de Montesquieu, Charles-Louis, The Persian Letters, Bobbs-Merrill Educational 1964 Translators Introduction: 'Printed on Dutch presses but judiciously carrying the imprint of a fictitious Cologne publisher and no indication of the author, The Perian Letters was duly smuggled into France early in 1721. It created an immediate sensation and, in various religious and political circles, a scandal. . . . ' 
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Feferman, Anita Burdman, and Solomon Feferman, Alfred Tarski: Life and Logic, Cambridge University Press 2004 Review "A chain smoker, a heavy drinker, a frequent user of 'speed', a relentless womaniser, and a man of Napoleonic self-regard and worldly ambition. This is not how one pictures an eminent Professor of Logic. And yet, this is how the great logician, Alfred Tarski, emerges from this marvellous biography. The Fefermans, of course, are uniquely qualified to lead the reader through the intricacies of Tarski's work, which they do very engagingly and with great expository skill. Tarski's colourful personality is conveyed with prose that is economical, superbly readable and extremely vivid, and the whole book is a joy to read." Ray Monk, Professor of Philosophy, University of Southampton 
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Nielsen, Michael A, and Isaac L Chuang, Quantum Computation and Quantum Information, Cambridge University Press 2000 Review: A rigorous, comprehensive text on quantum information is timely. The study of quantum information and computation represents a particularly direct route to understanding quantum mechanics. Unlike the traditional route to quantum mechanics via Schroedinger's equation and the hydrogen atom, the study of quantum information requires no calculus, merely a knowledge of complex numbers and matrix multiplication. In addition, quantum information processing gives direct access to the traditionally advanced topics of measurement of quantum systems and decoherence.' Seth Lloyd, Department of Quantum Mechanical Engineering, MIT, Nature 6876: vol 416 page 19, 7 March 2002. 
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Tarski, Alfred, Logic, Semantics, Metamathematics: Papers from 1923 to 1938, Hackett Publishing 1983 Amazon customer review: By Ole Anders 'This book collects seventeen classic papers on logic, semantics, and metamathematics authored or co-authored by the late Alfred Tarski (1901-1983), who is considered to be one of the five greatest logicians of all time (the others being Aristotle, Boole, Frege, and G'del). Tarski is as famous for his contributions to philosophy as for his contributions to mathematics. His most important contributions to philosophy are two definitions in which he proposes characterizations of concepts that are central to our understanding of the axiomatic method and, more generally, of rationality. . . .' 
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Age of Enlightenment - Wikipedia, Age of Enlightenment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 'The Age of Enlightenment (or simply the Enlightenment or Age of Reason) was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe, that sought to mobilize the power of reason, in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted science and intellectual interchange and opposed superstition, intolerance and abuses in church and state. Originating about 1650–1700, it was sparked by philosophers Baruch Spinoza (1632–1677), John Locke (1632–1704), Pierre Bayle (1647–1706), mathematician Isaac Newton (1643–1727) and historian Voltaire (1694–1778).' back

Agnès Poirier, Les Temps Modernes: Paris mourns passing of the intellectual left’s bible , ' Simone de Beauvoir called its Sunday afternoon editorial meetings “the highest form of friendship”, but after 74 years Les Temps Modernes, the monthly journal she founded with Jean-Paul Sartre, has closed. The death of its last editor, Claude Lanzmann, last July made the decision by its French publisher, Gallimard, to shut the magazine almost inevitable. Lanzmann, an early contributor and student of Sartre, had taken up the baton from De Beauvoir, a former lover, when she died in 1986. His passing broke the magic circle of history.' back

Alfred Tarski, The semantic concept of truth and the foundation of semantics, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 4 (1944)., Originally published in Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 4(1994). 'Our discussion will be centered around the notion of truth. The main problem is that of giving a satisfactory definition of this notion, i.e. a definition that is materially adequate and formally correct. . . . ' back

Aristotle, The Internet Classics Archive | Politics by Aristotle, 'Every state is a community of some kind, and every community is established with a view to some good; for mankind always act in order to obtain that which they think good. But, if all communities aim at some good, the state or political community, which is the highest of all, and which embraces all the rest, aims at good in a greater degree than any other, and at the highest good. . . . Hence it is evident that the state is a creation of nature, and that man is by nature a political animal.' back

ARTF, Australian Research Theology Foundation, 'The Australian Research Theology Foundation was set up by the Revd Robert Houghton in 1973 from private funds to promote theological research and education with an Australian orientation. The Foundation is independent and not part of any official church structure. It funds and promotes research scholars, studies, experimental projects conferences or other possibilities that further its purposes. We welcome applications from anyone or group with a creative idea consistent with the Foundation's objects.' back

Biosphere - Wikipedia, Biosphere - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 'The biosphere (from Greek βίος bíos "life" and σφαῖρα sphaira "sphere") also known as the ecosphere (from Greek οἶκος oîkos "environment" and σφαῖρα), is the worldwide sum of all ecosystems. The two joined words are "bio" and "sphere". It can also be termed as the zone of life on Earth, a closed system (apart from solar and cosmic radiation and heat from the interior of the Earth), and largely self-regulating.' back

Bloomberg News, How Tiananman Squarr Cemented China's Obsession With Control, ' If China’s government was taken by surprise at the protests of 1989 because of a lack of intelligence data, it would have no such excuse today. Data research company IDC expects China to have 2.76 billion surveillance cameras in operation by 2022 -- about two for each citizen -- compared with 176 million in 2016. And the technology and services are being exported. Chinese firms have provided high-tech surveillance tools in at least 18 countries including Singapore, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates to "create systems capable of identifying threats to public order," according to Freedom House.' back

Carolyn Masel, Guide to the classics: Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass and the complex life of the 'poet of America', back

Chantal Sullivan-Thomsett, How Germany's Green party took on the far right to become a major political force, 'A green wave has flooded Europe in the 2019 European elections. The big winners of the night were the German Greens, who took 20.5%. of the national vote, almost doubling their 10.7% share from 2014. This best ever result is even more significant given the exceptionally high turnout in Germany of 61.4%. The German Greens will now be represented by 21 MEPs – ten more than in the last parliament.' back

Chris Buckley, 30 Years After Tiananmen, a Chinese Military Insider Warns: Never Forget, ' Now, in the run-up to the 30th anniversary of the June 4, 1989, crackdown, Ms. Jiang, 66, has decided for the first time to tell her story. She said she felt compelled to call for a public reckoning because generations of Chinese Communist Party leaders, including President Xi Jinping, have expressed no remorse for the violence. Ms. Jiang left China this week.' back

CIFAR, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, 'CIFAR, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, was founded on the belief that Canada has an important role in finding new ways to create a better future for the world. Today, nearly 400 researchers in 16 countries participate in our long-term, multidisciplinary, global research networks. back

Council of Trent, Catholic Encyclopedia: Council of Trent, 'The nineteenth ecumenical council opened at Trent on 13 December, 1545, and closed there on 4 December, 1563. Its main object was the definitive determination of the doctrines of the Church in answer to the heresies of the Protestants; a further object was the execution of a thorough reform of the inner life of the Church by removing the numerous abuses that had developed in it.' back

First Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith, 'Dogmatic constitution on the Catholic faith Pius, bishop, servant of the servants of God, with the approval of the Sacred Council, for an everlasting record. 1. The Son of God, redeemer of the human race, our lord Jesus Christ, promised, when about to return to his heavenly Father, that he would be with this Church militant upon earth all days even to the end of the world [3]. Hence never at any time has he ceased to stand by his beloved bride, assisting her when she teaches, blessing her in her labors and bringing her help when she is in danger.' back

First Vatican Council, Decrees of the [first] Vatican Council, Decrees of the Vatican Council, IV: Concerning the Infallible Teaching of the Roman Pontiff back

Genesis, Genesis, from the Holy Bible, King James Version, '1: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2: And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 3: And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.' back

Jesse Green, Live from 458 B. C., What th Greeks Men to Me, ' Most of the changes she had been making in the first two acts were to unclutter the story and focus attention, without anachronism, on the way the text speaks to contemporary cycles of tribal bloodshed. But Mr. Kahn, who has been the artistic director of the Shakespeare Theater since 1986, urged her to move further from the source to find a satisfying ending that also implied a solution. So Ms. McLaughlin asked herself: When have people ever done the right thing in the aftermath of terrible violence? When a friend suggested South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission as a model, she had her answer.' back

Lorenzo Buscicchi and Dan Weijers, The paradox of happiness: themor you chase it the more elusive it becomes, 'Fortunately, thousands of researchers and policymakers have been advancing global knowledge about the causes and effects of happiness and happiness-promoting activities for decades. . . . Scientific experts at the Global Happiness Council publish annual reports with research-based policy recommendations for promoting happiness. . . . Given this wealth of happiness research, politicians and policymakers can now make competent policies based on evidence.' back

Michael Dosseto and Alex Francke, Trees, the ancient Macedonians, and the word's first environmental disaster, ' It’s a simple enough equation: good soil is the key to good food. And good soil starts with trees. . . . A new series of studies show the ancient Macedonians may have been struck by one of the earliest environmental disasters linked to human activity. Ancient sediment records sealed in lakes for thousands of years reveals how logging may have affected erosion, which ultimately destroyed the capacity of the ancient Macedonians to grow food. ' back

Nicholas R. Buttrick and Shigehiro Oishi, The psychological consequence of income inequality, 'In this paper, we review and integrate the contemporary literature on the societal effects of income inequality, drawing on social, personality, developmental, and organizational psychology, sociology, political science, economics, and public health. Living in highly unequal regimes is associated with both increased mistrust and increased anxiety about social status; these psychological mechanisms help explain some of the negative outcomes associated with income inequality, such as lower happiness, lower social cohesion, weaker morality, higher mortality, worse health, and weaker governance.' back

Nikki Martyn, Infancy and early childhood matter so much because of attachment, ' We are born to connect. As human beings we are relational and we need biological, emotional and psychological connection with others. We learn how to connect and create the patterns we form during our infancy and early childhood. These patterns and experiences become embodied in us and become the way we understand how the world and people work. Such early experiences with our primary caregivers teach us what to expect throughout life.' back

Noosphere - Wikipedia, Noosphere - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 'The noosphere . . . is the sphere of human thought.The word derives from the Greek νοῦς (nous "mind") and σφαῖρα (sphaira "sphere"), in lexical analogy to "atmosphere" and "biosphere". It was introduced by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin in 1922 in his Cosmogenesis.' back

Panpsychism - Wikipedia, Panpsychism - Wikipedia, the free enecylopedia, 'In philosophy, panpsychism is the view that consciousness, mind, or soul (psyche) is a universal and primordial feature of all things. Panpsychists see themselves as minds in a world of mind. Panpsychism is one of the oldest philosophical theories, and has been ascribed to philosophers like Thales, Parmenides, Plato, Averroes, Spinoza, Leibniz, and William James. Panpsychism can also be seen in ancient philosophies such as Stoicism, Taoism, Vedanta and Mahayana Buddhism.' back

Pope Paul VI, Inter Insigniores: On the question of admission of women to the ministerial priesthood, '. . . in execution of a mandate received from the Holy Father and echoing the declaration which he himself made in his letter of 30 November 1975, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith judges it necessary to recall that the Church, in fidelity to the example of the Lord, does not consider herself authorized to admit women to priestly ordination.' back

Protestant Reformation - Wikipedia, Protestant Reformation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 'The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to ("protested") the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led to the creation of new national Protestant churches. The Reformation was precipitated by earlier events within Europe, such as the Black Death and the Western Schism, which eroded people's faith in the Roman Catholic Church. This, as well as many other factors, contributed to the growth of lay criticism in the church and the creation of Protestantism.' back

Rocketman (film) - Wikipedia, Rocketman (film) - Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia, ' Rocketman is a 2019 biographical musical film based on the life of musician Elton John. Directed by Dexter Fletcher and written by Lee Hall, it stars Taron Egerton as John, with Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, and Bryce Dallas Howard. The film follows John's early days as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music to his musical partnership with Bernie Taupin. The film is titled after John's 1972 song "Rocket Man".' back

Sadiq Khan, Its un-British to roll out the red carpet for Donald Trump, 'Donald Trump is just one of the most egregious examples of a growing global threat. The far right is on the rise around the world, threatening our hard-won rights and freedoms and the values that have defined our liberal, democratic societies for more than seventy years. Viktor Orbán in Hungary, Matteo Salvini in Italy, Marine Le Pen in France and Nigel Farage here in the UK are using the same divisive tropes of the fascists of the 20th century to garner support, but are using new sinister methods to deliver their message.' back

Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium, Vatican II Dogmatic Constitution on the Church solemnly promulgated by His Holiness Pope John Paul VI on November 21, 1964. back

Second Vatican Council, Documents of the second Vatican Council,
Constitutions

Dei Verbum
Lumen Gentium
Sacrosanctum Concilium
Gaudium et Spes

Declarations

Gravissimum Educationis
Nostra Aetate
Dignitatis Humanae

Decrees

Ad Gentes
Presbyterorum Ordinis
Apostolicam Actuositatem
Optatam Totius
Perfectae Caritatis
Christus Dominus
Unitatis Redintegratio
Orientalium Ecclesiarum
Inter Mirifica
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Wang Dan, What I Learned Leading the Tiananmen Protests, ' I learned that I was China’s most wanted criminal while having my hair cut aboard a crowded, decrepit steamboat on the Yangtze River. The P.A. system suddenly blared that the Beijing Public Security Bureau had ordered the arrest of 21 students who were charged with instigating “counterrevolutionary riots” in Tiananmen Square. My name topped the list. It was June of 1989, nine days after government troops and armored personnel carriers rolled into central Beijing and brutally crushed the seven-week-long student-led pro-democracy demonstrations.' back