“To say that a murderer has killed because she or he is evil is really to point to an absence of motive. Far from the usual muddle of human motivation, evil has a cold, horrifying purity. Phrases like ‘unthinkable evil’ or ‘unspeakable evil’ highlight the way the word is used to say the unsayable, to explain the inexplicable. So how can we think about evil?”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Evil – Does It Truly Exist?
“Augustine’s radical answer to this question is that evil does not actually come from anywhere. Rejecting the idea that evil is a positive force, he argues that it is merely a ‘name for nothing other than the absence of good’. At first glance this looks like a philosophical sleight of hand. Augustine might try to define evil out of existence, but this cannot diminish the reality of the pain, suffering and cruelty that prompt the question.”
Radical Islamist Rebels Declare War On Music In Northern Mali
“When a rabble of different Islamist groups took control of the region in April there were fears that its rich culture would suffer. But no one imagined that music would almost cease to exist – not in Mali, a country that has become internationally renowned for its sound.”
Glitzy Skyscrapers Are Turning Mecca Into Dubai-With-Pilgrims
It’s the world’s second-tallest tower, with a clockface visible 30 km away and searchlights shooting 10 km into the sky, featuring hotel suites costing up to $7,000 a night during the Hajj, all perched atop a massive high-end shopping mall and directly overlooking Islam’s holiest site. The Abraj al-Bait is the mammoth anchor of a slew of luxury slabs going up all over Mecca – towers for which the historic parts of the city are being razed.
Why Do Red States And Blue States Line Up Geographically?
“But why do ideology and geography cluster so predictably? Why, if you know a person’s position [against] gay marriage, can you predict that he or she will want to increase the military budget and decrease the tax rate, and is more likely to hail from Wyoming or Georgia than from Minnesota or Vermont?” Consider how the US was settled …
New Director For Resurgent National Theatre Of Scotland
“Laurie Sansom is to take over at the National Theatre of Scotland when Vicky Featherstone leaves at the end of the year to become artistic director of London’s Royal Court theatre, it will be announced on Wednesday.”
Could Short Film Finally Get The Attention It Deserves?
“Cinema gave short film a mosquito-span life and while DVD gave them an extension, they were ultimately relegated to wallow alongside commentary, storyboards and outtakes. … Now with YouTube’s Screening Room and sites like Openculture.com the short form is finding itself in a kind of outreach program.”
Shelagh Delaney – A Video Tribute
Lyn Gardner: “As a major of revival of Shelagh Delaney’s A Taste of Honey opens in Sheffield, it’s time to remember the debt owed to the playwright, who died last year, by many writers – even the songwriter Morrissey.”
Musicians Say California Philharmonic Has Stiffed Them
“Musicians with the California Philharmonic say the orchestra hasn’t paid them for concerts that took place this summer, leading them to take action against management … with the National Labor Relations Board.” The orchestra is a freelance group that performs in various locations around Los Angeles County.
Why Don’t Bollywood Films Get Marketed In English? They Don’t Even Translate The Titles!
“[This] tiny, simple tweak could do so much to extend their reach beyond Hindi speakers. The studios bother to subtitle their films for export – presumably for second-generation immigrants with a shaky grasp of the mother tongue, and curious foreigners – so why not extend the effort to some of the overall marketing as well?”