Why Suffering?
It’s an ages-old conundrum: If God is both good and all-powerful, why does He allow pain and suffering in the world?
2012: The End of the World (Yet Again)?
Fear of an impending apocalypse has been with us for thousands of years. A review of doomsday’s history suggests why people tend to get so caught up in each new prediction, and also why it’s pointless to do so.
Capitalism: Unknown Ideal?
On the heels of extensive government intervention in economies around the world, Ayn Rand is making a comeback. Vision looks at her philosophy and asks, Is that where our economic salvation lies?
Material Facts from a Nonmaterialist Perspective
The following essay constitutes chapter 6 in What Makes Us Human? Edited by Charles Pasternak, biochemist and founding director of the Oxford International Biomedical Centre, the book features divergent viewpoints on an issue that has intrigued humanity for millennia. This chapter, by Vision publisher David Hulme, explores the question from the generally overlooked perspective of the ancient Hebrew Scriptures.
Special Report: Ideas That Shaped Modern Thought
Six ways of thinking about the world have dominated the recent history of Western civilization. For millions they are the six great ideas of our time. In this special report Vision examines some of the background and impact of these ideas and their proponents.
Monotheism
Like many other philosophical terms, monotheism is a product of the 18th century Enlightenment. It’s not that the belief in one God did not exist before then; it most certainly did. But that belief had never been named.
Philosophy Resources
Stanford University has established a philosophy site on which all submissions are subject to peer review.
Truth Is Stranger Than It Used to Be
Humanity's relationship with truth has been complex, to say the least. Concepts of truth seem to change whenever times or circumstances change. So what is truth?
The Persistence of Vision
A term borrowed from the film industry serves as a useful metaphor for how we think.
Power to the People
Democracy seems to be catching on around the world. Does that mean peace is just around the corner?
Reflections: June 9, 2006
Diseases of the Heart
In the last 30 years there has been stunning progress in doctor's ability to cure heart disease, even to the point of creating artificial hearts. But humanity has not been so successful at solving other maladies of the heart.
Special Report: Rewiring the Brain: Rethinking Our Mental Framework
It's time to take some responsibility for who we are.
Wisdom: The Pauses Between the Notes
Wisdom seems to be an increasingly rare commodity. Why, and what can we do to develop it?
Of Darkness and Light
The issues of faith and reason, science and religion, underlie much of the current distress in the world.
Six Dominant Ideas, Part 5: Turning the Intellectual Tide
An analysis of the important ideas that have shaped the modern world suggests that, contrary to the message conveyed by the proponents of those ideas, faith and reason are not mutually exclusive.
Ideas, Truth and Freedom
Some truths cannot be discerned by the human senses.
After Life
What happens to a person at death? You might be surprised at what the Bible has to say on the subject.
Six Dominant Ideas, Part 4: Positively No Absolutes?
A look at two philosophies that gained prominence largely as a result of 20th-century developments in science.
Augustine's Poisoned Chalice
Can the mixing of pagan philosophy with biblical teachings result in anything but a lethal potion?
Six Dominant Ideas, Part 3: A Dream Gone Wrong
Sigmund Freud's theories have helped to shape the mental framework of just about everyone, whether they have read his works or not.
Feeding Us a Line
Religion has been criticized as being only for the weak-minded. But perhaps people are swallowing a great deal more than they realize in today's smorgasbord of ideas and philosophies.
Six Dominant Ideas, Part 2: A Dark Fellow From Trier
Karl Marx may have influenced modern history more than any other intellectual, but what influenced his theories?
Six Dominant Ideas, Part 1: Origin of a Specious Theory
In the first article in a series examining the foundations of modern Western thought, Vision looks at a theory that removed God from His role as Creator.
Pathways to Peace?
Two American statesmen offer divergent approaches to foreign policy for the 21st century.
Funeral Pyre of a Straw God
Several recent books address the allegation that God is dead. Can modern philosophy finally lay the God of the Bible to rest as a new millennium dawns? Or is it trying to bury the wrong god?
Hot Evil and Cold Evil
Publisher David Hulme explores the concept of hot evil and cold evil.
Shaping the Age to Come
Democratic values and the free market are dominant ideologies in today's world, particularly following the collapse of Soviet communism. What are the responsibilities that come with the free choice inherent in these philosophies?
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