The Critique

I’ve rarely ever hitched a ride before. I remember once when I was younger, I was carrying my cricket kit to practice, early one morning. As I stood alone on the bus stop, a young man came up to me and offered me a ride. I was hesitant, as I had been severely warned at home, never to go anywhere with strangers. Thinking myself old enough to defend myself, if the need arose and calculating my chances, I accepted his offer. I was armed with my bat and was not shy to use it. While on the bike I prayed silently hoping that everything would turn out well. What worried me was not that I had accepted a ride from a total stranger, but what I would say when I got back home and what reaction I would receive. Thankfully, everything went smoothly, even my disclosure at home was met with a not too severe reprimand. And so, I learned to trust in people’s inherent goodness and generosity. I was and still am a bit, uncertain about whether or not people can be trusted. But I like to believe the...

Life Lessons from Bergson , Michael Foley, Pan Macmillan, 2013, ISBN 978-1-4472-4561-2, Rs. 350,  Pp. 120 Henri Bergson (1859-1941) is the founder of modern process philosophy. He was the second child of Michael Bergson and Kate Levinson. Although his parents were devout Jews, he abandoned religion at an early age. He was influenced greatly by Buddhist philosophy and it is visible in his though and writings. Another significant influence in his life is that of William James, his contemporary and friend. The author identifies the close resemblance of the thought of James and Bergson and often quotes from James’ works to illustrate certain points. The first chapter introduces the idea of process. Monotony is not something people appreciate today, in our fast paced, media dominated world. Novelty is the catchphrase. On the flipside, there are many among us who live in denial of the continuous change we experience. Process implies nothing final, no repetition in the same way ...

Life Lessons from Kierkegaard   Robert Ferguson  Pan Macmillan, 2013  ISBN 978-1-4472-4564-3 Rs. 350  pp. 120. This book is part of the ‘Life Lessons’ series, which takes a great thinker and highlights those ideas most relevant to us today. These books show how wise voices from the past have urgently important and inspiring things to tell us. Soren Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher. He belonged to family of seven children. All but he and an older brother died. He convinced himself that he too would not live very long. The brevity of life struck him and led him to be convinced that every moment matters. He lived his life with this nagging sense of urgency. His literary output within the short span of his life as an author can only be termed prodigious. He viewed himself as a religious writer rather than a philosophical one and wanted that people become convinced of what they profess to believe. His writings tend to this end. This book divided into eig...