the conflicting idealist philosophies of Giovanni Gentile and Benedetto Croce were the dominant strands, fascist and liberal, of Italian political thought (idealism also held its own in Canada; see Armour and Trott (1981)). May Sinclair said (1917: v) that, if you were an idealist philosopher, ‘you [could] not be quite sure whether you [were] putting in an appearance too late or much too early’. Widely circulated arguments had been raised by Bertrand Russell, G. E. Moore, and the American realists against idealism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chapter 1 of the book "Learning Values Lifelong" is presented. It posits that education culminating with graduation is inert learning. It explains that a process philosophy of education supersedes inert learning with lifelong education exemplified in values and wholes. It further promotes the perspective that professions evolve toward wholeness and deepening of values. It asserts that lifelong learning inculcates students with the values of ongoing education.

Malebranche was the master of an elegant and accessible style of writing. As well as writing treatises, he popularized his philosophy by presenting it in dialogue form. Moreover, he also taught what many thinking people wished to believe, that the “modern” philosophy of Descartes could, after all, be reconciled with traditional Christian beliefs. As a result, he had a considerable following among lay people of the leisured classes, at the Academy of Sciences in Paris, as well as among those, like some of the clergy, who made philosophy part of their profession. His aristocratic admirers included the Palatine Princess Elizabeth - noted as a correspondent of Descartes - and Mile. Nicole-Genevieve de Vailly, who assembled a company of Malebranchistes in her salon each week. His disciples included some other Oratorians, such as Bernard Lamy, whose influence helped to mediate Malebranche to the philosophes of the French Enlightenment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topic of theodicy looms large in Malebranche's thought. His distinctive views on the subject form the basis of one of his most famous books, the Treatise on Nature and Grace (1680), and occupy a prominent place in important later works such as the Dialogues on Metaphysics and Religion (1688). Embracing issues of the relation of the divine will to creation and our knowledge of that will, Malebranche's theodicy is inextricably linked to his signature doctrines of occasionalism and vision in God. Together, they form a single comprehensive theory that attempts to explicate the existence and nature of the world, and the special place of human beings within it, in relation to God as creator. What has come to be called the problem of theodicy signifies a cluster of issues, some of which any theological explanation of the world's existence must confront, others of which are specifically associated with the tenets of Christian theology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From 1683 to 1694, a long and furious polemic took place between Malebranche and Antoine Arnauld. When the debate began, Malebranche was still a “young” philosopher (The Search After Truth was published in 1674), identified by the public as one of the leading lights of the new generation of Cartesians. Antoine Arnauld (1612- 1694), on the other hand, was an “old” thinker, known mainly for his theological (rather than philosophical) writings. These can be divided into two general periods: from 1640 to 1668, Arnauld was one of the principal protagonists of the battles over efficacious grace that took place after the publication of Jansenius's Augustinus, appearing as the leader of the “Jansenist” camp. After the “Peace of the Church” in 1668, Arnauld devoted himself essentially to the campaign against the Protestants, in collaboration with Pierre Nicole. Philosophically, Arnauld had written very little: the Fourth Objections to Descartes' Meditations in 1641, and the Grammar of 1660 and the Logic of 1662 - both called de Port-Royal, the first in collaboration with Claude Lancelot, the second with Pierre Nicole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human values have need the moral dimension of spirituality as their support. This has implied living first towards subjective perfection, not competing for objective success. Perfection means gradually realizing one's spiritual self through work. This entails both success and failure in the objective plane. Pitching for ego-centric success is the principal cause of disvalues and unethicalness. The idea of spiritual ascesis for all humans should begin to figure in all the frameworks now, as of 1996, being debated for global civic ethic.

Chapter 2 of the book "The Black Butterfly: Concepts of Spanish Romanticism" is presented. The chapter discusses the concept of perfectibility in the arts. It cites the theorists that advance the idea of perfectibility, including Friedrich von Schiller as contained in his writing "On Naive and Sentimental Poetry" and Johann Gottlieb Fichte as shown in his work "Lectures on the Vocation of a Scholar." The ideological differences between the classicists and the romantics are also cited.

The article focuses on the characters of Othello and Iago in the play "Othello," by William Shakespeare. Two antithetical images of Othello were presented by British author Lewis Theobald in 1733 which include nobility and virtuosity and one marred by errors and weaknesses. The author states that the two characters represent incompatible systems of belief and the play depicts the conflict between discordant visions in which the hero exists.

Spinoza is a metaphysician. I emphasize this fact here (and in my title) because one can discover what is most exciting and important about Spinoza's psychology only by seeing it as emerging from his metaphysics. Spinoza is a systematic philosopher and nowhere is his system more ambitious and under more strain than in his attempt to derive an account of human motivation, affects, and other mental states from his general metaphysics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinoza's theory of knowledge is a strange and hybrid creature. An organic, inseparable part of his total philosophical system, it blends highly distinctive, original (even bizarre) formulations with both “modern” - especially Cartesian - influences, and ideas and aspirations rooted in much older thought. Many recent commentators on Spinoza's epistemology have particularly stressed the Cartesian background of Spinoza's position, presenting him as evolving his own views in response to what he perceived as deficiencies in Descartes's. Up to a point this approach is a sensible one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The confession of Christ as Lord is the heart of the Christian faith. To him God has given all authority in heaven and on earth. As Lord of the Church he bestows the Holy Spirit to create a communion of men with God and with one another. To bring this koinonia to perfection is God's eternal purpose. The Church exists to serve the fulfilment of this purpose when God will be all in all. Christian authority is Christ's authority. The debates on authority which rent apart the Church in the West in the sixteenth century turned again and again on whether Christ's sovereignty was being set at risk in the Church's life; and whether his Word, Holy Scripture, was being disregarded or overridden by those in authority in the Church. The chapters which follow look first at sixteenth-century concerns over the authority on which Christians believe matters of faith. As textual scholarship investigated Greek and Hebrew and raised the possibility that there ought to be emendations, Scripture itself could no longer be looked upon, in an uncontroversial way, as a text to which one could simply point. The testimony of the authorities other than Scripture with which everyone in the West had been familiar for generations, ceased to be uncontroversially acceptable to many Protestants, and qualifications hedged about the use even of the Fathers. Proof by reasoning, which had reached a high point of sophistication in the late Middle Ages, and in which there had normally been embedded authorities to support propositions, underwent revolutionary attack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This chapter discusses the problem of the relations of intuited wholes, particular facts, and systems. An intuited whole appears in the immediate and unconsidered apprehension of the unique character of something recognized as complex but taken as one thing. A system, on the other hand, is an analyzed whole. The entities that compose it and their interrelationships are understood. It is such an arrangement of related parts as may be seen separated from other things about it. There are at least two possible systems which overlap each other, interrelate with each other. The ecological system is larger than the productive system and has a different organizing principle, man-nature rather than productivity. The causes of separation and of colonization are to be found in the struggles of familial groups, of leader with leader, within the community, and in the issues and policies of the day. The concept of ecological system takes into account much of the whole community when that community is one that is closely dependent upon the land and the seasons. Because the human environment is in large part mental, the possibilities of using holistically the concept of ecological system are greatly limited even in the more primitive communities.

Chapter III of Book I: "The Broken Chrysalis," by Harriet Stark is presented. It explores on the discussion between John Burke and a biology professor regarding beauty and ugliness. It highlights the two faces of reality which are ugliness as disease which leads to inferiority and the perfect beauty that is very far to look for.

The article presents the insights of poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge regarding the perfection of the Greek language compared to other modern European languages.

The article presents a discussion about Plato's search for perfect knowledge to create a perfect Republic. It is noted that Plato wanted to have a philosophical system that would last eternally against Sophists and their cynicism. Through a perfect epistemology, Plato thought that he could create moral and political structures for his Republic.

The article presents a definition of the term AUTOTELIC. From Gr. auto ("self") and telos ("end"), a. can mean four things: complete or perfected; spontaneous or self-originating; having a purpose or end in itself; and final or absolute. In aesthetics, an a. work is thus a complete unity (q.v., and see ORGANICISM) that has no external cause or practical purpose, and that sets the terms of its own existence and meaning (see AUTONOMY). Although crucial to Aristotle, the term becomes most important in the 19th c., when didactic and descriptive poetry are reoriented by the association between poetry and imaginative creation.