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Pni0osophy
'?hilosopfu, ,ightly ,lefined, is simply the love ofwisdom."
Medn Tull6 ci.$o (t 06 Bt ",I}BC)
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1

Achilles' heel
1

Definitioq

An Achilles' heel is a latal weakness in spite of overall stlength, actually or potentially

leading to downfall. While the mythological oigin refers to a physicirl vulnerability,
metaphorical refererlllJli, to other attributes or qualities that can lead to thcil do['nfa]l are
collllron,

Ba ck e!gr!!t!l
i Achilles rvas the best fightcr of thc Clceks besieging froy in thc Troiar] War'. When the hero
Odysseus ioulneyed to the Undenvorld to seek thc advice of the dead prophet Teiresias, he
] encountered the shade ofAchilics. l'his hero had slain the Tlojan hero Hector iD single combat
t ald had becn killcd only by the connivance ofApollo. The god guided the atrow of Flector's
brother Paris to the only wlner-able spot on Achilles' body - his hecl.

i, Achilles would not l'rave beeo r.ulnemble even in this part ofhis body had his mothcr, the sea-
gocldess Thctis, bccn allowed to protect hiru as she inientled, When he was'an infant, she
mbbed hirr each clay rvith godly ambrosia, and each night she iaid him upon the hearth firc.
l Unfortunatcly, Achilics'{athcr was unarvare that tiris plocedu|e would make ltis sbn immortal,
And when he unexpectedly came Homc one night to find his wifc holdingtheir baby in the
flirmes, he cried out in alann. Thetis was offendecl and rvcnt home to her father, the Old Man of
tLe Sca, lcaving Achillcs to his mortal fate.

i: Arother versioD ofthc m).th has Thctis attempting to protect her in{ant by dippiDg hiDr in the
ver Sqr(. The infernal waters indeed rendercd Achilles' skin impervious to thc likes ofany
mele Trojan arrow- But I'hetis forgot that she was holding him by the heei during the dipping
proccss, so ilr.rt pnrl \\as unl'role.letl.
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Helcn ofTroy
!alkcralld
Helen is the object of one of the most dramatic lovc
stories of all tinle and one of thc main reasons for a ten-
year u'ar bet\'veen the Creeks and Tr_ojals, knoq'n as the
Trojan War. Helei of f'roy is knor'r.n as lhe Jace that
Iourtclted a tiousand.shrp.s because of the war ships the
Crceks brought to Troy to retrieve Helen. She had
allegedly left Sparta with tbe Trojan prince Paris; which
angered her husband Menelaus, brother to Agamemnon
(the king of Sparta), and a looo ships wele said to have
bcen launched for war with -l'ro)'for this reason.

Pandora's Box
Dcfirition

Pandora was given a box by the Greek gods and told never to open it, because it contained all
tLat was evil and harmful to the world. Ilowever, curiosity and greed got the bettcr ofher, and
she opened it dcspite the warDing, thereby unlcashing pain, suffering and evil into thc world.

In modern times, Pandora's Box has becone a lrlqlapbel for thc unanticipated consequences of
technical and scientific development. The evidence of the vase-painters reveals another, earlier
jt\l,ccl of Pindora.

Background

According to Edith Hamilton in MUlhobgll

the source of all misfotune was Pandora's
curiosity. "']'he gods pr-esented her with a
box into which each had put something
harmful, and forbade her ever to oper it.
'-t'hen they sent her to Epimethtus, rvlro took
her gladly although Prometheus had
warned him never to accept anlthing from
Zeus. He took her, and altelward whcn that
dangerous thing, a woman, lvas his, he
understood how good his l>rother's advice
had been. For Pandora, like all women, was
possessed of a lively curiosilr, She had to
know what was in the box. One day she
lifted the lid and dut flerv plagues
innumerable, sorrow and rnischief for
 mankind. ln terror-l'andor cl|ppsl the li.l
dorvn. irut kx) Irte. One good thing,
horvcvcr, u'ls that insidc thc box also lay
llope. It \,ves the only good thc caskct had
lrclJ rrrrorrg thc rrr;rrrv nrij JrrJ il r-rlri,in\
to this da)' mankind's sole coDrfo$ io
nrislorlrrro'

Prornethean
De,l!itisll

:
'l'he term prorrellrcdrr rcfcrs to events oI people of:ireat creativitl intellecL unri boldness-

Ea!ks!q!'!i
ln creek nrythology, I'romcthcus (in Greek,
Ilpo1n19r[E "Jiretlu,u(t]1t") is tire litnn ch;ctly
honored for stealiDg fire from Zcus in the strlk of il
feniel plant and giving it to mortals firr their use.
For tbat, Zeus order-ed hiur to bc chai ed on top of
the Caucasus. Every ciay an eaglc lrould comc ald
eat his livcr'; but siDce Prome-thelrs \\'as inmortal,
his lir-er always gr-erv back so he nas lcft to bear the
pairr every tlay. IIc is dcpicted as arn inteliigelt irncl
, rrn n ins iigrr r" rr Lo lrir I s\ o r!,illlr \ lnr hrnrJIih.

Styx
Dcfinition

Sq'x is a rivcr that scparates the rvorld ol lhe

lililgfrom the rvorld ofthe cleacl.

naqkgrqu-ld
Styx is guarded bl l'hlegyas, \,/ho passcs the
souls from one side to another of the river. Thc
gods respected the Styx and srvore binding
oaths by it. Zeus swore to give Scmele whatever
she lrantcd and was then obliged kr follow
through, resulting in her death, Ilclios
similarly prornisetl Phlrdton whatever he
clesirecl, aisoresriting ill his death. Gods that
did not foliorv through ol such an oath had io
drink frorl the river, causing thein to lose their voiccs for nine years.

According to sonre versions, Styx had miraculous powers and could make sorreonc immortal.
Achilles may have been dipped in it in his childhood, acquiring inr.rine.ability, with exccption
of lris heel, whieh was held by his nother in ordcr to submerge him. llis exposed heel tlrus
becamc known as Achilles' heel, a metaphor for a weak spot in modern rnerning.

Sqx w2rs primarily a feature in the after-world ofGrcck mythologr, but has bccn desc bed as a
fealure present in the hell of Christianity as w.ell, notably in 'Ihe l)iuine Contedy. lhe fer-rymaD
Charon is in modcrn times coDrmonly belicved to have transpor.ted the souls of thc newly deacl
across this river into the underworld, though il the original Greek and Roman sources, as l{eli
as in Dante, it was the fiver Acheron that Charon plied. Dante put PhleFyas ovcr the S\.r aDd
made it the fifth circle of Hell, where the wrathful and sullen are pu[ished by being drou'ned in
thc muddy waters for eternity.

Icarus complex / Icams

sj,.rrdrorne

Definition
Icarus cornplex is used to describe people who are
overconfident of their own abilities and lvho naively and
prematurely jump into sornething that they do not have the
c:ip:rcity to do, thus resulting in their own failure.

Icarrus sj,'ndrome is the fear of flying too close to the sun

and crashing dou,n to earth a mdtaphor often used to
clescribe the fear of doiDg something rislf' and/o| faiJing.

Backgreund

In Greek m)'thology, Icar.us was the son of the inventor

Daedalus and a slave named Naucrate. King Minos ofCr.etc
imprisoned l)aedalus and Icalus in the Labyrinth to punish
Daedalus for helping the hero Thescus to kiil the monster
called the Minotaur and to escape with Minos'daughter,
Ariatlne. Daedalus knew that Minos controlled any escape
routcs by land or sca, but Minos could notprevent an
escape by flight. So Daedalus used his skills to build wings for himsel{ and Icarus. He used wax
and string to fasten fe.rthe6 to rccds ofvarying lengths to imitate the curves ofbirds'wings.

WheD their wings were ready, Daedalus warned Icarus to fly at medium altitude. Ifhe flew too
high, lhe sun could melt the wax ofhis wings, and the sea could dampen the feathers if he flew
too low. Llowever, once theyhad escaped Cretc, Icarus became exhilarated by flight. Ignoring
his father''s warning, he flewhigher and higher. The sun melted the wax holding his wings
together, and the boy fell il1to the water and drownecll
i'

Herculean
:' DelillIlstr
Herculean is usecl to describc something extrcmely
i, clifficult to accomplish, e.g. one that reqrires
: sulcr-rlulIrD strenttrl .)r I)o\\'L'r.

t
ii
Eaeksreud
Hercules is lhe lloman nanlc of the mlthjcal Creek
hero I leracles. I Ie \\.as tbe son of Zeus (the king of the
gods) and a mortal. Hisjearlous stepmother- tried to
murder him when he was an infant by putting a
t: serpent in his cradle. I-uckilyfor Hercules, he was
born rvith great strength ancl killed the scrpeDt. By the
time Hercules was an adult, he lrad already killed a
lion.

lle was D-rade to pcrform t\'vch'e great tasks, called

"The Trvelve Labours of Hercules", as penalce for
killing his wife and childrcn in a fit of madness.

Oedipus cornplex
l-yliniliorr

Thc Oedipts complex refers to a stage of psychosexual

development wherc a cirild ofcithcr gender regards the
parent of the s:Lme gender as an adversary, and
competitor, for the exclusive iove ofthe pa.ent ofthe
oppositc gcnder.

Earkclaud
h Glcek m]'tholo[iy. Ocdipus was the son of Laius (King
ofThebes) and.Iocrsta- l,aius hears a prophecy that his
son will l<ill hin. fca ng thc prophecJ, Laius pierces
Oedipus'leet and leaves hinr out to die, but a herdsman
t' finds him and takes hin :rway from Thebes. Oedipus, not
I
klowing he was adopted, leaves bome in fear ofa
phophecy that he would kili his father and marry his
i mother. As prophcsized, Oedipus crossed paths with Laius
and this led to a fight where Oedipus slays Laius. Oedipus
then defcats thc Sphinx by solving a nysterious riddle to
l' become king. He maffies the wido\\'qLleen Jocasta, not
t.
kro$ irrg it is his urother. A plagle falJs on thc people of l hebes. Upon discovery of the truth,
.lorasla hangs hersclf.

Siren Song '

Dcfinititlrr

r\ sircn song is an enticing plea or appeal, especially one th:rt is,deceptively alluriDg.

lla ckerq!!t{1

hr Crcck m)'thology, the Sirens are creatures u,ith the head of a fenrale and thc body of a bird.
They live<i on an island and with the irresistible charm of their song, they lured mariners to
tlicir destruction on the Iocks surrounding their island.
 frojan horse
Definition

In the context oi:computer programs, a Tlojan hor_se is a seemingly har_mless progran lhat
hides a destructivc codc.

More gencrally, a Trojan horse is something that is destmctive, but which is disguised as
s.,rtr"llrirrt lt.r r n rl, .s.

Ilackground

'l-he Greek siege of I'roy had lasted for ten leirrs. l he Crceks devised i ncw ruse: a gialrt
hollorv rvooden horsc. It was built by Epeius aDd filled with Greek warriors led by Odysseus.
The rest of the Crcek army appeared to leave, but :rctually hid behind Tcnedos. Meanrvhile, a
Greek spy, SiDon, convinced the'l rojans that the horse lvas a gift dcspite the rvarnings of
Laocoon and Cassandr-a; Helen and Deiphobus even investigated the horsci in the end, the
Trojans accepted the gift. ln ancient times it was custolnary for a defeated general to surrendcr
his horse to thc victorious gener-al in a sign of respect.

'fhe lrojans hugely celebrated thc end

ofthe siege, so that, when the Greeks
-rrrr'rgnrl llnrrr lh. hursp. llrn cih w:rs irr
r drunl.en ql por Thn rlrF-k l\nrriorc
opened the city gates to allow the rcst of
lh. irrmj lo.nlcr. ind tlre , il1 rvcs
pillagcd ruthlessly, all thc men rver-e
killed, and all the rvomen ;rnd childrcn
were takcn into slavery.

:
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Ierms from M'4h ond [egend
Greek ond Romon Mylhs

Terms e!!9I_!
Boccho nol ^4ee!!!91!
A wild parly, clrunken . oroU\Ol o,e\Flaror!qtou\er (pp (on).
{N)
Synonyms: orgy

Cynosure (N) A centre of ollention or ollroclion, os the Norlh Slor in lhe conslellolion
Cynosure.

Droconion Exlremely severe or horsh (usuolly opplied io lows, rules, methods). Eg Mosl
iAdi) of lodoy's administrators reolize thoi lhe drctconiqn reguloiions of the posl
did not help to rehobililale lheir inmoles.

Synonyms: rigorous, horsh, cruel, severe

Eihereol iAdi) Exceedingly delicole ond lovely; heovenly, inlongible os oir ilself.

Synonyms: celesl;ol, unworldly, heovenly; spir'iuol

Mercuriql Greolly vqiqble or chongeoble, os mercury is in q ihermometer {often

{Adl) used lo describe personqlily)

Synonyms: inconslanl, voriable

Norcissism iN) Exlreme fondness of or absorpiion wilh oneself; self centredness-

Synonyms: egoism, egocenlrism

Nemesis {N) A releniless pursuer of evildoers; on opponeni who usuolly wins.

Synonyms: bone
I did wellin Mqlhs unlil lreqched odvonced colculus, which mqy prove lo
be my nemesis lhis yeor-

Promelheon Unusuqlly creotive ond originol; life giving

Soturnine Gloomy qnd heavy of lemperomeni; sleady in nolure, slow to chqnge.

(AcJj)
Synonyms: dour, dull, heovy, surly, gloomy
I
Solon lN An exiremely inielligent lowqiver: o member ot q legislctiive body.
 Synonyms: wise

Somnolenl Drowsy, sleepy; opl lo bring on sleep, os o lengihy, somnoleni leclure.

iAdi)
Synonymsi ielhorgic

Stysion (Adj) Forbiddingly dork qnd gloomy, os wos ihe river Styx

Origins: The rouie io Hodes {lhe Greeks' underworld) wos ocross lhe
dounling river Sly\

Tilon (N) Anyone huge in size, greol in power, or both; on exlroordinqrily hioh
ochiever, as a titqn of industry.

Origins:Tiions were lhe lwelve gionls (six mole, six femole) who ruled when
ihe Eqrlh wos new, unlil the gods of Olympus look over. Fomous Tiions
include PromelheUs.

Joseph Kennedy, a tilon in the Americon business world, possed on his

ambilious,qtiug to a fqmily ot sons ond gro4dchildten.
Amozon A womon lqller ond slronger thcrn overoge; o lemole worrior.

Origins: According.lo Greek mylhology, lhe Amozons were o ferocious

roce of Afdcan wo[ior women. Men were noi pori of lheir nolion; cl bqby
boy wos eilher killed oi birlh or senl lo his fqlher in neighbouring stoie. All
girls hod their dght breosl cul or burned off so lhol they could beiler drow
a bow in boltle.

Pcrnqcecl A univeISql cure-oll or obsolule remedy.

Synonyms: cure cll

Pondorq's box A seemingly endless source of problems ond difficullies.

Origins: Pondoro wos ond exquisiie woman who wos given o box
conlqining oll ihe ills of ihe wodd. When Pondoro opened the box oll the
evils in lhe box were lel loose, but so was Hope whrch wos lhe osi to fly oui
ol lhe box

Vo kyrie A womqn even lougher thon on Amqzon.

I
Ori ins: Odin was ki of the Norse ods, ond ihe Volkvries were his
 beoutiful but owful nymphs in Vqlhallq. When o bottle roged on eorlh, the
Val kyries rode swifl horses lhrough lhe froy ond chose lhe men destined to
die . Bqck home in Volhollo, lhese nymphs seryed ihe heroes iqsly drinks in
lhe eveninqs ond lel lhem play oi wq qll Qoy long.
Volhollo Heovenly home of warriors killed in bottle. Nordic worriors believe lhol
when lhey die honourably in boltle ihey will be reworded o ploce in
Valhallo.
{ue rdic Myth)

Glossory of Politicol Terms

Terms Meoninqs
AbsoIJlism The principle or lhe exercise of complete oncl unreslricled power
in government.

Allirmotive Aclion Lows mondoling increosed numbers of women ond minorilies.

especially in employmenl.

Allftiism Sqcrifie e of lhe self for the welfore of others

Anorchist One who seeks lo overiurn, by violence, sociely ond governmenl,

wilh no intenlion of establjshing onolher orderly syslem.

Anli-Semile One who discriminotes ogoinsl or who is hoslile lowards of

prejudiced ogainsi Jews. Somelimes used os o lobel for lhose
who crilicize lsroel or ils policies, in order lo iniimidoie ond stifle
disaqr^enenl.

Alheism The doclrine or belief lhol lhere is no God or qods. -

Aulocrocy A government where uncontrolled or unlimiled outhoriiy is in the
honds of one person.

Axis-of-evil Counlries lo be ollqcked; Bush Adminislrotion hil list (currenlly

includes lron, Norlh Koreo, ond possibly now Syria)

Beor M.rrkel A declining or tending toword o declining in prices

Bigotry Inlol^ror , a of onyono alle'( , reed belief or opinion.

t0
t, Morket A rise in prices; choroclerised by fovouroble prospecls for ihe
econorny.
1'
i
Burei:tucrcrcy Officiols using fixed rules ond a hierarchy of quthoriiy
charqclerized by red lqpe, deloy or inoclion.
ll
Copiiolism An economic sysiem in which inveslmenl in ond ownership of the
means of produclion, dislribulion, ond exchqnge of weqllh is
mode ond moinlqinecl by privole indivlduols.

Re I to re(i
ence5 Lo rettQtol tn iti
wnrtn
No Reference Meaning/Significance
!
1 10 A list of religious and rnoral inperatives which, according to Biblical
Commandmcnts tradiiion, wcre written by Cod and given to Moses on Mount Sinai in
thc form of two storlc tablets. They feaiure prominently i]1 Judaism
ancl Chtstiarlity
. I the I-ord am your God.
. You shall have no other gocls besides Me and not make yourself an
idol. ,
. You shall not take the name of the I-ord in vain.
. Remenber the Sabbath day, and keep it holy,
. Honour yout fathcr and mother.
. You shall not kill/mr-rrder.
. You shall not commii adultery.
. You shall not sicai.
. You shall not bear {alse witness against your ncighbour.
. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife and C99g:]
2 A taste of the This usually re{ers io the apple, r,,,hich appears in many religious
forbidden fruit traditions, often as a mystical and forbidden fruit. Popular Christian
tradition has hcld ihat it was an apple that Ilve coaxerl Adam to share
with hcr. As a result. in the slory of Atlam and Eve the apple became a
symbol for temptation, the fall of man into sin, and sin itself-
3 Abraharn The first of the OId festament patriarchs and the father of lsaac.
According to the llible, God promised to give Abraham's family (the
Hebrelvs) thc land of Canaan (the Pronised Land). Cod tested
Abraham by asking him to sacrilice his son. Judaism, Christianity, and
Tslam each has a soecial claim on Abraham.
1 Adrm & Eve According to the Bible and to the Qur'an, Adam was the first man

lt
 crcJled by Cud Adanr'r rnair. Fuc w,-.iLh-r cr..rt.J t,"- h'r .ilr,
creJl.d.rt llle -.rnrc tim, ,.rs AJdln. ".
5 A declaration of affjrmalion found in Christi.rnity, tudaism and
Islanric traditions. Said after a prayer or blessing, meaning 'so be it' or
'trrrlv'
6 A description of the cnd of the world as we knorv it
7 Arnrageddon A Christian concept originatinS in the Bible and which refers to the
final battle between thc forces of good (lead by Jesus) and the forces of
Evil (lead by Saian).
B baptism A Christian ceremony in wirich a few drops. of water are poured on
somebody or they arc covered with watcrj to i^,'elcome thcm into the
Christian church. Baptism of fire a di{ficult introduction to a new
iob or aciivitv
9 c.rliph In Islam, the successor to Muhanmad- Taken to mean the spiritual
and religious leader of a community
t0 caliphate The svstcm of succession in Islam that combined both religion and
state under the rule of one caliph.
l1 Crusadcs A series of military campaigns waged by Christian counties in the
Floly Land from the 11th to the 13th century to recovcr thc area arom
lslanl; used more generally for any mililary campaign on behalf of thc
church
L2 David & Coliath Figures in the Bible and Qulan, whercin David, an lsraelite
shepherd-boy and futurc King of Israel, using his sling, defeats and
kills Goliath, a giint Philistinc warrior, in single combaf. Today, it is a
proverbial expression of a small force defeating a larger one.
13 Eroclrrs A mass migration of the I lebrew people, out of slavery. After
hundreds of years of slavery in Egypt, Moses led the I Iebrer4, people
out of Egypt and across Lhe Sinai desert. The Hebrew people
"wandelcd" around the Sinai desert for forty years, aboat one
generation, and finally were able to settlc in Jerusalem. Tl)day it is a
proverbial exprcssion denoting a journey by .r lnrge group to escape
from a hosfile cnvironment.
i4 An eye for an A quotation from the Bible (Exodus 21:23-27) that expresses a
eye (lex talionis) principle of retributive justicc also known as ler falionis (Latin for
"law of retaliation"). The basis of this form of law is the principle of
proportionate punishment, often expressed under the motto 'Let the
punishnent fit thc crime", which particularly applies io mirror
punishments (which may or may not be proportional)-
15 fatwa In Islam, it is a ruline on a point of Islamic la\^, that is siven bv a

12
 rccognized aLrthority.
16 Cloti is clcarl A vicw attribotcd to th" ll"rlnn,-r pl,ilo.opl-,", Fri,
Frieddch Nietzsche
'Cod is dead" is rlot mcant lilerally, rathcr, it iss N
Nicizschc's ivay of
sa)'ing that the idea of God is no longcr capable ofacting as a source
le cr
of :rny moral codc- The dcath of Cod rvill leacl,, Ni Nictzschc says, not
only to thc rejcction of a belief of cosmic or physi(
ysical order but also io a
q\
rcjection oI aLrsoiute values lhcmselves i.e an objcctive and univr'r'sal
ry@ lvllrlc 9p11L!! r1d|li{eqlq
t7 rnqursr hon A formcr tribunal of thc lloman Calhoiic Church h (]232-1820) creaied
to discovcr ancl suppress heresy.'Ioday, it is user ed io denole a severe
intcrrogation, olten victating ihe rights or privac :rcy of individuals
lfl intifad;r Literally, it mcans "shaking off in Arabic. lt has (come to dcnotc
I'nlcstinian uprisjngs against Israel. Thcre \\/as ann intifada in the
Occupieci Tt'rritories from 19U7 1993 and a secon(rcl one tlrat befjan in
Septcmbcr of 2000. 'l he sta ted goal ol ]'orh ;n rifi.cias has been io encl
lsraeli control of th(] territories.
19 jihad In Islam, thc cssential nreanirg of jihad is thc spiirilual, psl'chological
and physical e[{ort exerk]d by Musiims to be clo!ser to Clod and thus
.rchicve a just and harrnonious society. Hol\,cvcr', jihad is often us!-d to
rcFer lo an armed struggle fought jn defence of Tt
2A A nrilitary force of Muslim gucrill.:t warriors ertrgagcd in a jihad
21 Noah (& Noah's A character From the Bible ancl ihe Qur'an who b builds an ark in rvhich
ark) he and his faInily survived,l0 days and 40 nights ts of rain from thc
floocl. He had beeir comrnanded by God to buildd the ark and to place
lhercin a pair of cvery livinE thing upon the ealdtlr.
?) olive branch A universal symbol for lhc offcring of peace
23 Pririlin Somconc who aclheres to strici religious princiPl cs;someonc opposecl
tn .on rr.ll fle.r.rrrns
24 Sacred texts oF | \rcdes, Brahmanas,
Aranyakas, Uparrishatls, Pur,inas, Milhabharafa,
Blddhism I
lh,;.'v..r.tL,rld. i{,,m.r\.,r., \oqr'i'rlr',s I r\^ 'uf'Manu and the Kama

23 Hi. publicalion
iaLnan I{ushdie ] o' ,,..,' ,na,,r' '*..'\ r-l .,nJ li,linrr rr nr"r His p ,l of ThL-
& "The Satanic \Jl., i. V, r.". In \epl.nrbpr Io88 r.llr\.d in\nlediatL'
inrnr.Jr conh ovcrsy in tlle
Ll.,m', r'orl,ld,r"lo\\'rJI *r 1',rc"ivo,1I as .r-,rn
an irrcverent
rr dcpiclioD of
the prophct Muhammad. A f:rtw:r reLluiring ing Rushdie's
Rusl exccution lvas
frn, L,irn' d b\ Ay.rlorr ,l, l' l,, rn' rcr. - pll il.,J Lcader of 11;11 at thc
il gpiritual
lirrc. ,,rllnrg th- b^ol l'l',.pll rn.rr'..rg rrn..l l.lrr A bounty was
nst Islam."
uti, I I tor rlr,.d,.rrtr uf Rrr .trLti. \vlr^ wd.Ls rl
thusr forced
I. to livc in hiding
rur v,Jr.tu,orn.. llrn€rrir-lr pulr.cE.''o: Rushdie l{u,h,li a nerv identity. ln

tl
 l9!9 the United Kingdom and lran brokc J ipl^matic reLrtions ovcr
the Ilushclie cont rovers,,'
25 scrPent Portrayed in ihe Bible as a deceptiv e creaturc pronoting as good what
God had directly forbidden, and pa rticularly cunning in rl1anjpulating
truth toward its deceDtive ends.
24 Solomon A King ol Israel notcd for his grea
great wrsdom
25 Thc Colden "Do unto others as you r.vorrld have 'e them do unto you." AppeaIs in
Ilulc the Biblc (Matthew 7:12). Similar sta in Judaism and also made
by Confucius
26 The Good A parable told by Jesus to illusttatee the precepts that a person's fitncss
Samaritan for eternal life is defincd by his or h
her actions, that compassion should
be for all people, and that fulfillingi lthe spiit of the Law is more
irnportant than fulfilling the letier of
o the Law. Ccnerally used to refer
to a person who voluntarily offers helpJr or sympathy in times of
troublc.

Western Cultural References (Literature/Philosophy)

1. Homer [81h BC] ) Name given to author (ancient creece) of the earliest literary
classics, the /r'ad and the Odyssey, both of which are epic poems chronicling the
exploits of legendary Greek heroes and deities. .

2. Socrates 1470 - 399 BCl ) one of the progenitors of modern Western philosophy, and
controversial figure in ancient Greece, having inspired great reverence from his
students as well as the ire of the qovernment. He pioneered the Socratic Method. which
aims to aims to aid students' understanding and learning through questioning. Was
charged in court for corrupting youths and chose to die by drinking a poison made from
hemlock, rather than plead guilty.
3. Plato [428 - 348 BC] ) one of the three great thinkers and phuosophers of ancient
Greece, whom helped lay the foundation for Western philosophy. Plato was also a
mathematician, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of thq Academy in
Athens, the first inslitution of higher learnang in the western world.
4. Aristotle l3B4 - 322 BCI ) student of Plato, and the last of the great philosophers of
ancient Greece. His interests and writings were diverse, with topics ranging from Art to
ethics and government. His greatest contributions were the conception of logic as well
as helping to the foundations of what would be the scientific method or mode of inquiry.
5. Tower of Babel ) a symbol of man's overreaching pride and ambition. (from ihe
biblical story in which God punishes humanity for its presumption by cursing men to
speak in different tongues and be unable to communicate with one another. Prior to this
event, l\,4an had hoped to build a tower that would reach the heavens)
6- William Shakespeare [1564 - 1616] ) arguably the greatest dramatisvplaywright of
the English-speaking world ever lived. Proliflc writer of plays and sonnets and England's

l4
 most lamous cultural export. Adored and loathed in equal measures by students of
Literature Also known as simply, the Bard
7. Scrooge/Shylock [noun] ) Someone who is extremely stingy, miserly (Former from
Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol, the latter from Shakespeare's The Mdrchant of
Venicel
B. Sea change {nounl -> profound transformation caused by any agency (from
Shakespeare's Th e Tetn p est)
9. John Milton 11608 - 16741 ) considered one of the foremost English poets, whose
seminal work, an epic poem titled Paradlse Losl, dramatjzed the creation of the
universe as espoused by Christianity.
10. Machiavellian ladj ] ) io describe a person who is adept in scheming and intrigue in
pursuit for power, often resorting to underhanded means to achieve his goals. (from
Niccolo Machiavelli, wriler of lhe Prrce, a political treatise emphasizing ihe need for
stability an a nation, and eschewing the consideration for ethrcs rn dorng so)
11 Don Juan Inounl -) a womanizer, skilled in the arts of romance and seduction (from the
legendary literary figure who is the quintessential lover and seducer of women)
l2.lnferno lnoun] ) or hell. (From the first part Dante's epic poem Ihe Divine Comedy,
where lhe action is sel in a place none other than hell, where sinners undergo
punishment commensurate to their sins)
l3.Jonathan Swift [1667 1745] ) lrish writer of great renown, whose most well known
works include Gulliver's Travels and A Modest Proposal. He constantly employed satire
in his works and is acknowledged to be a master in its use.
14. Lilliputian ladj ] ) small, tiny. (from Swift's Gul/iyers lrayels, where the eponymous
hero stumbles on a tow'r populated by tiny people called Lilliput)
15. Byronic ladj.] -> describing a person who is an incurable romantic, often to the point of
melancholy. Also a brooding artist (from the English writer, Lord Byron, famous for his
poems and his controversial life)
16.Adam Smith 11723 - 17SOl > Scottish philosopher and political economist whose work
An lnquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations helped lay the
foundations of the modern sludy of economics.
lT.Faustian pacudeal/bargain [adj.] ) a contract in which one sacrifices everything for
some short term gain. Ultimately, the price paid is disproporlionate to any benefits
accrued. (from Goethe's novel FaLlsf, where the titular character sells his soul for
power)
lB.Orwellian ladj.] ) a description of a dystopian society that is characterized by
totalita.ian rule, strict regimentation, censorship and thought policing, arld where the
government scrutinizes and controls every aspect of its citizens' Iives. (From George
Orwell's novel 7984 where the action is set as such a society)
'19 Big Brother
lnoun] > same function and origin as "Orwellian", especially with regards
to intrusion/curtailment of individual privacy and freedom by the state.
20. Mein Kampf ) Hitleas personal work, combining autobiography with exposition of the
Nazi political ideology. Due to its racist content and unsavory associations, is extremely
controversial, and in some nations, possession of said book is illegal.
21.Ka.l Marx [1818 - 1883] ) Prussian philosopher, political economist, and revolutionary
whose most famous and influential treatise is the Communist Manifesfo, co-authored by
Fr,edrich Engels. He is considered to be the father of the Communist movement and

l5
 philosophy and was an outspoken critic of capitalism, predicting that the working-class
would eventually rise and topple capitalism.
22.Ftiedtieh Nietzsche [1844 1900] - ) German philosopher whose writing included
critiques of religion, morality, contemporary culture, philosophy, and science. He was a
harsh critic of Christian moralaty, which he called a "slave morality' and conventional
ethics/morality, which he perceives as repressing and limiting human potential.
23. Sigmund Freud [1856 - 1939] > Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist who co founded
the psychoanalytic school of psychology. He most famously atlributed psychological
problems to repressed/unconscious sexual desires and pioneered psychotherapy, in
which the psychiatrist attempts to diagnose and treat the patient through conversation.
24.Simone de Beauvoir [1905 1986] - ) French author and philosopher, She wrote
novels, monographs on philosophy, politics, and social issues, essays, biographies, and
an autobiography. She is best known for her 1949 treatise lhe Secord Sex, a detailed
analysis of women's oppression and a foundational tract oftontemporary feminism. She
most famously said "A woman is made, not born", a quote which summarizes her belief
that femininity (and by extensaon, masculinity) is nurtured, rather than inborn.
25.Lolita > a sexually precocious adolescent girl. (from Vladimir Nabokov anonymously
titled novel about an a pedophile's obsession with a 12-year old girl named Lolita)
26.Salman Rushdie [1947 ] > British lndian essayist and fiction author. Much of his
llction is set on the subcontinent of lndia. His fourth novel, The Satanic yerses (1988),
provoked violent reactions from radical Muslims- After death threats and a fatwa issued
by Ayatollah Khomeini, calling for his assassination, he spent years underground,
appearang in public only sporadically.

l6
Science References
Terms:
Evolution
ln biotogy, evolution is the change in a poputations inherjted trajts from generation to generation.
Natural selection occL]rs because organisms with traits that help them survive and reproduce tend to
produce more offsprinq than lhose with tess-adaptive traits.
The theory of evo{ution by naturat selection was first put forth in detail in Charies Darwin s 1859
book On the Origin of Species. ln the 1910s, Danainian natural selection was combined with
Mendetian inherjtance (genetics theory) to form the modern evotutionary synthesis (or neo-
Darwinism). With its enormous exptanatory and predictive power, this theory has become the
central organizing principte of modern biotogy, provjding a unifying explanation for the diversity of
tife on Earth.

Darwinism is a term for the underlying theory in those ideas of CharLes Darwin concerning evotution
and natLrrat setection.

Genetics
Genetics is the study of how our physical and behaviourat trajts are inherited- The field's crownjng
achievement may have been the spelting out of our genetic secrets by the human genome projecl,
but scjentjfic and technologicaL advances jn genetics have forever transformed agricutture, biology,
medicine, zooloqy, and even fields such as anthropology and forensic scjence.

cosmology
Cosmologists stLldy the unjverse as a whote: its birth, qrowth, shape, size and eventual fate- The vast
scateofthe unjverse became c(earin the 1920swhen Edwin Hubbte proved that spirat nebutae are
actuatty other gataxies like ours, mittions to bittions of light years away-

8ig Bang
ln physical cosmology, the Big Bang is a modeL in which the universe has been expanding for 1].7
biItion years, starting from a tremendousty dense and hot state. The Big Bang modet predjcts the
cosmic microwave background radiatjon (CMB), a background of weak microwave radiation fitting the
whole universe. The discovery of the CMB in 1964 led to genera{ acceptance ambng physicists that
the Biq Bang is the best modet for the oriqin and evotution of the universe

Anthropology
Anthropotogy is the comparative study of the physicat and socjat characteristics of humanity through
the examination of hjstoricat and present geographicaLdistribution, cu{turaI history, accuLturation,
and cutturaI retationships. lt is hotistic in two senses: it is concerned wiLh all human beings across
times and places, and wjth atI dimensions of humanity levolutionary, biophysicat, sociopoliticat,
er onomic. cuttural. psy, hologt, al. ete).

Alchemy
A form of chemistry and specutative philosophy practiced in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and
concerned principattv with discoverinq niethods for transmuting baser meta{s into gotd and with
findjnq a universal soLvent and an etixir of Life.

11
Phitosophy
Phitosophy is the discipline concerned with the questions of how one shoutd tive (ethics); what sorts
of things exisl and what are their essential natures (metaphysics); what counts as genuine knowtedge
(epistemotogy); and what are the correct principtes of reasonjng (togic).

Paleontology
The study of the forms of life existing in prehistoric or geotogic times, as represented by the fossits
of planl\, dnrmdl\. dnd olher organism5.

Fthology
The study of animat behavior with emphasis on the behavioral patterns that occur in naturaI
envrronment5.

Forensic Science
Forensic scientists do inva{uable work linking evidence from crime scenes - such as fingerprints,
injuries, weapons, DNA, computer data, drugs and counterfeit goods - to criminats themsetves.
Forensic scientists atso hetp soLve crimes by reconstructing faces from skutls, and sometimes
animating or virtually ageing them, or studying corpses to pinpoint the cause and tjme of death.

The Nuclear Age

The Earth exploded into the nuctear age on 16 Juty 1945.On that day, the US tested a comptetety
new type of weapon in the New Mexico desert. Crafted from a tennis-batlsjzed ptutonium sphere,
the Trinity bomb produced an explosion equivalent to 20,000 tonnes of TNT.
sixty years on, tens of thousands of tonnes of plutonium and enriched uranium have been produced.
Thc globat nuctear arsenal stands at about 27,000 bombs. Nine countries very probabty possess
nuclear weapons, while 40 othters have access to the materials and technology to make them.
But nuclear technology has atso been used for peaceful mgans. The first nuc(ear reactor to provide
electricity to a nationat grid opened in Engtand jn 1956. Now, 442 reactors in l2 nations generate
16% of the wortd's etectricity.
Nuclear power has been championed as a source of cheap energy- But this was undermined at the
end of the 20th century by high profj(e reactor accidents, the problems of radioactive waste
disposat, competition from more-efficient electricity sources and unavoidab[e Links to nuclear
weapons protiferation. Nonethetess, growing evidence for gtobatwarming had led some to argue that
nuctear power js the only way to generate power without emitting greenhouse gases.

Artificial lntelligence
Artificiat intetljgence (Al) is the study of intetligent behaviour in machines. ln the 198Os, Al research
focused on creating machines that coutd sotve probtems and reason [ike humans. Since- the earty
1990s, researchers have concentrated on devetoping smaller, independent robots instead of trying to
recreate human inteltigence. The model for inany of these machines is insect intettigence, which is -
in its own way very sophisticated-

Nanotechnology
Nanotechnotogy is science and engineering at the scate of atoms and motecutes. lt is the
maniputation and use of materials and devices so tiny that nothing can be buitt any smalter.
Nanotechnotogy is found in products rangjng from nanometre_thjck fitms on setf_cteaning windows
to pjgments in sunscreens and lipsticks.- ln the short term, the greatest advances through
nanotechnotogy wi[[ come in the form of novel medical devices and processes, newlcatatysts for
industry and smatter components for computers.

l8
 People:
Charles Darwin (i2 Febftrarv 1809 l9 Aorit 1882)
Enqtish naturatis! who proposed and provided evidence for the scienblic theorv that att species have
evotved over timefrom one oa a few cofimon ancestors through the process of natur-at:electior].
This theory became widety accepted by the scientific communitv in the 1930s, and now forms the
basis of modern evotutionarv theorv. ln modified form, Darwjns theory remains a cornerstone of
biotoev, as it provides a unifying exptanation for the diversitv of {ife. His 1859 book On the Oriqin of
5pggiq! estabtjshed evotutjon by cornmon descent as the dominant scientific explanatjon of
diversrIrLaUon rn nature.

i sir lsaac Newton (4 January lelf 31 March 1727)

i. Enqtish phvsicist, mathematician, astronomer, naturaI philosopher, and aichemist, regarded by many
as the greatest figure in the I!:!qry9L!q!9!!C. His treatise 81ti@:9pth!9]\!qll{ql! l?!h!lpl!
llotherrdfico, pubtished in !rqz, described universaI qravitation and the fhree ldws of motion, laying
the q.oundwork for classical mechanics. He was the first to show that the motion of objects on Earth
and of celestial bodies are governed by the same set of natural taws. A poputar story ctaims that
Newton was jnspired to formu(ate his theory of unjversat gravitation by the fatt of an appte from a
tree. Cartoons have gone further to suggest the apple actuatty hit Newton s head, and that its impact
somehow made him aware of the force of gravity.

AlbertEinsteln (Md,, n 14.

Albert Einste{n {Md,i 14, l8/9 April
l8/9 lB. I955)
ApL!L!!,
Ger man born IheorericaL physic!!! who is best known for his theorv of retativitv and specjfjcalty
mass-energv equivatence, E = mtr. He was awarded the 19ZL Nobet Prize in Phvsics for his services
to Theoreticat Physics, and especiatLy for his discovery of the Law of the photoetectric effect. ln 1999
Ejnstein was named fipe magazines "Person ol-tlElCU!qy", and a pottof prominent physicists
named him the greatest physicist of atl time. ln poputar cutture the name Ejnstein has become
synonvmoLrs wLh genius.
ln 1939, Leo Sziterd and Einstein wrote a letter to U.S. President Franktjn Detano Roosevett warning
that the Third Reich mjght be devetoping nucLear weapons based on their own reseaach. That tetter
was poputarty credited (though its precise effect remajns unctear) wjth hetping to persuade
Roosevett to fund the Manhattan Proiect, whjch produced the fjrst atomic weapons. Later when A_
bombs devastated Japan, Einstein expressed deep regret. ln his tast pubtic act before his death in
1955, he ioined other schotars in a desperate ptea for a ban on warfare,

J. Robert Oppenheimer (Aprjt 22, l9q4 F,e-b4ery !!, 1967)

American theoreticaI phvsicjst, best known for hjs rote as the director of the !31h3!!qqfqige!, the
Wortd War ll effort to devetop the first nLLqlear weapons, at the secret Los Alamos taboratorv in New
Mexico. Xnown as lig-lfd ther of the glgllltbomb, Oppenheimer Lamented the weapons kjLting
power after it was used to destroy the lSpanese cities of L[Iq:[iq4 q!!L\lqg3!qK.

Sigmund Freud (Mav 6, 1856 Septenrber 21, 1939)

Austrian neurotoqist and Dsvchiatrist whq co founded the Dsvchoanatvtic schoot of plYghqlqgy. Best
known for his theorjes of the unconscious mind, he is commonly referred to as the father of
psvchoana{vsjs and his work has been highty inftuentiat poPULarizing such notions as the
unconscious, defense mechanisms, Freudian stips and dream svrnbo(ism - white atso making a tong

t9
lasting impact on fietds as diverse as [iterature (Kafka), I]!!, Marxist and feminist theories, titerarv
criticjsm, phitosoAlly, and psvchoLoqv. However, his theories remain controversiaI and widety
disputed.

B. F. Skinner (March 20, 1904 Auqust 18, 1990)

4!!9Il!!! Dsvcholoeist and author, He conducted pioneering work on experimentat Dsvchotoqy and
innovated his own schooI of radicaI behaviorism, which seeks to undersland behavjor as a function of
environmentaI histories of reinforcing consequences. He atso wrote a number of controversial works
in which he proposed the widespread use of psychotogicaL behavior modjfication techniques,
primariLy oDerant condjtioninq, in order to improve societv and increase human haopiness; and as a
form of socjaL enqineerinq. l-le is known as the inventor of the operant conditioninq chamber (or
Skinnet box\, a research tool used to examine the behavior of rats and pigeon:,

Stephen Hawking (born B January 1ZB)

British lheoretjcat p_hLsjgi!!. He is known for hjs contributions to the fieLds of cosmotoqv and q!3aUI!
qravilv, especiaity in the context of b(ack holes, and his popular works in which he discusses his own
theorjes and cosmotogy in generat. These inctude the runaway poputar science bestsellet A Btief
History of li49-

At the cetebration of his 65th birthday on Jqllqlyrq, Zlllz, Hawking announced his ptans for a zero-
eravitv fLight in 2007 to prepare for a sub-orbital spacefliqht jn 2009 on Virqin Gatactics space
servjce. stephen Hawkings zero_gravjty ftight of Zero Gravitv Corporation, during which he
e,per renced zero gravity eight times, took ptace on Aprit 26, 2007. He became the fjrst qq4dljpteglq
to float lree in zero-qravity. Thls was the first time in 40 years that he moved freety beyond his
wheeLchair. Before the fLight he was quoted as saying Maly People have asked me why I am taking
this ftight. I am doing it for many reasons. First of atl, I betieve that tife on Earth is at an ever
increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster such as sudden gtobal warming, nuctear war, a
geneticalty engineered virus, or other dangers. l think the human race has no future if it doesn t go
jnto space. I therefore want to encourage PubLic interest in space,

stephen Jay Gould (September 1q, 1Z[ Mav?0,2002)

American pateontotoejst, evolutionarv bioloeist, and h.L:lq!?! q!j!!9!g9. He w;s atso one of the
most influential and widety-read writers of poputar science of his generation, leading many
commentators to catl him Americas Llnoffjcial evotutionist Laureate. A Darwinist, Gould was a
passionate advocate of evotutionary theory and wrote protificat(y on the subiect, trying to
cornmunicale his understanding of contemporary evoLutionary biology to a wide audiente A
recurring theme in his writings is the history and devetopment of evolutionary, and pre evolutionary,
lhoueht.

Jane Goodall (born Aprit 3, 12Y1)

EnsLjsh prjmatotoqist, ethotoqist, and anthropotoqist. 5he is probabLy best-known for her study of
chimpanzee sociaI and famity tife in Gombe Nationat Park for 45 years. Goodatl was instrumenta( in
the study of social tearning, primate cognition, thinkine and cutture in witd chimpanzees, their
differentiatjon from the bonobo, and the inctusion of both species along with the goritta as !g!q!I!d!.

'.t0
 l-hr (lurio,N N]i,,d l/\r{iclDs,' lhinking As A ttobb! I'a!,o 1 ()1 5

Thinking,4s A FEobEiy
Williarn (iolding
WilliaIn Colding, a tS,itish \\,rircr, is lhc \rinner c,f 198:]'s Nob€i I,riz_c for l.i1cralurc. IIis
most Iamous rvork, I-ord ofrhc t:lics (195,1), is thc story of:jevcrrl schoolboys slnnded
on a descrt isllnd and oflhcir i ll,lared :tltempts to govcrn th€rDselvcs. Other noveis by
Golding rncludc Pinchcr M:rrtir (1950); I he Sprrc (1964); Ihe pyremid (1967);
Darkncss Visihle (1979), Rites olPassagc (1980); Close Ouarrcrs 0987i: and lrirc
Dowr Relorv (1989)- "-Ihrnking as r llobhy r,rs tjrst luhti.:hed.:r r nr rg.uire articlc in
I96l

While I \.vas still a boy, I camc 1{} thc conclusior) tha{ thcrc were tlrac grades ofrhinking; aod sjnce I
was later 1lr claim lbinkirrg as rny hohby, I camc to an even slranger conclusion-n:rnrely. (hat J lnys€lj_
, rrld ro' rlrinl .,r /ll
I must have been ar unsalisfacrory child lor grownups 1l) de^l wirh, I remcmber how
incomprehensiblc they appeared to me at firsr, but not, ofcou.sc, how I appearcd to thcm. Il was thc
hcadmasier of my grammar school who flrsr brought thc Jubject ofrhinking beforc me-ttrough
neilher in thc way, nor with rhe result he inrended_ He had somc srarueftes i his srudy. Thetsrood
on a high cupboard bchind his desk- One was a lady wcaring nothing bur a barh towcl. She secmcd
fro-zen in an etemal panic lest thc bath to\vcl shp down iljry fantrer; .rnd silce shc had no anns, she
was rn an untortunate position 1() pull thc towel up again. Ncxt to her, crouchcd the statucttc ofa
Icopa,readytospringdowrratthclopdralvcrofafilingcabinerlabelcdA-AH.Mvinnocence
inte.p.eted dlis :ts lhe victim's last, despairing cry. Bcyord the lcopar<l was a uakc.t,'llruscular
gentlema , who sat, looki g down, wilh his chin on h;s fisr and his clbow on his knec He scerne(t
utterly miserablc

_fhc
Some limc larer, I lcarned about these sratucttes hcadmaster had placcd them wlrc.c they wo Id
facc delinquent children, because they symbolrzcd to hirn rLe wholr .[ |fe, rtre nakett lady rvas thc
\"rrurolMilo. Slrer,rs l,'ve \hc*r.ror $urr;.!tabo,rrrlrfr,,\ct SIr.\d iusr L,,r.vb,.rnA
beautilul- l he lcopard was Nature, and he was bcing nalural. Thc n*ed, musiular genrlernair rvas
not nlascrable IJe was Rodin's Thinker, an iorage ofpurc tllought. It is casy b buy slllall plastc,
models ofwhal you think lile is like.

$.
I had bc11er explain tha{ I was a frequent visitor to thc hurdmaster's study, bccause olthe latesr thirg
I had done or left urrdonc. As we now siry, I was not integratcd_ I was, ifanything: disintcgrated; and
I was puzzled. Grownups nevcr rnade sense Whencvcr {-found mysclf in a penaipositioolefore the
hcadmaster's ticsk, rvith the shtuettcs glimmering whrtely abovc hinl, I would s1.* my hoad, clasp
my hands behincl my back and writhc onc shoe ovcr the other_

l-he heednrlrslcr lvould look opaqucly ar nre rhrough flashing spectacles.

t
"What are we going to do with you?"

i Wcll. what rverc they going to do with me? I would lvrithe my shoe sorBe more and stare down at the
worn rug.
I
"l uok up. bovl t .m'r you look up"'
i Then I would took up at the cupboard, whcre the nakcd lady rvas lrozen in her panic and thc
rnuscular gcnllema conlcmplated the hindqurrtcrs ofrhe lcoprrd in endless gloo[ I had nothing to

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 I he (lur'l)1l' i\4ird I Articlcs I l lrinkin:r As A tL)bb), P.rgd 2 ofj

sxv 1() thc hcadmitstcr- llis spectacics caught lhc Iighr 5(J rhnt yoo could s,]c nolhinq hunrin behrnd
rl ll llr. !:,. ro trr\!rlrrlrr) ,rr ,,, ,ru,L ,,r^r,
'.
'Dorfl you evcn think at 3ll?"

No. i didn l lhink. wxsn't thirlkint:, couldn'1 lhinl( I was sirnply rvaitinq in rngrri:;h lor'1hl: ,rtcrvir]w k)
sloP

" l hen you'd beltcr lcarn hadn't you?"

On one occasion the hcadnrasler leapcd to his fect, rcachcd up an(t pbnlcd llodin,s mastcryiece on
tlrc dcsk bclore mc

" flut's lvhat a m:rn lo()ks Itkc rvhel hc's rcally thinking."

I survcyed thc gentleman !{.ithout iDtercst of colnprchcnsion.

"Co back to your class-"

Clearly there was someihilg missing in le_ Nature had endowcd thc rest of thc humrn race witb a
sixth scnse and leFt me out- This must be so, I muscd, on my way back to the class sincc wbether I
had broken a window, or failed to rernembcr Boyle's Law, or becn tate lor school, my leachcrs
produced me one, adult ansner: "Why can't yorr think?"

As I saw the case, I had broken rhe window because I had rried ro hir Jack Amcy with a cricket ball
and misscd him; I could not rernedbcr Iloyte's Law hrcausc I had ncvcr b.,rh(r;d to Iearn ir;:xrd I
was late for school because I prcfe[ed iooking over the bridgc into the river. In flrcl, I was wicked.
Were nry teitchers, perhaps, so good that they could no( understand the dcpths ofmy depravity?
Wcrc thcy tlerr, untonncnted peoplc who could dir.ccl their every action by this mysterious business
nl thinJ.ing? Thc wholc thing was incornprehensiblc In ory earlier ycars. I &)uod even rhc sraruerre of
thc 'l hinker confusing- I did not believc any of lr1y teachcrs wcre nnked, ever Like someone bonr
deaf, but bitlerly detcrmined to find out about sound, I watched rny tcitchers to find out abou
rh.u.lrl.
'l'hcrc was Mr. I{oughton. IIc was always relling
us to rhink. Wilb a modest satisfiction, lre would
lell me that he had tlought a bit hnnsel{. Thcn why ttid he spend so much rime drinking? Or was
lhcre nrcre serrse ;n drinking than thcrc appeared to bc? Ltut if nol_.lrld ifdrinkine werc in lac(
rurnous lo hcnllh anJ Mr Houghto uas rui cJ.llrere \v.6 no douhr al,our rhrr-u-hv wrs hq 31q11"
talking about the clea0 lifc and thc virtu€r ol frcsh air? IJe would spread his arms w;de wjth the
aciion ofa man who ltabitually spent his time striding along mounlain ridges.

"Opcn air does Il]e good. boys I know it!"

ljo rclimcs, exallcd by his ow]r oratory, hc would lcap {idn his dcsk llnd hustl€ us orisiclc inao a
lrideous wind.

"Now. boys! Dccp breathsi Ieel i! right do$,n r,rde youJruge rJrrughrs ot r tort,s good arr! ,

lle would stand before us, rejo;cing rn his pcrGct hcalrh, an open-air man He would pur his hands
on his waisl and takc a tr€mendous bre3th- You coutd bear the wind, trappcd in thc cavern ofhis
chest and slruggling with all the ururaturel iftpedimenrs- tlis body would reel wit'r shock and his
ruincd lacc go white at thc unaccustomed visitation He would stagger back to lis dcsk aod collapsc
therc. u:jeless fbr the rest of{he moming_

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 l hc ( r;oLrs i\1i'iJ \r1!.lcr,/ tIilltirtt -,\s ,\ h1)hh\ l'].rJlc I ol5

Mr. l{oullrton rrrrs 1livcn to high nr(nx)to{:ucs about rhc good lifr. sexless irnd tull ol.itrjll,.
'rrndod
Ycl iD the rrriddlc ol-orlc olrhcsc nronololllrcs. if a 1ti.l p.riscd thc u,inttow, lappinB alollg o1r lrcr oe.1l
li1llc 1bq, hc wo.ld i'rc.'rpr his rriscoir.sc, his,rcck rviurd ru' otiaclfand lic rv;ul.l w,ret,
tr., r,,i
ol-sight. In this instar)ce, lrc seerrcd to rn,. rutc,i nol hv ttrnu-ht tlri hy dn rD\ i{rt,lc rn.l i.rcsisliblc
spring in hir nit)c

Ilis ncck was lD obiecr ofifear inrc.est lr) ore. Normally ir bnlged I bir ovcr his colhr
llut i\l
llougbloo l d lir.ghl in thc lr;rst World Wa. :rk)ngsidc bolh Ai'cricans a'd French. and hart conr:
by who knows \vh:rr jllogic?,ro a sct{led d(t€sralro; (,r bolh Lnunrrc\. lfe,thrr hr0pcned
ro bd
pronrin€nt in cunenl allairs, no :rrgrrrncnr could nrake Mr. Floughro' think welr
oiit. He rvourd bang
d1c desk, his n€ck would bulgc still trurher atrd go rctt, .'you cair say whar you
like.,, hc woutd cry,
"but I'vc thoughl abour this and I knorv r\4rat I rhink!,,

Mr. ll,rughtorr th,,uqht u rth lr\ ncLk

i Thcre was Miss l)arsons she irssured ris that hcr dearest wish rvas our rvcf.rrc, bur l klcw
eve, then,
wilh the mysterious clain oyance of childhood, drat what shc wanled mosr was the husband shc
i evcr got
-fhere
u,as N4r. I Iands-and so on.

I have dealt at lcngth with my tcachers bccause this was my iDtroducridt to the nature
of what ls
t' commoniy callcd thoughr. I kough thcm l discovercd that thoughl is oftcn lull of unconscio0s
! prcjudice, ignora cc and hypocrisy. It wjll lcclurc on disinteres;d puri\, whitc its
ncck is bcing
remorselessly twisted lowards ? skilt Tcchnically. it is aboul as proficient as rnost busincssmen,s
goll, as honest as rnost politici:tns' inl€ntroflj, ,rrrro comr ne.r my uwn pr.occupilion as coherent
as
most books that gct \\'.incn It is what I citme to call grade rlree tbinking rhough morc propcrly, it is
l-ecling, rather than thought.

1rue. ollen thcre is a kind ol innoccnce ,) prcju(trces, bur in rhosc drjs r vicwed gracle rrr cc rrrinkir)8
wi(h an intoleranl conrenrpr n,rd an incaurious rrr.ckcry I dcligrrted ro corrronr a prous lirrly who
haled lhc cen.ans wilh rhc protx)sirion rhar wc shour,r lur r ,,ur cncnrics shc rdugrr( mc a grcal
l trurrl
in dealing w'th grade tltrcc ttrinkers; bccruse ofhcr, I no knrger dismiss lighrly a nrcntal proccss
which for nine-terrlhs ()f1bc population is {hc nearcst they wiil evcr
8et to irought. i]ley havc
immensc solidarity Wc had bettcr respcit rhenr, Ior we .rc (,ut.urnbcrcil arrd sirr roundc_ct
A crorvd
oigrade three thinke.s, all shouting rhe samc rha.g, all warrning rheir hancls at rhc lire ofrheir own
i prejudices,.will not rhank you lor pointing our thc;onhadicrioris in their belicfs.
Man is a gregarious
animal, and enjoys agrecrncnt, as cows will graze all lhe samc way on the side ofa lrill.
z
t-, Grade-two thinking is the dclection ofconhadicllo s_ I reachcd grade two when lJrapped the poor,
pious lady. Crade-1wo rhinkers do not slampcdc c:rsily, though oiften rhey lall inlo rhe
other laulr and
1: lag b€jrind. Cradc two thi king is a wilhdrawal, with ey€s arid cars opeo-. It becamc nry hlrbby and
t, brought satisfactio and loncliness in either hand For grade-two rlrlnking acsroys wiitroir triving
the powcr to^crcate It sct me watch;ng rhe crowds che;dng llis Majcsry'and Kirig and askirrg nryself
{' whal all lhe fuss rvas abour. lvithout Siving lne anyifiioS positive to put h the plaic ofthat hearty
patriotism. Bur thcrc were compcnsariods_ Jir hear pcopli justili rh;ir habit oihuntiog lbxes and
tearing theln to pieces by clarming thal the ioxcs liked i1. -l o hear our prinre Ministe. talk about thc
i great bcnefit wc confcrred on India byjailing people like pandir Nehru and Gandhi.
I.o hcar
t: American politicians lakc about peace in onc senrence and rer'se to join the l-eaguc ofNations in thc
next- yes, thcr€ wcrc monlcnts ofdelight

I But I was growing toward adolescence and had to admit that Mr. Houghton was no1 the o ly onc
with an irresistible spring ir his neck- I, roo, fclt rhe compulsive hand;fnature :rnd begarr ro find rhar
poiflIing out contradiction could be costly as well as fun, There was Ruth, lor example, a serious ancl
l' atlractive girl. I was an atheist at the timc_ Cradc two thirking is a mcnace to rcligion a d knocks
down sccts likc skittles- I pur myself in a posirion to bc coaverted by her rvirh hyplcrisy worrhy of

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 .1
hc CuriD'rs lvlind I Ar {;clcs / I hi king As A I tobb) I'a!c 4 ol 5

grad€ threc- She \!.ts a Methodisl or at l&1s1, her parcnls lvcrc, xnd l{uth lrad to iirlllrlv suit, llur_ alas,
inslcad of(elying on {hc lloly Spirit to converr mc, Ilurh rvas foolish ijtough ro ol)cn hcr p.ettv
moLrth in argument Sh€ clairnccl tllal ihe Iliblc (King hnrcs Vcrsiol]) rvas litcralll inspircd. I
countered by sitying thal the C:rlholics bclie!cd in the literrl inspiftrrion ofSaint Jcr()rnds Vulgalc.
atrd th€ t\vo books wc.e diftcrcnr Arllurrrenr ll:tqgcd

,,\{ lasl she rcnrarked that {bcre wcre an awlil lot of Mcthodisl-s, and thcy cou'dn't be wroltg, could
thcy no1 all thosc milljons? I ha{ was too casy, srid I resrively (for thc ncarcr you q,erc to Iluth, the
nicer sbe wa-s to be near to) since there were nore Roman (latholics (hiul Mcth)disl\ anywal.; and
llley couidn't be iv.ong, could they-not all thosc hundreils of rrrilliorr'l An awlirt flicker ofdoubr
rppeared in her eyes I slidmy arm around her \\€istand murmured brearhlessly thar if we were
counting heads, thc Buddhists were the boys f(rr my money. Bur Ruth bad rcally rvarted to do mc
good, becausc I was so nice She fled. Thc combination ofmy arm rnd those countless Buddhisls
sJ. loo much lor l,cr.
That night her lathcr visilcd ory fadrer and lcft, red,cheeked and indignanr. I was given rhe third
degree to find out what had happened, It tvas lucky we rve|e botlrofus only fourleen I lost Rutll and
gained an undeserved reputation as a potential libertinc.

So grade-two thirrking could bc dangerous Il was in {his knowledgg at the age offifleen, that I
rcmemb€r making a commenl from the hcights of grade two, on thc limitations of gradc three_ One
cvening I lound rnyself alone ir the school hal l, preparing i1 for :r party, Ilre door of the headnraster,s
study was opcn- I wcnt in- 'llhc headmaster had cdsed to thump Rodin's Thinker dow on thc dcsk
as an example to the young. I'erhaps hc had not fou d any more candidates, but thc sratuetles we.e
still there, glimmc.ing and grthering dust on top olthe cupboard. t stood on a chai. and rearr]1nged
th€m. I stood Vcnus in herbath towel on thc filing cabinet, so thal now thc top dralver callght its
_l_he _I
breath in a gasp ofsexy excitemcnt. "A,rh!" porteotous hinter I placed on {hc cdgc ofthe
cupboard so that he lookcd down at the barh towcl and waited fo. ir to slip.

(irade Nvo thinling, rhough it filled lifc with lun and excitemenr, did nor drake for corrert.'l-o 1i d
out tbe deficicncics ofour elders bolslcrs the young ego but does not make lor persortal security. I
found that grade tlvo lvas nol only the power to point out conrradictio s- It took th€ swimmer surnc
distancc frorn tl:c shore and Ieft hirn there, out ofhis depth. I decidcd rhar Pontius Pilirte was a
typical grade-two thirkcr- "Wrat is truth? ' Ilc said, a very comrnon grade rlvo rhoughr, "brr one thar
is used always a:l the end ofan argument insiead of lhc bcginlring". There is still a higher grade of
Ihought which says, "What is truth?" and scts out to find lt.

But thes€ Sradc-one thinters were few and lar betwecn. Th€y did not visit my grarunar school in lhe
flesh though they wcre there in books. I aspired to thern, partly because t was ambitious and panly
bccause I now saw my hobby as aI unsatisfactory thing if it went no further- Ifyou sct out 1() climb a
mounlain, however high you climb, you have f?ilcd ifyou cannot reach the top.

I did mect an undeniably grade-one ihinker rn rny tirsl year at Oxtbrd. I rvas looking ovrr .r small
bridge in Magdalen Deer Park, and a (iny must?tchcd and hatted figure came and stood by my side.
Hc was a German who hadj st lled from the Nazis io Oxiord a]j a temporar), refuge. His name was
l:insr. in

Elul Prolessor Einstein knew no English at that rirne and I kicw only lwo words ofcerman, I
beamcd at him, trying wordlcssly to convey by my bcaring all the affection and respect lhat the
Lnglish felt for him. It is possibl€ and I have to make the admission that I felt herc wer€ two grad€
ont lhinkers sllndrng side by side; yet I doubt if my lace co veyed tnore than a fonnless awe. I
wouid hJve gl\,cn my Crcek and Larin rnd Freoch and a good slice ofmy English for enough
(ierman to communicate. BuI we were dividcd; he was as inscrutable as ny headmaster. For perhaps
five mioutes wc stood together on the bridge, undeniable grade-one thinker and breathless aspirant-

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 -t
- l"he ( irious \/lind I Arriclcs / hinkirq As ]\ I krbby l'.igc 5 ol 5

I
with lftrc grclrn.ss. l,()l!ssor l'lids(cir realized rhal rny corrac( $'as berl!:r rha,. rone I lc pi)i,,lrd 1., a
t' lrou! wav€nng rn nridslrcanr
i
I lc spokc: "fisrJr "

My brain rceled Ilerc I *ns. rningrurg rvirh rh,, 8rcar, and ycl hclprcrri es rhc vericr{ qra.rc rrrrce
thiflker. Dcspcrately I sought ftrr sorlc sign by rvhich I nighr cori,cy rhar I. too. rF\ ;.,I ,,l
1turr r!.,
I norldcd vcherneudy- ln a brillia r ll:rsh I uscd up half ot-my (icrllran vor:abrrlary

"|isch Ja Ja." -

For pcrhaps anothcr five minutes wc slood sidc by side fhcrr t rolessor Linsrcir, his whotc figrre
still convcyin€: good w'lland amiabilily. driftcd au,ay our ofsighr

I. loo, would be n gmdc one thinkcr I \\,.r\ irrevcrcnral rlrc h, ,jr,)t t|l||cs- p,,lrtlldland reli,,i,)rs
systcms, soci. custonrs, loyalties and rradirions, ibey all ca'c runrbli.g dorvn like so nrari roten
dpples offa trce- i'his was a fine hobby and a sensible substilurc for criikct, si|ce you couid play
7' it
all the year round. I carne up io thc cnd wilh what musl always rcmain the iusrification lbr urade om:
I tlrrnl,rng. its. rgrr. .cal andcharrer I d(vised ll.,,herenl s) .r.rr tor lrvrng ti*,sornoraJ ,lir.nr,
which was wholly logical- Ofcourse, as I readily a.lmilted, corvcrsion ofthe world to ml.rvay of
T' riinking rnight be difficrl1, sincc my sysrem did away wirh a number oftrifres, such as big rLrsiness,
.entrJli,,cJ J'o\ cmm, t. drflri, s. rndnirge.

I1 was Ruttldll overagain Ihadsomeverygood fiiends who slo(ld by mc, and slilt do. Butmy
acquainta'ccs v.tnished, tak;ng thc girls rvith them. young worncn seemed oddly conlented ..Ih thc
worldas itwar -lhey valued the meaninglrss ccrtrn,,rrv s,irhrring ynung nrtn. rvhilc rvi ing ro
concede the chaining sordidness ofnlaniage, r'ere hesildnt about aban&r'ing the organiz.atio.s
which they hopcd rvould give them:r carc(jr A young man o rhe lirsr rung ;f$c lloyat Navy, q4ritc
pcrlectly agrccable to (bing aixy w'th big brrsincrs and ora.rjagc. got as ;dnccked as Mr. Iloughrorr
when I proposcd a B'orU witholl any balrleships ;n it

Had thc ganc gorrc too far? W:ts it a ganre any tn those p.ervar days. I stoo{l to lose a grcrl
dcal. fnr tlr. Jk, ,'l a hobb! '()nger?
!
t. Now you arc expccting me to describc how I sxw the lolly oanty ways and crme back to thc warrl
nest, wherc prcjudices are so ofleu callcd loyalties, where pointlcss actions arc hallo\\,ed ido cuslonr
t by .cpetition, whcre rve are content to say wc rhink when all rve do is lcel
t,
But you would be wrong. I dropped nry hobby ao{j tumed professional.

l. If I were to go back to the h€admasteCs srudy ancl find the dusly sraruenes stili thcre, I wiulil arrangc
thern dilf€rently- I would dust Vcnus and pur her rsidt, tor I h.r*c corrr to lo'e lrer and kiio\v her fb.
I lhe fair thing she is. Ilut I would pu1 rhe -l'hinkei, sunk in his desperate rhouSbr, whc.e thcrc \\,ere
i shadows beforc him and at his back, I \nould put rhe leopard, cr.riuclred and ieady ro sprrrrg.

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