The philosophy of René Descartes - link to my talk delivered on 6/2/2016 at IIWC

http://www.iiwcindia.org/lecture/ReneDescartesAndHisPhilosophy-6-2-2016.mp3


The above is a link to my talk uploaded in the website of Indian Institute of World Culture,  Basavangudi,  Bangalore  on 6/2/2016.

Possessions possess us -A viral infection

I was quite busy with one thing or another and this blog remained dormant for a long time. What is the provocation for this post now? An issue of Time dated 23 March 2015. The article is entitled ," The Joy of Less". I have not yet completed reading the article. The photos accompanying the said article set me thinking . The country is USA. Since , here in India, we copy unabashedly everything American what I write will be relevant for my own countrymen. A study reveals that 75% of the garages surveyed are filled with so many things that the owners couldn't park their cars inside. All sorts of things are dumped in the garages as the dwelling places are already full of things . It is stated that professional organizers help homeowners decide which possessions are worth saving and which can be purged. It is stated that US children make up 3.1% of the world kids, but buy 40% of the toys. The point I want to make is that this is really a disease , the mania to buy and possess even when you don't need them. This disease is one of the important reasons for our environmental degradation. Nowadays it is easy to purchase anything sitting at home thanks to Amazon.com. Many of us are tempted to buy online thanks to the advertisement techniques to which we easily succumb. The result : Our home is filled with lots of things which we no longer use. Instead of we possessing things , the things possess us. What is the result ? Clutter everywhere including our own minds. This should stop. Now I feel that after all Mahatma Gandhi whom we have abandoned is correct. He would not waste even a bit of paper. The American way of consumption is wrong . We should rid ourselves of that viral infection.

European Philosophy Course -Announcement

I have decided to conduct a course in European Philosophy right from Pre-Socratic period to Existentialism covering important trends in the Indian Institute of world Culture,  Bangalore.  The classes will be held over a period of one year in 2016.Other details are being worked out. The course is meant for all genuinely interested in Western Thought. Persons interested in participating in this course may please get in touch with me . My email id tkjcustoms@gmail.com
My phone no +919538533363. My Whatsapp no +919741031649.

A talk on Spinoza - Invitation

OBAMA EARNS HIS NOBEL PRIZE

When Barrack Obama received the Nobel Prize for peace immediately after he was elected the Prsident , I was not much impressed. I thought it was a bit premature to have honoured him when he did not actually deserve it. Of course , the person is amiable . His manners are graceful. But that is not the only criterion for honoring him. Later events show that Obama has been slowly and surely effecting  a paradigmatic change in the attitude of his country towards the other countries of the world. What provoked me to pen these lines is the opening of  USA to CUBA after such long years of suspicion and mistrust . A sea-change indeed !  Iran is no longer a pariah . USA is very careful  now and  very hesitant to interfere with the affairs of other countries ! Fools rush in where angels fear to tread !A good sign ! Mature politics ! A president who wants peace , some one different from those belligerent men who occupied the exalted position earlier .

And now he deserves his Nobel Price for peace.

Hats off to him.
T?K. Jayaraman
21/07/2015
Bangalore 

LIKE FENCE GRAZING THE CROPS

Fence grazing the crops

I am fond of proverbs of every country and every language . They are verily the distilled wisdom of a culture. Today I am reminded of a Tamil proverb . It reads as follows.
"வேலியே பயிரை மேய்வது போல "
The proverb means , " Like the fence grazing the crops "
What is happening in India is illustrated by this Tamil phrase. A party came to power with thumping majority on the promise that they would root out corruption completely. Today we find that the Foreign Minister of the country facilitated the travel of a fugitive from India to Spain . According to her, what was done was purely on humanitarian grounds. It is seen that her husband was closely associated with the fugitive and her daughter was working with a lawyer who represented the fugitive. A chief minister of another state belonging to the same political party , even had closer business ties with the same fugitive according to latest press reports. A government professing to root out corruption helping a fugitive who flees from the country !
The state where I live Karnataka has an institution called LOKAYUKTA , a sort of ombudsman to deal with the corruption among government servants. This institution is headed by a judge. Newspaper reports indicate that the son of this judge was running an extortion racket by threatening government officers with impending raid by the institution of which his father is the head unless they pay huge amounts to him.
I am reminded of the Tamil saying.
A fence is a protection to crops. It is put up so that stray cattle do not eat all the crops. But if the fence starts eating the crops, how can the crops be protected ?
A trend .... ... Here.
An institution created for some purpose acts contrary to that purpose.
Like police indulging in criminal activities .
I am reminded of the biblical saying ,
"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men."
T K Jayaraman
3/7/2015
Bangalore

AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Mr. T K Jayaraman , IRS ( Retd)  and presently French Trainer will be conducting a Basic French Course at the Indian Institute of World Culture BP Wadia Road Basavangudi Bangalore -04 from 18/04:2015 to 19/05/2015 on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 30 am to 11 30 am for a total duration of 20 hours covering everyday French and basic grammar. The course fee will be ₹ 1050 / - only. Interested persons may please contact the Honarary Secretary of IIWC in the following numbers.

080-26678581

9036788567