The Philosophical Conflict between the School of Baghdad and the School of Khorasan in the Tenth Century: Towards a New Understanding of the Development of Islamic Philosophy

Historians often present the evolution of Islamic philosophy through a limited number of philosophers beginning with al-Kindī and concluding with Ibn Rushd. This practice tacitly asserts that Islamic philosophy developed only in accordance with this “sequential” or “chronological” context that assumes it was the inevitable evolution of Aristotelian thought in Arabic. However, most of those who present Islamic philosophy in this manner appear to have overlooked the fact that it developed in the context of a philosophical conflict that emerged between the two schools to which the majority of Islamic philosophers belonged – the School of Baghdad and the School of Khorasan, which appeared in the tenth century and introduced philosophy to Islam and Muslims. This study stands apart from earlier attempts to present Islamic philosophy by considering these two schools and the frequently violent disputes that occurred between them. It is based on an historical-analytical approach accompanied by a rereading of numerous historical and literary texts and presents a reinterpretation of the works of Ibn Sīnā that differs from past interpretations of the history of Islamic philosophy. The study concludes with a thorough examination of the texts and contexts, which demonstrates the existence of the two philosophical schools and their significant contributions to the development of Islamic philosophy, albeit with their own distinctive elements. The study also argues that the philosophical School of Baghdad migrated to Morocco and Andalusia and arrived, in some respects, in Europe through Ibn Rushd, whereas the School of Khorasan appeared in Suhrawardī’s Philosophy of Illumination and in modern Iranian philosophy.     

Mumford on aesthetic–moral interaction in sport

Stephen Mumford argues that aesthetic and moral values in sport are interdependent, focusing on cases where immorality taints beautiful performance. This interdependence thesis is insightful but, I argue, in need of refinement, as its normative implications are unclear and perhaps implausible (e.g. the Nazi aesthetics problem). I also challenge Mumford’s perspective on the infamous Dynamo Kiev death match. Whereas Mumford claims that the match’s morally oppressive circumstances detract from it so that ‘it was not something knowingly we should have admired aesthetically’, I argue that, on the contrary, and in light of what Mumford says about other cases, such circumstances actually enhance the game’s aesthetics such that it would be wrong not to appreciate it aesthetically.     

Long-term endurance training increases serum cathepsin S and decreases IL-6 and hsCRP levels

Cathepsin S (CS) was shown to play a key role in cancer progression, atherosclerosis, heart valve disease, insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus. The present prospective study aimed to investigate the influence of sports on CS, interleukin-6 (Il-6) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels.

Ninety-eight of 109 participants completed the study. Ergometries were performed at baseline and after 8 months to evaluate/quantify the performance gain. Blood samples were taken at baseline and every 2 months. CS was measured by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Compared to the control group (mean performance gain ?3.41 ± 4.62%) we observed a significant physical-activity-induced increase of CS levels (3.45–3.73 ng · ml^?1; P = 0.027) and a significant decrease of Il-6 (2.43–1.91 pg · ml^?1; P = 0.031) and hsCRP-levels (0.11–0.09 mg · dl^?1; P = 0.001) in the intervention group (mean performance gain: 12.13 ± 6.32%). Furthermore, the tendency of the progression was significant for CS and Il-6 (P = 0.002/0.033).

We could show a significant sports-induced decrease of the classic inflammation parameters hsCRP/Il-6, probably expressing a downregulation of permanently prevalent inflammation processes. Simultaneously CS levels increased significantly. Our results show that increasing CS amounts are not simply to equal with an enhanced inflammation status and might even have beneficial effects on inflammation and angiogenesis.     

The De Kretser case: a note on Sri Lankan writing in English

Abstract

How is the content of a literary canon, or tradition to be configured? What counts as a literary archive? More than 25 years after Edward Said’s Orientalism (1978 Said, W. Edward. 1978. Orientalism, New York: Vintage.  [Google Scholar]), it seems reasonable to assume, that central to such traditions, would be the work of those who live and work in the society that gives rise to it. In this review, such a location of Michele de Kretser’s new novel, The Hamilton Case, is offered, as a caution to metropolitan literary critics who continue to approach Sri Lankan writing in English, as Christopher Columbus approached ‘America’. It is argued that the novel owes much to, and can be read as echoing and elaborating the detective fiction of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, who was, also, the fourth Prime Minister of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), 1956–59.     

Progressivism and the History of the Public House, 1850–1950

ABSTRACT

In a recent article, Alistair Mutch suggests that twin concepts – ‘control’ and ‘interpretation’ – explain the evolution of the public house over a century of dramatic changes between 1850 and 1950. This article argues that these concepts are confusing, ambiguous and misleading. It was not regulatory pressures, the temperance movement, local politicians, pressure groups or magistrates that most shaped the history of drinking premises, but developments outside the brewing industry, most notably Progressivism. Emerging in the late nineteenth century, Progressives set out to reform drinkers and drink premises, first in the trust house movement, and then in the Liquor Traffic Central Control Board during the First World War. Appropriating their ideas and philosophy immediately following the war, England's foremost brewers launched the public house improvement movement, the most far-reaching attempt to transform the nature of public drinking in the twentieth century.     

Islamic Historians of the Ayyūbid Era and Muslim Rulers from the Early Crusading Period: A Study in the Use of History

This article examines the presentation of Muslim rulers from the early crusading period, 490–540/1097–1146 in six of the main chronicles written during the first half of the seventh/thirteenth century. It discusses the themes, ideas and topoi in each, demonstrating that the historians appear to have been divided into two ‘camps’ over their presentation of these rulers, based on their personal views of the rulers of their time. The article also examines why this division may have occurred, and considers its ramifications for modern scholarship of Arabic historiography, Islamic history and the history of the Crusades, in both the sixth/twelfth and seventh/thirteenth centuries.     

美国大学生资助政策及对我国的启示

美国的大学生资助政策历经变迁,已发展成为体系完备、理念多元、效率较高的资助体系。中美两国在资助政策方面有一定的相似性,都是有着多种资助形式的混合资助模式。考察美国资助政策的演变,剖析其特点和发展趋势,对于我国资助政策的进一步完善具有示范意义。     

析知识军事环境下美军信息素养培养

作者认为信息素养包括信息意识、信息检索能力和信息运用能力.在知识军事环境下,美军军事信息素养具有以明确规范的军事信息需求激发信息意识,以熟悉信息环境和信息资源并熟练利用现代信息工具为检索能力主体,以"联合知识与分发能力"为信息利用能力核心的特点.我军单一重视信息检索能力培养的信息素养教育现状与美军"目标明确、系统综合、动态培养"的做法有较大差距.未来需要系统、动态地思考信息素养教育内涵和培养手段,优化信息素养教育.参考文献5.     

试论赛珍珠的中西文化共融观

赛珍珠因身处中美文化边缘,因思想独特与时代格格不入而遭遇不公正评价。今天重新审视赛珍珠的思想,可以发现她的特别贡献。赛珍珠最早探究＂中西文化共融＂的文化观,她的双焦透视的视角对中西文化提出了颇具远见的进步观点。她不仅在文学作品中宣扬其平等博爱的理念,更是在广泛的社会活动中实践。她以异化方式翻译《水浒》为中国文化走向世界做出贡献,是一位杰出的文化建设者。     

马克思主义中国化的蹒跚起步及其当代启示

八七会议抓住了土地革命这个核心问题,发掘了马克思主义中国化的理论生长点;制定了武装斗争的新方针,引领武装斗争的理论自觉逐步向实践跃升;提出了探索中国革命新道路的任务,开启了中国特色革命道路的理论探索历程;表明了中国共产党独立领导中国革命的意志,初步展现了独立自主的风格;毛泽东作为一个杰出的中国化马克思主义理论家正在走向成熟.八七会议的缺陷同土地革命时期党内严重存在的教条主义有着内在关联.因此,八七会议虽然标志着马克思主义中国化开始起步,但是这个起步是蹒跚不稳的,这个蹒跚起步的历程对当代中国马克思主义发展具有重要启示价值.