Archive for 2011

By David Brooks, The New York Times OP-ED Columnist

Foreign tourists are coming up to me on the streets and asking, “David, you have so many different kinds of inequality in your country. How can I tell which are socially acceptable and which are not?”

This is an excellent question. I will provide you with a guide to the American inequality map to help you avoid embarrassment.

Academic inequality is socially acceptable. It is perfectly fine to demonstrate that you are in the academic top 1 percent by wearing a Princeton, Harvard or Stanford sweatshirt.

Ancestor inequality is not socially acceptable. It is not permissible to go around bragging that your family came over on the Mayflower and that you are descended from generations of Throgmorton-Winthrops who bequeathed a legacy of good breeding and fine manners.

Fitness inequality is acceptable. It is perfectly fine to wear tight workout sweats to show the world that pilates have given you buns of steel. These sorts of displays are welcomed as evidence of your commendable self-discipline and reproductive merit.

Moral fitness inequality is unacceptable. It is out of bounds to boast of your superior chastity, integrity, honor or honesty. Instead, one must respect the fact that we are all morally equal, though our behavior and ethical tastes may differ.

Continue reading in The New York Times

By William Egginton

They might, if Alex Rosenberg is right when he claims that “neuroscience is trespassing into domains previously the sole preserve of the interpretive disciplines,” and that “neuroscience’s explanations and the traditional ones compete; they cannot both be right.”

While neuroscience may well have very interesting things to say about how brains go about making decisions and producing different interpretations, though, it does not follow that the knowledge thus produced replaces humanistic knowledge. In fact, the only way we can understand this debate is by using humanist methodology — from reading historical and literary texts to interpreting them to using them in the form of an argument — to support a very different notion of knowledge than the one Professor Rosenberg presents.

Continue reading in The New York Times

As of today an exhibition of European art from Russia’s Hermitage Museum is to go on show at the Prado Museum in Madrid.

Lute Player Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio) Oil on canvas, 94 x 119 cm. 1595 - 1596. Saint Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum

Works by Rembrandt and Caravaggio and items once belonging to Russia’s tsars will be among around 120 items on show.

The Hermitage’s director said there had “never been such an exhibition, of and about the Hermitage, outside Russia”.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said the collection represented “the pride and glory of civilisation’s cultural heritage”.

Artworks by Spanish artists Diego Velazquez, Pablo Picasso and Jose de Ribera will temporarily return home, flanked by famous pieces by Matisse, Cezanne and Kandinsky.

Faberge jewels and gold items dating from as early as the fifth Century BC will also be on display.

The Hermitage in the Prado opens to the public on Tuesday and will run until March.

It is the second part of an exchange of collections that has taken place between the two museums which began earlier this year with the exhibition The Prado in the Hermitage, held in St Petersburg.

“It is a good taster,” said sculptor Alejandra Majewski, who attended a preview of the exhibit in Madrid.

“The Hermitage is so huge it is really difficult to give an accurate depiction of its collection, but this is a great attempt made up of examples of extraordinary quality.”

As published in BBC

At the end of the Hajj (annual pilgrimage to Mecca), Muslims throughout the world celebrate the holiday of Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice). In 2011, Eid al-Adha will begin on or around November 6th, and will last for three days.

Photo from http://www.guardian.co.uk

Why do Muslims sacrifice an animal on this day?

During the celebration of Eid al-Adha, Muslims commemorate and remember Abraham’s trials, by themselves slaughtering an animal such as a sheep, camel, or goat. This action is very often misunderstood by those outside the faith.

The meat from the sacrifice of Eid al-Adha is mostly given away to others. One-third is eaten by immediate family and relatives, one-third is given away to friends, and one-third is donated to the poor. The act symbolizes our willingness to give up things that are of benefit to us or close to our hearts, in order to follow Allah’s commands. It also symbolizes our willingness to give up some of our own bounties, in order to strengthen ties of friendship and help those who are in need. We recognize that all blessings come from Allah, and we should open our hearts and share with others.

The symbolism is in the attitude – a willingness to make sacrifices in our lives in order to stay on the Straight Path. Each of us makes small sacrifices, giving up things that are fun or important to us. A true Muslim, one who submits his or herself completely to the Lord, is willing to follow Allah’s commands completely and obediently. It is this strength of heart, purity in faith, and willing obedience that our Lord desires from us.

What else do Muslims do to celebrate the holiday?

On the first morning of Eid al-Adha, Muslims around the world attend morning prayers at their local mosques. Prayers are followed by visits with family and friends, and the exchange of greetings and gifts. At some point, members of the family will visit a local farm or otherwise will make arrangements for the slaughter of an animal. The meat is distributed during the days of the holiday or shortly thereafter.

Continue reading in islam.about.com

Madrid, Spain — IE School of Arts & Humanities is pleased to announce the launch of its new Bachelor in International Relations program. The Bachelor in International Relations is an intellectually demanding program that caters to highly motivated students with exceptional academic backgrounds. It is taught entirely in English and aims to satisfy the rising worldwide demand for highly-skilled, well-informed graduates, who are capable of adapting to a rapidly changing global environment. Like the IE Master in International Relations, the bachelor is a hands-on, practical and comprehensive program that prepares students for a career in the international public and private sectors. Its goal is to prepare students for the challenges of working in increasingly diverse and complex international scenarios, while finding solutions to interrelated real-world issues in different contexts.

The new four-year degree is designed to provide undergraduate students with a thorough knowledge of international affairs, combined with solid foundations of business and management, in order to help them bring breadth and depth of understanding to the workplace. This broad multidisciplinary background is intended to produce graduates with an integrated global vision of fields like political science, foreign policy, economics, business, management, international law, international security, history, philosophy, and language. Moreover, it aims to produce global leaders with a profound understanding of the complexity of world affairs, who are capable of applying critical thinking and effective leadership skills to a wide range of issues in both the public and private sectors alike.

The program employs a unique practice-based approach and seminar-type discussions in the IR Lab. Students will learn to analyze interconnections between peoples, societies, governments, corporations, and multilateral organizations beyond the classroom in these semester-long courses, which are a major part of the program’s core curriculum and not only simulate real-life challenges, but also train students in conflict resolution, crisis simulation, strategic thinking, policy-making, public speaking, and news writing. By encouraging the advanced study and hands-on practice of current affairs, and by fostering a critical-thinking learning environment, students will engage in developing creative problem-solving techniques, analytical abilities, and research skills. Students will also be required to demonstrate college-level proficiency in a foreign language and complete a mandatory term abroad at a partner university prior to graduation.

Students benefit from IE’s world-ranked expertise in management and business, as well as of IE School of Arts & Humanities’ internationally renowned faculty and staff. Students will also have the opportunity to pursue dual-degrees offered in conjunction with IE Business School, IE Law School, and IE School of Communication. The program is committed to ensuring unparalleled standards of education, by delivering an ambitious global program that offers a high-quality curriculum and valuable practical training, which are major stepping stones toward specialized graduate programs in international affairs and business.

The program will launch its inaugural class in September 2012.

More information about the new Bachelor in International Relations is available at http://www.ie.edu/university/studies/academic-programs/bachelor-international-relations.

To learn more about IE School of Arts & Humanities, please visit http://www.ie.edu/IE/site/php/en/school_arts_humanities.php.