By David Gosselin Metaphor should not be approached as some “thing,” but as a transformative power, the invisible process by which “things” come into being. Using metaphor, even very simple language and very common-place images can be brought into new, unique constellations. Contrary to the sundry definitions of metaphor proffered by many school teachers and…
Author: ibykus20
A Fresh Look at Raphael’s Stanza della Segnatura
Everyone knows about Raphael Sanzio’s immortal mural entitled the School of Athens featuring an array of philosophers across the ages centred around the epistemological divide between the founder of the School of Athens named Plato (in motion, holding his Timaeus while pointing to the eternal realm of ideas) in a debate with the chief sophist…
The 15th Century Renaissance and the Space Program Today
by Cynthia Chung Today, a new system of alliances is emerging centered around China’s Belt and Road Initiative which has brought together over 125 nations into a new paradigm of cooperation and long term thinking unseen for many generations. With Italy’s recent joining in this new alliance, and the announcement of a Russia-China-European joint lunar…
The Art of Gaslighting
By Cynthia Chung For those who have not seen the 1944 psychological thriller “Gaslight” directed by George Cukor, I would highly recommend you do so since there is an invaluable lesson contained within, that is especially applicable to what I suspect many of us are experiencing nowadays. The story starts with a 14 year old…
The Emerging Eurasian Alliance as an Opportunity not a Threat
by Cynthia Chung This article is based off of a presentation done at the RTF symposium on Nov 16th titled “The Art of Peace: The New Silk Road Counters an Age of Turbulence” Last month was the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and along with its celebration the continuation of a false…
La Convivencia: A Time of Muslim, Christian, Jewish Coexistence
By Fred Haight This video on my visit to the southern part of Spain, known as Andalusia, is about 7 years old. I went there, because I was fascinated by the idea that Jews, Christians, and Muslims lived together in the area peacefully, and, that under Muslim rule, Andalusia was way ahead of anywhere else…
A Study of Schiller’s Ghost Seer Part I
By Cynthia Chung The Ghost Seer first appeared in several instalments in Schiller’s publication journal Thalia from 1787 to 1789, and was later published as a three-volume book. It was the one of the most popular works of Schiller’s during his lifetime. People were attracted by the subject of mysticism, apparitions and the horrifying unknown….
A Study of Schiller’s Ghost Seer Part 2
by Cynthia Chung For Part 1 please refer here. Note to the reader: it is absolutely necessary that you first read Part 1 before proceeding to Part 2 for the lesson to have a complete overview and the reader a thorough understanding of what Schiller’s intention was for this very important and insightful drama. The…
An Introduction to Friedrich Schiller: Theater Considered as a Moral Institution
by Cynthia Chung I know of only one secret to guarding man against depravity, and that is: to arm his heart against weakness. – Friedrich Schiller’s Theater Considered as a Moral Institution As within any period of time, the question is repeatedly asked “What is the Role of the Artist?” That is, what is the…
To what Purpose are We Drawn to Tragedy: A Study of Shakespeare’s Hamlet
RTF Symposium: Re-discovering the Infinite through Classical Art, on February 10th, 2019. In this class, Cynthia Chung discusses whether there is a purpose to tragedy beyond merely being tragic and whether this was the intention of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Along with a study of the play, two performances were compared and juxtaposed to what Shakespeare intended…
