The Ten Most Influential Philosophies of All-Time

A brief history of Western thought

By Justin Hartfield

All modern Western thought can trace its roots down to ten essential philosophical concepts. These philosophical (and metaphysical) assumptions about man's role in nature are the backbone of modern science, philosophy, psychology, technology and a host of other far reaching concepts.

All of these ideas are still alive and well, persisting in Western thought even to this day.

1) The Bible- God as the Creator; later Nature as the Created

The most fundamental assumption of Western thought is that humans, the Earth, the Milky Way and even the entire universe were created. For many centuries, the creator was the Lord Almighty, as depicted in both the Old and New Testaments. Avant-garde thinkers of the 18th century began to reject the notion of a Lord Almighty in Heaven. Yet they still kept the notion of the universe as being created.

This contrasts with the way the Chinese view the fundamental nature of the universe. They see the Earth as something organic, living even. Just as an apple tree grows apples from out of its branches, the Earth peoples and creates humans.

Interesting, one can see the effect of this fundamental assumption in children. It's commonplace for a Western child to ask its mother, "Mommy where did I come from?" Yet this same question would be totally out of context for an Asian child, who would rather say something like, "Mommy how did I grow?"

Buddhism and Libertarianism

Finding libertarian parallels in the Asian philosophy

By Justin Hartfield

In my previous article, we've discovered that Buddhism is only interested in discerning what's real from what isn't. We've also learned that what's real exists in all times and all places, and is not subject to change nor to blackout dates, which means I have to assume my Wild Rivers season pass isn't real either.

To a Buddhist, base human nature is something that never changes, despite advancements in technology, medicine and government. The famous Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu (born ~600 B.C.) said, "The way of nature is not contrived, yet nothing which is required is left undone."

Pointing to nature, he saw that animals didn't establish governments because they had no ideals to hold onto. Nor does the cricket hatch out a darkroom scheme to become the Grand Supreme Ruler of all his fellow crickets. Nor does the bird sing in an attempt to acquire a nest with two and half baths, no Mello-Roos, and a whitewater view of the ocean.

The Bare Essentials of Buddhism
A Rudimentary Guide for Westerners
By Justin Hartfield

"Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without." - Buddha

There is much confusion in the Western world over the basic tenants of Buddhism. Many Westerners believe that Buddhism is -- a) a religion circulating around the worship of a portly Asian sage (often gilded or bronzed and meditating near the door of your favorite Chinese restaurant holding the mints and toothpicks), b) involving a lot of sitting in uncomfortable positions, and c) coldly atheistic or fancifully pantheistic (depending on which section of Wikipedia you consult)

Of course, when inspected closer, these stereotypes and inadequate attempts of pigeonholing a religion that has neither formal creed nor “divine” teachings is absolutely useless.

At least in the Judeo-Christian sense, Buddhism is not a religion. Instead, Buddhism is more like a collection of insightful observations centered on a single principle- the study of what is. A Buddhist isn't interested in what might or what should be- he is simply interested in analyzing reality as it is, without undue romanticism or abstraction.

Now this sounds simple, but it’s actually quite hard to discern what is and what is a mere fabrication.

Don't Debate the Player, Debate the Claim
Five keys to successful political debate
Justin Hartfield / M. Harrison

1) Always respect your opponent

You will never persuade your opponent to agree with your position. Logicians who happen to be watching your debate could prove with absolute certainty that your opponent's position is completely fallacious by every known rule of human logic, and your opponent won't budge. Like you, people are set in their ways and have heard years of biased opinions to cement their own worldview. They may change their minds eventually (remember, Ronald Reagan was once a Democrat and David Horowitz was once an Afrocentric Communist), but it will certainly not happen during your debate.

Respect this reality. You can only hope to persuade your audience, and you should strive to do so. Resist the urge to insult, disparage, or otherwise malign your opponent or any other person.

Both sides should seek to debate content, and not character. When your opponent uses ad hominem arguments against you, however, it can work to your advantage. Often times it is a signal that your arguments are so convincing that your adversary must launch personal assaults due to his inability to rebut your message. We at PI know this very well, as we are subject to innumerable ad hominem attacks. The fine members of fark, reddit, and other online news communities call us right-wing, Ayn Rand-loving extremists. The fine members of FreeRepublic and other conservative news forums call us lefty communists. Others say, "What can a bunch of twentysomethings know about economics (or politics) anyway?”

The ad hominem argument proves that your opponent has already exhausted all logic and is resorting to slander instead. It should be taken as a compliment. And it should most certainly not be reciprocated.

Your refusal to engage in mudslinging and namecalling will likely provoke ire in your rival, and will certainly further allow you to distinguish yourself in the eyes of your audience as the voice of reason.

In Man We Trust
Why atheists are good for American Freedom

by Justin Hartfield, on politics and culture

"Say nothing of my religion. It is known to my god and myself alone." - Thomas Jefferson

Atheists are rapidly growing in numbers, probably more so now than any previous time in history of the planet, and especially among the younger generations. The number of atheists aged 18-25 has nearly doubled in twenty years, and young people attend religious services less than adults by a wide margin. Most striking, only 4% of Generation Y claims to becoming more spiritual. The trend is clear: America is becoming more secular with each passing generation.

Being Big Vs Being Powerful
Foreign policy lessons from the gym

by Justin Hartfield, on politics

In the gym, they are everywhere. You can spot them by their tribal tats and 20" biceps. They are blasting Pantera so loud through their headphones you can hear it on the Smith Press some 20 yards away (Crush! Kill! Destroy!). They seem to have a particular preference for black Tapout wife beaters at least two sizes too small, along with the mandatory weight belt, Harbinger gloves and ever-so-slightly skewed Yankees hat.