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The Vedas
The Vedas are the religious texts which inform the religion of Hinduism (also known as Sanatan Dharma meaning “Eternal Order” or “Eternal Path”). The term veda means “knowledge” in that they are thought to contain the fundamental knowledge...

Definition
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716) was a German polymath who became well-known across Europe for his work, particularly in the fields of science, mathematics, and philosophy. Leibniz's rationalist philosophy attempted to reconcile traditional...

Video
Masterpiece: The Hindu Deities Shiva and Parvati
Apart from their damaged limbs, these 1,000-year-old Cambodian sculptures survive in excellent condition, and the fact that they have remained together makes them rare. These statues would have been in the inner sanctuary of a Hindu temple...

Image
Boethius & Lady Philosophy
Boethius and Lady Philosophy, a hand-painted illustration from an early print of Boethius' (c. 477-524/5) Consolation of Philosophy, Ghent, 1485.
Library of Congress, Washington D. C.

Video
The Birthplace of Western Philosophy - History of Ionia
Did you know that ancient Ionia was the birthplace of Western philosophy and science? This video is all about the fascinating region of ancient Ionia, the birthplace of Western philosophy, science, the Ionic Order of architecture, and the...

Definition
Plato
Plato (l. 424/423 to 348/347 BCE) is the pre-eminent Greek philosopher, known for his Dialogues and for founding his Academy in Athens, traditionally considered the first university in the Western world. Plato was a student of Socrates and...

Definition
Legalism
Legalism in ancient China was a philosophical belief that human beings are more inclined to do wrong than right because they are motivated entirely by self-interest and require strict laws to control their impulses. It was developed by the...

Article
Heraclitus: Life Is Flux
Heraclitus of Ephesus (l. c. 500 BCE) famously claimed that “life is flux” and, although he seems to have thought this observation would be clear to all, people have continued to resist change from his time to the present day. Heraclitus...

Definition
Anaxagoras
Anaxagoras (l. c. 500-c. 428 BCE) was a Pre-Socratic Greek philosopher who claimed the First Cause of existence was Mind (nous) and all things were constituted of indestructible “seeds” (or “stuff”), originally a single mass, separated and...

Video
The Philosophy of Stoicism - Massimo Pigliucci
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-philosophy-of-stoicism-massimo-pigliucci What is the best life we can live? How can we cope with whatever the universe throws at us and keep thriving nonetheless? The ancient Greco-Roman...