A Myth in Creation

Recently I've been thinking about Reformation, the 16th century Christian movement in Europe led by Luther. As commonly understood, this movement "posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in particular to papal authority, arising from what was perceived to be errors, abuses, and discrepancies by the Catholic Church" ( wikipedia ). Prior to Reformation, under the Catholic Church, scripture and tradition were seen as equal, and scriptural interpretation took into account former commentaries as well as Church doctrine and tradition. The Catholic Church had the authority to give authentic interpretation of the Word of God, as reflected in the notion of the Roman magisterium. The common people did not read the Bible or interpret it themselves; they relied on the Church to interpret it for them. Where others saw infallibility and divine authority, Luther saw corruption. He invoked the notion of sola scriptura , challenging the authority of the c...

The Virtuous Psychiatrist: Meditations on Success and Flourishing Awais Aftab, MD When it comes to happiness, success and moral well-being, I have been deeply influenced by the Greek philosophers, particularly Aristotle. Aristotle speaks of eudaimonia ("flourishing") – a sort of moralized happiness, distinct from mere pleasure – and virtue is excellence in his eyes ( arete : virtue/excellence), signifying qualities necessary for living well. To borrow words from Emrys Westacott, in so far as we fail to cultivate and exercise virtues – wisdom, curiosity, intellect, aesthetic sensitivity, compassion, empathy, generosity – we fail to exemplify human flourishing [1]. One is not likely to flourish as a psychiatrist if one cannot flourish as a human. Professional success alone is no measure of eudaimonia, and one must be wary of paths to professional success that are littered with oppressive loneliness, alienation, apprehension, and self-indulgent greed. Flourishing ...