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Appeared in Vol. 6 No. 2 Download PDF here

As John Franklin Johnson points out in the following article, it is quite a common opinion, in both philosophical and lay circles, that a true philosophical enterprise must begin with no information in view other than that which can be generated by the philosophical enterprise itself. In other words, “Christian philosophy “ is a contradiction in terms because the Christian knows from Revelation the answers to many of the most important questions he can ask. This point of view, argues Johnson, arises from a misunderstanding (or perhaps merely an unnecessary restriction) of the meaning of philosophy and, equally to the point, of theology. Turning to the pre-eminent Christian philosopher, Thomas Aquinas, Johnson nds some first principles which make it clear that Christians can really do philosophy after all.

Perhaps no other issue has evoked such argument between philosophers and theologians-at least from among those in the two “camps” who take the work of the other seriously-than the one as to whether or not philosophical investigation undertaken by the Christian is as strictly “philosophical” as that of the thinker who endeavors to discard his faith and engage in “pure” philosophizing. The question focuses, as Anton Pegis has suggested, on one of the primary problems of a “Christian philosophy. “(1)

Certainly more than one philosopher has believed that the adjective in the phrase “Christian philosophy” seems to negate the noun. Bertrand Russell, for example, has written of St. Thomas Aquinas that his “appeal to reason is, in a sense, insincere, since the conclusion to be reached is fixed in advance.” There is, he adds, “little of the true philosophical spirit in Aquinas. Before he begins to philosophize, he already knows the truth        (2) The attitude of Martin Heidegger is the same. He considers authentic philosophical reflection impossible for the Christian. To ask why there is something rather than nothing is to put the totality of the real in question in order to make it fully intelligible. Heidegger contends that the Christian thinker cannot give himself over to such an enterprise: if research is to be serious, one must not be convinced he possesses the answer before starting the search. But, of course, for the Christian there is no doubt-God stands at the origin of the world, creating and sustaining it. Thus, Heidegger echoes the sentiment of Russell; indeed, the term “Christian philosopher” is as nonsensical for him as the term “square circle.”(3)

It is the primary contention of this essay that such criticisms are ill-founded because they rest on a fundamental misunderstanding of the role of theology-or more accurately sacra doctrina-in the philosophy of St. Thomas. This contention will be developed, first, by a brief indication of the general relationship between philosophy and theology in Aquinas, and, second, by an attempt to summarize what Thomas means when he refers to sacra doctrina. Such a glimpse into the Thomistic conception of Christian theology which serves as a locus for his view of faith reveals a relationship between faith and reason in Thomas which is quite distinct from the one implicit in the remarks of Russell and Heidegger.(4)

In Science and Wisdom, Jacques Maritain laments the fact that the intellectual order of the medieval world has been fractured. “The modern world,” he writes, “has not been a world of harmony between forms of wisdom, but one of conflict between wisdom and the sciences, and it has seen the victory of science over wisdom.”(S) But in the Thomistic perspective, says Maritain, there are properly three sorts of wisdom hierarchically ordered: infused wisdom or the wisdom of grace, theological wisdom, and metaphysical wisdom. Below these, the philosophy of nature exemplifies a type of imperfect wisdom, which is superior, however, to the special sciences, which are not wisdom in any sense of the word. Unfortunately, Averroism and Cartesianism separated philosophical wisdom from theological wisdom. Man was, as it were, “cut into two parts, one being man according to pure nature, with his philosophic wisdom; the other being man according to grace and faith, with his theological wisdom. “(6) Philosophy became disengaged from the “spirituality which came down to it from the heights of the soul. “(7) The name “wisdom” came to be applied only to philosophy and science came to preponderate over wisdom. In other words, the upshot of this entire development was that, in separating philosophy from theology, the possibility of theology as a science was denied.

The unity which Maritain longed for serves as a key to the relationship established by St. Thomas between philosophy and Christian theology. There is, in that relationship, a unity between two sources of knowledge-what Gilson alludes to as the twofold certitude of philosophy and revelation.(8) In the light of this unity, far from seeing in revelation the downfall of true philosophy, Thomas viewed philosophy as a kind of praeparatio evangelica by which the minds of men were prepared to receive divine truth.

This notion is perhaps most clearly elaborated in the initial book of the Summa Contra Gentiles. The object of wisdom, or first philosophy, Aquinas argues, is the end of the universe. A wise man, therefore, is one who can arrange things as they ought to be arranged. That is to say, to dispose it with a view to its end:

…they are to be called wise who order things rightly and govern them well. Hence, among other things that men have conceived about the wise man, the Philosopher includes the notion that `it belongs to the wise man to order’. Now, the rule of government and order for all things directed to an end must be taken from the end. For, since the end of each thing is its good, a thing is then best disposed when it is fittingly ordered to its end. And so we see among the arts that one functions as the governor and the ruler of another because it controls its end. Thus, the art of medicine rules and orders the art of the chemist because health, with which medicine is concerned, is the end of all the medications prepared by the art of the chemist… .They are therefore said to be wise with respect to this or that thing; in which sense it is said that `as a wise architect, I have laid the foundation’ (I Cor. 3:10).(9)

Moreover, since the end of an object is the same as its principle or cause, rational knowledge has for its object the study of first causes: “It belongs to the wise man to consider the highest causes.”(10)

Thomas then takes under consideration that which is the first cause or the final end of the universe. The final cause, he maintains, is that which its author, in making it, has in view. Since it can be demonstrated that the first author of the universe is an intelligence, the end which he has in view in creating it must be the end of intelligence which is truth.

Now, the end of each thing is that which is intended by its first author or mover. But the first author and mover of the universe is an intellect, as will be shown later. The ultimate end of the universe must, therefore, be the good of an intellect. This good is truth.(11)

Thus, truth is the final end of the universe; and since the object of first philosophy is the ultimate end of the universe, it follows that its proper object is truth. But the disposition of things in the order of truth is the same as that in the order of being-being and truth are equivalent. A truth, Thomas reasons, which is to be the source of all truth can be found only in a being which must be the first source of all being. In a word, the true object of metaphysics or first philosophy is God. Philosophical inquiry is almost totally ordained to the cognition of God as its end.

In chapter three of Book I of the Summa Contra Gentiles, Aquinas moves to the way in which divine truth is to be made know. Man has at his disposal two means. The first means, of course, is human reason. The natural reason is capable of grasping such truths as the existence of God, that He is one, and the like. In fact, Aquinas observes, such truths about God have been proven demonstratively by the philosophers. The issue, rather, is whether the reason of man is an instrument sufficient to reach the goal of metaphysical inquiry, namely, the divine essence. Thomas concludes that it is not. It is evident that certain forms of knowledge concerning the nature of God exceed the power of human understanding:

That there are certain truths about God that totally surpass man’s ability appears with the greatest evidence. Since, indeed, the principle of all knowledge that the reason perceives about some thing is the understanding of the very substance of that being.. .it is necessary that the way in which we understand the substance of a thing determines the way in which we know what belongs to it. Hence, if the human intellect comprehends the substance of some thing, for example, that of a stone or of a triangle, no intelligible characteristic belonging to that thing surpasses the grasp of the human reason. But this does not happen to us in the case of God. For the human intellect is not able to reach a comprehension of the divine substance through its natural power. For, according to its manner of knowing in the present life, the intellect depends on the sense for the origin of knowledge; and so those things that do not fall under the senses cannot be grasped by the human intellect except in so far as the knowledge of them is gathered from sensible things.(12)

Perfect knowledge, therefore, consists in deducing the properties of an object by using its essence as the principle of the demonstration. Accordingly, the mode in which the substance of each thing is known to man determines the mode of the knowledge which he can have of the thing. God is a purely spiritual substance; man’s knowledge, on the contrary, is only such as a being composed of a soul and a body can reach. It originates necessarily in sensation. The knowledge man has of God is only such as a person starting from sense data can acquire of a being which is purely intelligible. Thus, the understanding of man, resting upon the testimony of his senses, can indeed infer that God exists, but it is evident that a mere examination of sensory objects, which are the effects of God and therefore inferior to him, cannot bring man to a knowledge of his essence.

This basic limitation of human reason leads Thomas to a second means man has in attaining the object of first philosophy: divine revelation. The necessity of revelation is stressed by him in the first part of the Summa Theologiae where Aquinas argues that if the end of man is none other than God and man must possess knowledge of his end to be able to order his intentions in relation to it, then revelation was necessary in order to bring to his knowledge a certain number of truths which are incomprehensible to the light of reason.(13)

Man has, then, a twofold certitude: Aquinas thinks that the ultimate object of both philosophical inquiry and theological inquiry is one and the same. There is, to be sure, an explicit and formal distinction between philosophy and theology for St. Thomas, but yet there is essential agreement. The knowledge of the first principles evident to the mind has been implanted in man by God, who is the author of his nature. The principles of human knowledge are part of divine wisdom and thus one should trust implicitly the natural light of reason.

The foregoing discussion of the general relationship between philosophy and theology in St. Thomas introduces, however, a crucial problem of terminology. And perhaps it is this problem which constitutes the basis for so many misleading interpretations of the Thomistic position on that relationship. The crux of the problem is that Thomas very seldom uses the word “theology”. Indeed, in the entire introduction to the Summa Theologiae he employs the word only twice. The first time the reference is precisely not to what one commonly understands by theology, but to the fact that Aristotle had called his “first philosophy” by the name of theology.(14) But this, as Aquinas will subsequently note, is different in kind (secundum genus) from the theology which pertains to sacram doctrinam.(15) The second mention of the term is connected with a simple reference to the etymology of the word which is said to indicate sermo de Deo-talk about God.(16)

Always and invariably, then, the discussion in the introductory question of the Summa turns not on the nature and meaning of “theology”, but on the nature and meaning of sacra doctrina. This is absolutely crucial to a proper understanding of the Thomistic perspective on philosophy and Christian theology. The kind of theology he is talking about has little in common with the philosophical knowledge of God except its object. The latter is roughly equivalent to what one calls natural theology; the other is appropriately called “revealed theology” or sacred teaching. Philosophy is the cognition of God such as man can obtain it; sacred teaching proceeds from God and it imparts to man something of God’s own self-knowledge so that through faith there is in man a part of the divine knowledge God has of Himself. This accounts for the fact that any investigation of philosophy and Christian theology must involve a close analysis of what theology, in the uniquely Thomistic sense of the word, is.(17)

The most efficient way to approach this task is to examine the ten articles of the first question of the Summa where Aquinas deals extensively with the domain of sacra doctrina. This procedure yields, in turn, three fundamental emphases.(18)

First, St. Thomas discusses the necessity of sacred teaching. The objections set forth in the first article attempt to exhibit the superfluity of theological teaching distinct from philosophy by contending that philosophy or science covers the whole of human thought.(19) Yet, against this all-sufficiency of philosophy, as noted in the first segment of this essay, Thomas maintains that a further doctrine is required. The truths which concern the supernatural end of man are beyond his rational comprehension. Moreover, Thomas argues, even in regard to those truths about God which are not beyond the reach of reason, it was necessary that man be instructed by revelation. Few men, Thomas realized, attain the knowledge of this kind of truth about God, and then only after a long period of study and with an admixture of error. Hence, in order that the salvation of men could be attained in a more certain manner, it was necessary that they be instructed in divine things through divine revelation. Therefore, besides the philosophical disciplines which carry on their investigations by way of human reason, another teaching was mandated-sacra doctrina.(20)

A second component of the Thomistic concept of sacred teaching deals with the possibility of applying the term “science” to sacra doctrina. In order to approach this question Aquinas delineates two kinds of science: some, he says, work from premises recognized in the innate light of the mind (e.g., arithmetic, geometry, etc.); others work from premises recognized in the light of a higher science. Optics, for instance, begins from principles marked by geometry and arithmetic.(21) The primary difference between these two kinds of science is that in the first the principles are self-evident while in the second they are reducible to those of a higher science. Thomas then contends that sacred teaching is a science in the manner of the second kind, “for it flows from founts recognized in the light of a higher science, namely God’s very own which he shares with all the blessed.”(22)

At this juncture, as Gilson has commented, Thomas is effecting a transposition. The notion of science applies to sacred teaching only in an analogical way. Since it proceeds from principles of its own, sacred doctrine truly is a science, but with one difference. The principles of the higher sciences from whose conclusions these sciences themselves proceed are known by the natural light of the intellect whereas sacred teaching proceeds, following the light of the intellect, from principles revealed by God.(23) This accounts, it would seem, for the previous statement of Aquinas that the theology of the philosophers and the theology that is part of sacra doctrina do not belong to the same genus. The theology that is a part of sacred teaching enjoys the unique privilege of proceeding from principles made known by revelation, and succeeding articles endeavor to make this truth as clear as possible.

In the third article, Thomas argues that sacra doctrina is one science. He appeals to the principle that the unity of a potency or habit must be judged from the unity of its formal object. For example, a man, a donkey, and a stone, though different things, agree in that which is the formal object of sight, that which is colored. The comparison applies to the case of sacred doctrine because it borrows its principles from the science of God made known to man by revelation. Scripture deals with a variety of objects but there is a formal object involved. The ratio formalis objecti is God’s revelation of Himself in scripture. Therefore, whatever is revealed by God falls under the formal object of one and the same science. Further, sacred doctrine treats of the creator as well as of the creatures not equally (for if it did, there would not be one class of objects) but of God primarily. Thus, sacred teaching is one, and therefore a science. In reply to the objection that because Christian theology discusses angels as well as bodily creatures and human conduct it is not a unified science, Thomas contends that Christian theology stands at the center of all such philosophical disciplines, yet dominating them because it is able to unite them in its own unity.(24) This is a subtle albeit significant point. Every subject about which something has been revealed by God is included in a class. There is really nothing that philosophy can say which is not related to some object of a possible revelation; therefore, sacra doctrina can treat objects which are the subject matter of philosophical sciences. Divine science is the one science of everything-an imprint on man of God’s own knowledge.(25)

A third and final theme in the discussion of sacred teaching which is developed in the first question of the Summa is what Gilson, for example, has termed the “transcendence” of theology.(26) Article four, for instance, asks whether sacred teaching is a practical science. Thomas responds that sacra doctrina is not chiefly concerned with what man can do, as is the case with moral science, but rather with God, who is man’s maker. However, being the supreme science, sacred teaching does not exclude practical knowledge. Other sciences are practical or speculative, but a science that is in the mind of man as a stamp of the divine science cannot suffer such circumscriptions. In other words, everything goes back to the same point of departure: it considers in each thing the same formal object.(27)

The important implications of this idea are elucidated in article five. Thomas addresses the question, “whether sacred teaching is of greater value than other sciences.” He answers that sacred doctrine is indeed more valuable. Since it is both speculative and practical, embracing both in the divino lumine it would naturally be higher than all other sciences. As speculative, it is more certain than all the others which are known through the fallible light of human reason, while the certitude of sacred doctrine is derived from divine knowledge. Too, the kind of truth known in sacred doctrine transcends all human truths. Since sacred teaching is aimed toward eternal beatitude it becomes the most important of practical sciences.(28)

This leads Aquinas to further underscore the superiority of sacred doctrine in article six by asserting that it is the wisdom above all human wisdoms, an authority that adheres to it because its concern is with the highest cause of the universe.

In article seven, Thomas discusses the subject of sacred teaching. The subject of science is related to science as object to habit or potency. The object of some potency or habit is properly assigned as the object under that aspect according to which all things are related to the habit or potency; for example, man and stone are related to the potency of sight in so far as they are colored; hence, that which is colored is the proper object of sight. All things, Aquinas reasons, are treated in sacred doctrine under the aspect of God, either because they are God Himself, or because they are ordered to God as to their principle and end. It follows, then, that God is the subject matter of Christian theology. Everything discussed in sacred doctrine is discussed sub ratione Dei; the principles of sacred doctrine are the articles of faith, and faith is about God.(29)

Having arrived at a satisfactory definition (quod quid est) of sacra doctrina, Thomas next considers this “revealed theology” in its method or modality (de modo). He asks in article eight whether sacred doctrine is argumentative or whether it adduces proofs on its own behalf. In response, he says that proofs are utilized in two primary ways: to argue from one truth of faith to another and to refute those who would contradict faith among believers by demonstrating the fallacy in their reasoning. No lower science argues to defend its principles. But, of course, sacred doctrine is a wisdom; therefore, it not only argues to conclusions but also defends its own principles, which further demonstrates the philosophical character of sacra doctrina.(30) In fact, Aquinas states that when arguing against Jews and heretics the principles admitted by them can be used effectively to prove the veracity of the entire faith. (This is an important apologetic strategy.)

In articles nine and ten, St. Thomas quickly rounds out his discussion by pointing to certain unique features of sacra doctrina which need to be understood to avoid confusion. The first such consideration is whether sacred doctrine should use metaphors or symbolic language. On the one hand, metaphors and poetic language are not befitting the noblest of all doctrines and such language tends to obfuscate the truth that sacred doctrine intends to teach. But on the other hand, Christ used parables, poetry, and metaphors. Thomas concludes that the scriptures used such language out of necessity and convenience, taking into account the nature of man, which is to arrive at truths through the senses and bodily images. Consequently, “symbolic language lies at the very core of sacred doctrine; it is the language God Himself uses to communicate with men in Sacred Scripture.”(31) The second consideration deals with the senses of scripture.(32) Aquinas makes three points: first, God is the author of scripture; consequently, everything in scripture is inspired by God. Second, the literal sense of scripture is what God and the human author intended by the words; this is the sole sense that can be used in theological argumentation. And third, only God can give to persons and events narrated a spiritual sense, which is allegorical, moral, and anagogical.(33) Here we have expressed the most fundamental intrinsic modality of sacred teaching. Since the scriptures are the “holy writings” of this doctrine, namely, sacra doctrina, their uniqueness imposes a basic characteristic on the whole of sacred teaching or Christian theology.

The foregoing brief analysis of what St. Thomas Aquinas meant by theology should make it quite clear that everything in the Summa Theologiae is, in a very important sense, theological. But that does not lead us to the conclusion that it contains no philosophy. Nor does it prohibit, as Russell and Heidegger seemed to have suggested, genuine philosophizing. Indeed, the point Aquinas conveys in his Exposition of Beothius on the Trinity regarding “natural desire” is quite germane: man is naturally orientated toward a supernatural destiny, and, accordingly, philosophy is naturally orientated toward a superphilosophical type of knowledge.(34) Such an orientation does not eliminate the philosophical enterprise; rather, as the notion of sacra doctrina outlined in this article also indicates, the philosophical enterprise is included within the formal object of theology and becomes, therefore, theological in its own right.

Nor need there be any difficulty when sacred teaching utilizes the methods of philosophy. In such cases-scholastic theology in the “best” sense of the phrase-the theologian makes use of human reason as a method of expositing the truth of faith, not proving it. Truth cannot contradict truth.

Such conclusions are critical to any discussion of the theme of faith and reason in the writings of Aquinas. Reason or philosophy can prove some of the truths which are proposed by the Christian faith, it can elucidate truth which cannot be proved, and it can defend the principles of the faith against detractors. At the same time, given the analysis of Thomas in the introductory question of the Summa, the subjects with which the philosopher is ultimately concerned are already proposed by sacred teaching. It is therefore natural that the two disciplines be allied.

1 Anton C. Pegis, Christian Philosophy and Intellectual Freedom (Milwaukee: Bruce Publishing Company, 1955), p.33f.

2 Bertrand Russell, A History of Western Philosophy (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1945), p.463.

3 Martin Heidegger, Holzwege (Frankfurt, 1950), p.132. For a summary of Heidegger’s attitude toward medieval philosophy see J.L. Mehta, The Philosophy of Martin Heidegger (New York: Harper and Row, 1971), pp. 154-155.

4 In large measure, the matrix for the present discussion is the position which I share with Pegis concerning the work of St. Thomas: he was “not a philoeophns, but a theologus philosophans, a philosophizing theologian, a man who worked as a theologian in his own philosophy”. See his “Who Reads Aquinas?”, Thought, XLII (Winter, 1967), pp.491-496.

5 Jacques Maritain, Science and Wisdom (London: Geoffrey Bles, Ltd., 1954), p.27.

6 Ibid., p.28.

7 Ibid.

8 Etienne Gilson, The Spirit of Thomism (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1964), pp.14-18.

9 SCG, I, 1.

10 Ibid.

11 Ibid.

12 SCG, 1, 4.

13 S.T., I-I, q.1, a.1 (Marietti edition): Primo quidem quia homo ordinatur ad Deum sicut ad quendam finem qui comprehensionem rationis excedit, secundum illud Isiae 44,(4): ‘oculus non vidit Deum absque te, quae praeparasti diligentibus te.’ Finem autem oportet esse praecogniturn hominibus, qui suas intentiones et actiones debent ordinare in finem. Unde necessarium fuit homini ad salutem, quod ei nota fierent quaedam per revelationem divinam, quae rationem humanan excedunt.

14 Ibid.

15 Ibid., ad. 2.

16 S.T., I-I, q.1, a.7.

17 I am consciously avoiding the phrase, “holy teaching”, because of its connection with Victor White’s monograph, Holy Teaching: The Idea of Theology According to St. Thomas Aquinas (London: Blackfriars Publications, 1958). 1 find White’s emphasis on the kerygmatic or pastoral conception of theology which he believes is in Thomas (as belies his interpretation of incipientes) somewhat questionable.

18 These three emphases are actually a compressed outline of Garrigou-Lagrange’s division of the first question into five sections. See his De Deo Uno: Commentarium in Primam Partem S. Thomae (Paris, 1938), p.36ff. Garrigou-Lagrange agrees that the first article is not about scientia theologica but about sacra doctrina, which abstracts from “faith” and “theology”.

19 S.T., I-I, q.1, a.l.

20 It should be noted that Thomas is not demonstrating the necessity of a knowledge of divine truths for salvation; that is one of his premises. He argues from this necessity of a knowledge of divine truths to the necessity of their being made known through revelation. See G.F. Van Ackeren, Sacra Doctrina: The Subject of the First Question of the Summa Theologlae (Rome: Catholic Book Agency, 1952), pp.80-81.

21 S.T., I-I, q.1, a.2: Sed sciendum est quod duplex est scientiarum genus. Quaedam enim sunt quae procedunt ex principiis notis lumine naturali intellectus, sicut arithmetica, geometria, et hujusmodi; quaedam vero sunt quae procedunt ex principiis notis lumine superioris scientiae, sicut perspectiva procedit ex principiis notificatis per geometriam et musica ex principiis per arithmeticam notis.

22 Ibid.: Et hoc modo sacra doctrina est scientia, quia procedit ex principiis notis lumine superioris scientiae, quae scilicet est Dei et beatorum. Unde sicut musica credit principia sibi tradita ab arithmetico ita sacra doctrina credit principia revelata a Deo.

23 Etienne Gilson, Elements of Christian Philosophy (New York: New American Library, 1963), pp.30-31.

24 S.T., I-I, q.1, a.3, ad.2.

25 Ibid.: ut sic sacra doctrina sit velut quaedam impressio divinae scientiae, quae est una et simplex omnium. See also, J.F. Bonnefoy, “La theologie comme science et 1’explication de la foi selon saint Thomas d’Aquin”, Ephemerides theologicae lovanienses, XIV (1937), pp.421-426, and XV (1938), pp.491-516.

26 Gilson, Elements of Christian Philosophy, pp.37-45.

27 However, I would venture that for Thomas, as opposed to Bonaventure for example, sacred doctrine is more formally speculative because divine revelation tells man more of divine things than of human actions. I disagree with White’s argument that sacra doctrlna is wholly and supremely practical for Aquinas.

28 S.T., I-I, q.1, a.5. Any doubts about the principles of faith arise, according to Thomas, from the weakness of man’s intellect, not any deficiency in revelation. It might be observed that the confusion that seems to obtain on the relationship of philosophy to theology has no other cause than this often neglected fact.

29 Van Ackeren, Sacra Doctrina: The Subject of the First Question of the Summa Theologise, p.107.

30 S.T., 1-1,q.1, a.8. One of the better summaries of articles 8-10 is in James Weisheipl’s “The Meaning of `Sacra Doctrina’ “, The Thomlst, (January, 1974), pp.76-79. I have followed it closely.

31 Ibid., p.78.

32 S.T., I-I, q.1, a.10. M.D. Chenu argued that the logic of Thomas’ theory would eliminate this article from the consideration of sacra doctrina, but I disagree. See his La theologie comme science an 7fQII slecle (Paris: Vrin, 1943), p.125.

33 For a good treatment of the role of scripture in Thomistic theology see J. van der Ploeg, O.P., “The Place of Holy Scripture in the Theology of St. Thomas”, The Thomist, X (1947), pp.398-422.

34 In Boethlnm De Trinitate Expositio, ed. by B. Decker (Leiden, 1955).


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Appeared in Spring 1983, Vol. 9, No. 1 Download PDF here

Jean-Paul Sartre seems to have attempted at times to go beyond mere existentialism in an effort to achieve a sort of eternal salvation through the literary creation of a life which transcends physical reality. Put differently, Sartre saw a redeeming power in human words–a solace, a transcendence, and a remedy to ordinary existence in literature, especially fiction. Insofar as he adhered to this view, he divinized words, replacing the Word. Sartre’s problem, of course, has intriguing echoes in an age of mass media which thrives more on propaganda than on information. In any case, Maura A. Daly focuses precisely on Sartre’s divinization of human words in the article which follows, and shows that even for Sartre the experiment does not work.

Nowhere in twentieth-century literature is the dichotomy between secularism and Christianity more apparent than in the writings of Jean-Paul Sartre. Paradoxically, however, the secular beliefs expressed in many of Sartre’s works pattern themselves almost exclusively on the Christian mode. Perhaps this tendency is best exemplified in Sartre’s literary autobiography, Les Mots (Words) which was published in 1964.

This article addresses the role of the word in Sartre’s work as a wouldbe absolute and as a pretender to the status of Logos. In Les Mots, language, by virtue of its Christian association with the Word, is elevated to an absolute in itself. Although he presumably divorces language as an absolute from any religious beliefs, he nevertheless ascribes to it powers of redemption and of immortality. It is by writing that he attempts to redeem himself from the meaninglessness of existence and to assure himself of cultural immortality-the only eternity which Sartre admits. This article is primari1y concerned with the reason that this belief becomes increasingly untenable and why Sartre himself, at the end of his career is compelled to make such an admission. The pathos of the situation, however, arises from the fact that although Sartre eventually admits the relativity of language, his own work continues to belie his admission.

In Sartre’s autobiography, Les Mots, words, language, and literature are all accorded the status of an absolute. For Sartre, the relationship between reality and fiction is inverted. He maintains that it is by the act of writing that the individual is liberated from the burden of existence and materiality, and redeems himself and his neighbor.

From the beginning of Les Mots, Sartre uses an exclusively religious vocabulary to discuss books and literature. Explaining his early sentiments regarding books, he writes: “I didn’t even know how to read yet and already I revered them, these upright stones.”1 Later, commenting on the joy he felt when his mother read fairytales to him, he observes, “I was at Mass: I was taking part in the eternal return of names and events.”2 Finally, after he learned to read, Sartre proclaims, “I had found my religion: nothing seemed more important than a book. In the library, I saw a temple.”3 From his earliest years then, Sartre compared literature with religion. Fairytales, like the Roman Catholic liturgy, were a rite with words and an order that were immutable. Through these words and this order, Sartre was able to transcend the everyday world and be transported into another realm. Describing his flight into literature, he explains, “Our visitors left, I was alone, I escaped from this banal cemetery [reality], I was going to rejoin life, the headiness of books.”4

Because of the transcendance that the realm of books offers, and the immanence of language that it implies, Sartre transforms Fiction into Reality and Reality into Fiction. In his autobiography, he admits: “At the zoo, the monkeys were less monkeys, in the Luxembourg Garden, men were less men. Platonist by nature,. ..I found more reality in the idea than in the thing.”5

In Sartre’s world where the idea and the written word are the object, physicality and nature are despised. Paradoxically, because of Sartre’s inverted values, in order “to exist” he is obliged to write. The author explains: “I was born from writing: before it, there was only an interplay of mirrors: from the time I read my first novel, I knew that a child had entered the palace of mirrors. Writing, I existed, I escaped from the adults; but I only existed to write and if I said: me, that meant I who write.”6 In this revelation one sees the literary analogue of Descartes’ famous justification for being, except that here, it is an inverted justification, aiming at a fictious being and eschewing real existence.

Writing and words become for Sartre not only the mode by which he evades the real world and begins to exist in the fictions one, but also a means by which he seeks to save himself and his neighbor. “Save himself from what?” is the immediate question that springs to mind. Sartre makes several statements which constitute an answer to this question: “In our deepest thoughts our plans and fears are inescapably linked: in the crazy undertaking of writing in order to be pardoned for existing, I can easily see that the idea had some reality despite the boasting and the lies: the proof is that I am still writing fifty years later. “7 There is, however, more to Sartre’s writing than the desire to be “pardoned,” because Sartre equates pardon with immortality and consequently, desires a reprieve from oblivion. Elaborating on this longing, Sartre observes, “sacrality took root in Literature and the man of letters appeared, a fake copy of the Christian that I couldn’t be: his only concern was salvation.”8 Toward the end of his autobiography he explains his solution for salvation: “Terrestial immortality offered itself as a substitute for eternal life.”9

Here, however, a problem arises because although Sartre claims to disbelieve the possibility of eternal life, he invests terrestial immortality with all of the attributes usually associated with its religious analogue. What he is really attempting is a reversal of the theological explanation of Christ’s incarnation in the Last Gospel according to Saint John: “the Word was made flesh.” Sartre wants to reverse this mystery and to adapt it to his own purposes. In his scheme for attaining terrestrial immortality, it is by the gift of his own life or flesh that the word will come into existence-the flesh will be made word. Obviously, such a transformation reeks of Gnosticism, and Sartre explains alternately throughout his autobiography that he has no soul,10 that he is nothing but an unerasable transparency,11 that physical presence is always excessive,12 and finally, that it is only with great difficulty that he tolerates having a body.13 Commenting on his design for literary immortality, he writes: “I would be able to cast my babblings, my conscience, in letters of bronze, to replace the noises of my life by indelible inscriptions, my flesh by a style, the soft spirals of time by eternity, to appear to the Holy Spirit as a given of language.”14

Obviously, this project is unfeasible, and eventually Sartre himself was obliged to admit its unfeasibility: “having discovered the world through language, for a long time, I mistook language for the world. “15 Even though he says at the end of his autobiography that he has been cured of his folly for at least ten years, and he admits that culture doesn’t save anyone or anything, his concluding sentence is an ardent endorsement of humanism. If one is familiar with Sartre’s work, it is impossible to take this endorsement seriously, because he had ripped this “ism” to shreds almost thirty years earlier in his personification of Autodidact, one of the two main characters of his first novel, La Nausde (Nausea). There, humanism is seen as the refuge of the most philosophically and politically naive. Moreover, Autodidact, who espouses this philosophy, is the accumulator of vast amounts of knowledge which he is unable to synthesize, and lofty sentiments which he cannot himself feel.

Sartre’s testimonial for humanism rings falsely in our ears, and his career illustrates the fact that under one guise or another he continued to believe in the transcendant aspect of the word, language, and literature. In fact, in his last major work, The Family Idiot: Gustave Flaubert, Sartre imitates the hero of one of his own creations, Nausea. In Nausea, Antoine Roquentin is writing about an eighteenth-century French nobleman, the Marquis de Rollebon. Roquentin writes about Rollebon so that he can be freed from the weight of existence which is the source of the nausea described by the title. Roquentin, hoping to gain literary immortality, voluntarily “dies” so that Rollebon may live. One day, however, Roquentin realizes that he will never know the truth about himself, about Rollebon, or about anything else. After months of tolerating the crushing weight of existential angst, Roquentin, while listening to a favorite record and thinking about the immortality of the singer and the composer, decides once again to seek his salvation in writing, but this time, in fiction. Roquentin’s interior monologue is as follows

 Couldn’t I try… Of course, it wouldn’t be a question of a musical score. ..but couldn’t I try in another field? …It would have to be a book: I don’t know how to do anything else. But not a history book. That talks about what has existed-a being who exists can never justify the existence of another existing being. My error was to want to resuscitate M. de Rollebon. Another type of book. I don’t really know what kind-but, people would have to imagine, behind the printed words something which would not exist, which would be above existence.16

Sartre, in The Family Idiot, is doing the very thing for which he ridiculed his hero Roquentin in Nausea. Sartre attempts to discover the “real” Flaubert and devotes more than a thousand pages to this impossible task. The reader cannot help believing that Sartre, like Roquentin, his mouthpiece, is trying in his last major work to create an existence which is beyond existence, and which transcends existence. This impression becomes even more firmly entrenched when one realizes that The Family Idiot is about Flaubert the man, Flaubert the author, and Flaubert transmogrified and immortalized in his works. Seen from this point of view, Sartre’s last tomes become an explicit defense of the literary anima-the writer, the written, and the writing all of which are cast into a mise en abime. The Family Idiot is also a multiple offense in which Sartre seeks to ground language as an absolutefirst, through its volume; second, because of its solipsistic meditation on itself; and finally, by virtue of its ability to discuss itself and thus to attain the status of meta-language. Interestingly enough, by imitating one of his own characters, Sartre too is engulfed in the mise en abime in which life is only an imitation of art.

Sartre’s last work, like his first novel, Nausea, and his autobiography, Les Mots, shows that language is unable to attain the status of an absolute, that the literary word in definitively unincarnational, and that literature cannot confer any kind of salvation or immortality. Although Sartre repeatedly attempts to cast words, language, and literature in the role of Logos, he undoubtedly was partially aware of the futility of his efforts. In fact, despite his many disclaimers, it is not impossible to make a case for his secretly cherishing a hope for the existence of the real Word. In the middle of his reflections on atheism in Les Mots, he slides in this observation: “sometimes I wonder if I am not playing at loser takes all and that I am deliberately stomping on my hopes of former times so that everything will be returned to me a hundred fold.” I think that Sartre secretly hoped that this was so, and that therefore, his reward from the Word would be in direct proportion to his own words.

     1Jean-Paul Sartre, Les Mots (Paris: Gallimard, 1964), p. 37. The translation of the quotations from Les Mots are all by the author of the article and are taken from the Gallimard edition.

2Ibid., p. 43.
3Ibid., p. 53.

4bid., p. 47.
5Ibid., p. 46.
6Ibid., p. 130.
7Ibid., p. 163.
8lbid., p. 209.
9Ibid., p. 209.
10lbid., p.77.
11Ibid., p. 79.
12lbid., p. 80.
13lbid., p. 157. )
14Ibid., p. 14.
15lbid., p. 154.     247.
16Jean-Paul Sartre, La Nausee (Paris: Gallimard, 1938), p.247. The translation of this quotation is the authors.

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text:
2020 Formula 1 Eifel Grand Prix, Friday

Renault DP World F1 Team scored 16 points from the VTB Russian Grand Prix with Daniel Ricciardo fifth and Esteban Ocon seventh at the Sochi Autodrom.

Artikel Contact
Esteban Ocon tijdens interview
The points haul means the team moves onto 99 points – more than its entire total from 2019 – to remain fifth in the Constructors’ Championship.An action-packed race start saw Esteban progress from seventh on the grid to fourth by the end of lap one with Daniel remaining fifth, despite running as high as third place for two corners after an electric getaway off the line. Esteban passed Daniel at Turn 7 on the opening lap.Daniel fell back to sixth on lap 15 with his Soft tyres starting to lose rear grip and he pitted a lap later for Hards. Esteban pitted on lap 18 for Hard tyres but lost a position when Sergio Perez ran longer on the overcut strategy. With those on the reverse strategy a threat, Esteban let Daniel by on lap 26 to make further inroads and cover those behind. After running wide at Turn 2 during the move, Daniel was given a 5-second time penalty.From there, Daniel extended the advantage to sixth place to ensure the time penalty did not drop him down the order with Esteban defending brilliantly from a fast-charging Daniil Kvyat on home turf to hang on for seventh.

Daniel Ricciardo, started P5, finished P5:
“I’m pleased with the result today and it’s a decent one for the team as well. I had a great start and got up to third in the first few corners before falling back to fifth. The race then changed on the Hard tyres, we had good pace but obviously I made the mistake getting past Esteban into Turn 2 and had the time penalty. I locked the front brakes, so I take responsibility for that, but I was able to put that mistake right and recover well. Taking a step back, I’m pretty happy with my day, and the end result, as we take home some good points. The car is working well, and reliability is good, so everything has come together nicely for us.”

Esteban Ocon, started P7, finished P7:
“It’s a great team result, overall, so that’s good. When we put on the Hards, the car was not the same. It was a bit tricky to drive and I was struggling with grip and balance and I just wasn’t as happy as I was on the Softs. I was almost following Max [Verstappen] on the Softs at the beginning of the race, so that’s something for us to review there. Potentially, more points were possible, but we’re still happy with the result and how our race went. We know the car is quick and that’s good for future races. We’re going in the right direction; we’re catching the guys in front and that’s the target for the Constructors’ Championship. We’re getting there.”

Cyril Abiteboul, Team Principal:
“The weekend has delivered a strong team result with 16 points added to the Constructors’ Championship. We felt since Friday morning that we could achieve that sort of position and it’s good to have done that. Obviously, you always want more, but the four cars that finished ahead of Daniel deserved to be where they are. We knew we would be under the threat of the cars starting outside the top ten and that’s exactly what happened with Leclerc and Kvyat. But Daniel was really impressive in building the required gap to Leclerc to absorb the five-second penalty from going deep into Turn 2 when we swapped the cars to mitigate the time lost behind Vettel. Esteban, on his side, struggled a bit more with grip at times during the race, but was remarkable in defending from Kvyat for more than 20 laps and contributed to the overall team achievement. We leave Sochi with 99 points after 10 races, which is more than what we scored last year over a 21-race season, which is a clear demonstration of the team’s progression, year on year. It’s also closer than ever to the two teams ahead and it’s going to be a very exciting fight with both of them to the end of the season.”

More about F1


text:
Credit: Isabel Mosk

What Destination Marketing Organizations Can Learn from Bhutan

Isabel Mosk
Dec 3, 2019 · 7 min read

In Bhutan, it seems like everyone is smiling. The people I met while visiting this small country nestled deep in the Himalayan mountains, possess an almost childlike innocence that instantly reminded me of my two-year-old son.

My guide Ugyen and my chauffeur Jamyang were personally involved in making sure I was comfortable throughout my stay. As we made our way through the travel itinerary that they had planned out for me, they filled the experience with countless stories and conversations about their daily life, their ambitions, their family, and relationships.

What became very obvious to me the minute I stepped into this country is that the path to happiness and peacefulness that the Bhutanese share are in stark contrast to the things which drive us in our fast-paced Western world. In fact, the longer I was in Bhutan, the more I found myself rethinking my way of life and all the goals and priorities I’ve chosen for myself.

Perhaps, beyond the breathtaking landscapes and cultural attractions, this transformational experience has fueled the rising curiosity and interest among travelers.

That isn’t lost on the Bhutanese, either, who have carefully cultivated their tourism industry, promoting their county as an attractive travel destination while passionately protecting the culture and physical resources that make this region so unique. By all accounts their approach is working. Tourism numbers are on the rise, and the Lonely Planet just placed Bhutan as the number one bucket list destination for travelers in 2020.

While much has been written about Bhutan as a country, little has been said from a destination marketing perspective. Of course, Bhutan is very unique and some of their methods would be hard to apply anywhere else. But, there are nevertheless many fundamental lessons in destination marketing to be learned from Bhutan and the way its leaders have put this little out-of-the-way country on the travel map.

During my stay in Bhutan, I had the opportunity to speak with Damcho Rinzin, head of the tourism promotion division at the Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) about their unique approach to tourism. What follows are some key take-aways from our interview and my experience as a traveler in Bhutan that are particularly important to any organization involved in destination marketing.

From a branding perspective what makes Bhutan so special is that their core national values guide the way they live, work, and govern the country. This means to understand their approach to tourism, you have to understand their philosophy.

According to Bhutan’s former Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Bhutan is focused on,“Balancing economic growth with social development, environmental sustainability with cultural preservation — all within the framework of good governance.”

This holistic approach to development is called Gross National Happiness (GNH). It’s based on the principles of Buddhism, the national religion, with its focus on compassion, contentment and calmness. All development in Bhutan is guided by GNH in order to ensure the well-being and happiness of its residents.

When I spoke with Rinzin, he emphasized that the TCB makes tourism policy decisions which offer economical value, a positive impact to their culture, and a quality experience for travelers — as the TCB puts it “High value, Low volume” tourism.

He further explained that one of the biggest challenges facing the TCB is managing and developing all increasingly complex areas of tourism in Bhutan, while ensuring that the principles of GNH are being maintained. To that end, the national tourism department is broken down into four divisions:

  1. The Tourism Promotion Division. Which focuses on marketing and branding activities
  2. The Quality Division. Which handles all aspects of front line service providers, such as tour guides, hoteliers and tour agencies.
  3. The Service Division. In charge of visas and foreign exchange programs
  4. The Infrastructure Division. Oversees and develops the infrastructure needed to support tourism activities, such as roads, trains, bridges, trekking trails, camp sites, and farm stays.

Balancing Preservation with Development is a Priority

Destination marketing and the development it brings to a region can be a public good, bringing a variety of benefits to those who live there. But, this only applies when tourism decisions are based on their long-term impact, and the pros and cons are properly considered. When decisions are made that compromise the community’s future economic and social well-being, then everyone suffers — residents and tourists alike.

Many regions may give lip service to such ideals, but Bhutan is one country that actually puts its residents and natural resources first.

Bhutan’s leadership frequently point out that the country is one of the world’s 10 most biodiverse regions, home to almost 5 million acres of protected land covered in forests, virgin lakes and rivers, and thriving wildlife. It is estimated that over half of Bhutan’s protected areas are candidates for environmentally friendly development to support a range of ecotourism experiences and activities. Trekking and campsites are all designated and only allowed in these areas for the respect of conversation.

Though there are more hotels, coffee shops and souvenir stores being built in the cities, Bhutan’s commitment to “High value, Low volume” tourism remains strong.

One creative method that’s helping to achieve the balance between the need for economic development with the need to protect natural resources is its reliance on fees to discourage low cost tourism. Bhutan currently requires travelers to spend a minimum amount per day, from $250 to almost $2000 for luxury travelers. To ensure compliance, visitors need to sign up with a registered Bhutanese tour agency before their arrival. There are also controls in place to only allow a certain amount of people into the country each day.

Not only do these fees help to keep tourism at sustainable levels, but a portion of the funds generated, the so-called Sustainable Development Fee, provides direct revenue to the government to be used for social welfare of the country. In fact, the very first thing my guide did when I arrived was to thank me for coming. Because of my visit, there would be more dollars available to help fund free healthcare and education.

Since residents directly benefit from visitors, tourism initiative can more easily gains the buy-in of locals since they see the benefit of this industry first hand. This also helps fuel the outsider’s perception of peace and happiness, a further strengthening of Bhutan’s brand.

They Know How to Best Promote Their Uniqueness

Bhutan’s policy of ‘High value, Low volume’ tourism is not just about cultural and resource preservation. It also helps to create an atmosphere of exclusiveness and individuality — which is just what their preferred, high-end visitors are looking for. The fact that the country is geographically small, relatively undeveloped, sparsely populated and has traditions and philosophies that may seem at odds with the western world, are all highlighted by TCB as examples to further enhance this image.

While the Happiness Index may have initially turned heads on the world stage, the buoyant, uplifting and positive attitude of tourism workers and residents alike attracts attention. Whether most of Bhutan’s population is genuinely happy may be up for debate, but you have to give Bhutan credit for rather convincingly giving over that impression.

Though, India continues to be the main source market in terms of visitor arrivals, there has been a growing trend towards international travelers in recent years. As a direct result of their tourism marketing and development activities, Bhutan has been gaining in popularity in the international tourism community as a sustainable tourism destination.

All of this boils down to two fundamental marketing principles that organizations involved in destination marketing need to master:

  1. Knowing the core competencies and value proposition of the regional tourism industry
  2. Knowing in fine detail who the target market is

Bhutan Tourism is Focused on Personalized, Positive Experiences

Above all, Bhutan excels in the personalized experience it offers visitors. This experience fuels their efforts, and they are constantly looking for ways to enhance it.

“The ultimate goal is to give [visitors] a good time,” says Rinzin, and that happens to a large extent in the interaction between tourists and their tour guides. Tour guides aren’t just there to show people around. They also give visitors an insider’s perspective on the life and values of Bhutan, and this personal, off-line attention and interaction is refreshing. In Bhutan, tour guides are selected through stringent selection process and must receive certification by taking a guide training course and passing a rigorous test at the end.

There are also tight controls over what visitors can do. The pre-paid fees that visitors need to send cover accommodation, meals, vehicles and a driver, fuel, a guide, permits for visits and a set itinerary of daily excursions. While some may feel that such a set itinerary is a bit imposing, it actually adds to the experience, allowing Bhutan to show visitors the best it has to offer in the most opportune way.

In short, the tourism industry in Bhutan is as unique as the country itself. But, this unconventional approach has been generating some impressive results, and destination marketing organizations would do well to take notes.

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Isabel Mosk

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Tourism Strategist @Sherpa’s Stories | Public Speaker | Destination Marketing | City Marketing | Traveller|

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Isabel Mosk

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Tourism Strategist @Sherpa’s Stories | Public Speaker | Destination Marketing | City Marketing | Traveller|

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subscriptions thoughts

Writing on the Wall- Part Two

Occupied mostly with mundane chores,

Missed the call of my son at the door,

Running here and there in the peak morn,

Brushed aside the cry of the little don,

Preparing hectic for the day’s ordeal,

Forgot the little one’s important deal.

He demanded a paper to scribble,

I gathered  myself into a crucible,

Relaxing in the couch  with closed eyes,

Getting restless he cast the dice,

Took dozen crayons to the beautiful wall,

Unaware of his attempt I cuddled like a deflated ball.

He drew images large and small,

Making his father look tall,

Figuring me as a  petite dame,

Himself as a bright boy to name,

The colours red , black and blue.

Made the wall resemble a gaudy  true.

The white wall became a canvas pretty

To the little one’s  imagination dainty,

His world consisted of three,

Father, mother ,himself  in a spree,

Stealthily he walks across to me,

Reclines in my lap like a gentle be.

Economy reverberation thoughts turmoil

Writing on the Wall

Forests are thick and dense,

With wild animals  treading  hence,

Lions , tigers ,wolves , bears roam,

Over the ground marshy and loam,

It is dangerous to go alone,

Is the writing on the wall’s tone.

Land is large and extensive,

With people wicked and oppressive,

Frauds, villains treacherous,deceits loiter,

Creating a terrible disaster,

It is a diligence to move  about,

It is the writing on the wall’s shout.

Economy is caught in the midst of  turbulence

With the currencies depleting in value  of  reference,

Manipulation, greed, misappropriation, cheat are agog,

Implicating a pleading insight to  an economic fog,

It is a deliberation to  business,

It is the writing on wall’s resonance.

Glancing on all potential cautions,

The desire to live becomes a notion,

Reflecting on the  goals of future,

Life has to go on with a closeted nurture,

Intimidating is the clairvoyant call,

Which is the writing on the wall.

subscriptions thoughts

Child Like

Witness to children’s quarrel,

Saw them roll like a barrel,

Heard them shout  and cry,

For no reason why?

Pulling each others ‘hair,

Screwing one another’s’ ear

Bashing,slapping and hitting ,

It is nothing but violence.

A few hours later,

Saw them in a close quarter,

Playing merrily in the garden,

Jumping across the fence laden,

With closed bars of iron,

Hugging each other with love,

Holding hands as friends,

Smiling ,joking and cheering,

It is nothing but affection.

I was a witness to that,

I am a witness to this,

 I know not what it is all about?

I assume it is child like.

Yes, Children teach us,

To be simple and true.

subscriptions thoughts turmoil

An Ode to Cough

The mercury is rising high day by day,

Humidity sets in with  great sigh,

Alas!air cons and fans struggle to cool the sphere,

Brought in by torrid warmth all through the rear.

Perspiration kindles a discomfort in bounds,

The body gets sweltered by the fiery hounds,

An unusual breathing stifles the heart,

As the phlegm in the lungs strikes an onslaught.

The persistent cough comes in quick succession,

With a bow-wow bronchitis eruptions,

The phlegm rolls up the throat  like a ball

Knocking at the respiratory track in frequent calls.

The congestion strikes the vocal cord harshly,

The incessant cough nettles the laryngitis deeply,

A reddish tinge  and an excruciating pain emanates,

As the patient is in a terrible  turmoil stagnates

subscriptions thoughts

The Quest For Gold

The Yellow metal soberly,

Has turned the stones briskly,

By  rising gradually ,

To shoot up suddenly,

In a  buzzing move  graphically,

To an unassuming level sporadically.

Today it races ahead,

Tomorrow it will  behead,

But the thirst will spearhead ,

A  demanding   price spread ,

Soliciting a tumultuous  thread,

That of  an imposing  surge dread

Gold is into a spectacular momentum. The rise in prices ,in the past three years, is unbelievable.

In 2007 the price of gold was between $639-$833. The year 2008 saw a volatile trend-$826-$908-$1003-$727-$869.Gold crossed the $1000 mark on 14/March/2008.
There was a slight upturn in the price of gold in 2009. The price change was significant. $874 -$956-$1059-$1137-$1212-$1087.
2010 was the year of gold. The up swing was very effectively felt. The price ranged from$1121-$1093-$1245-$1388-$1415-$1405 .2011 saw a steady rise.
There was a  slight dip in January /28/2011-$1311.On February/1/2011 it crossed 1400 once again. Then on, it never turned back. It is now trading at $1476.

Gold , now, behaves like a social currency than a commodity.

Gold is a safe haven, an edge against any economic, political social or fiat currency crises.The stock market collapse, the currency failure ,burgeoning national debt, war, unrest make gold a worthy investment  .It is also subject to speculation by futures contracts and derivatives.
Changes in sentiment than changes in annual production effect gold price..About 2000 tonnes go into jewelry or industrial , dental production and 500 tonnes go to retail investors and gold traded funds.
Currencies are under severe stress. We print  paper money to pump money  into the economy, making  it less valuable.
India is the largest consumer of gold ,consuming 27% of the world  production followed by china and U.S
The prise of gold is also affected by artificial price suppression arising from fractional reserve banking and naked short selling.

The traditional way of investing in gold is buying gold bars. Large gold bars carry an increased risk of forgery.Gold coins are common way of  owning gold. Exchange traded funds and gold certificates are less known methods of investing in gold.
Gold has value but no return. Stocks have value and growth. The latter is a preferred instrument ,when there is political stability. Investment in gold come to the mind  during recession and war.
Stocks against gold , a study,  reveals that holding  a prime company’s share valued at $1450 yields a better revenue than owning  an ounce of gold. Stocks earn while we own. Gold earns when we sell.Some valuable stocks have doubled , while gold rise is between 40%-50%.
Gold is the most speculative commodity. In 1980, its price was $1000 , a few months later it tumbled to $850 and finally rested on $300.
The common belief is that gold has a “real “value.

Real is a relative word. What is real? It is that what we eat.It is that where we live.It is that which we share. It is that how well we sustain.
The time well spent with children, with friends, imparting valuable education to our offsprings  and making the world into a better living place are worthy investments which will reap more value than gold.
The value of pure gold  diminishes , but the value of good life enhances.

subscriptions thoughts turmoil

A Dead Man Lives

A man is dead a decade ago,

He still lives in the form of his  ego,

He feigned simplicity while living,

Know not why he desired wealth after dying.

Does not it sound quite  contrary ?

Nay not it looks real contradictory,

Living want more to hold – comprehensible

Dying long more to hoard-incomprehensible.

The will of a testator is a documentary evidence,

Reveals  his  wishes and   implantable  reference,

Dividing  his estate among the beneficiaries  ,

 By imposing   fair and justifiable decrees.

This specific testator of talk,

Kept  himself  the entire block,

Delivered them to his executors,

To  carry out his  last wishes and  orders.

The testament  is interpreted different

In countries of his  estates inherent,

Bequeathing  to sons in one land,

Endowing to grandsons in the other land.

Whimsical as it may appear to all

Mischievous in real  sense to call,

Rendering a laborious legal  toil,

To sort out the entangled coil.

The dead man is   turning in his grave,

Recalling his wishes in a save,

He is dead for long in body,

He is alive till now in his “Last Wills”  body

Economy subscriptions thoughts

No More Mad Rush

Gold is lying over there uncared for!

Gold is strewn over there  afar

Gold is found in heaps and piles ,

Gold is thrown out  like broken tiles,

Gold  lies untouched by anyone,

Gold  brings lust to none,

The yellow metal lies  dormant and idle

The shining commodity  lacks sheen and bridle,

I go on with my untrue   false ramble

I wish it becomes a  truly real preamble.

subscriptions thoughts turmoil

Going To Polls

People go to polls with an expectation,

Hoping for a change in the composition,

Of governance and administration,

Having in mind the progression,

Calling for a healthy representation.

Politicians go to the polls with an expectation too,

Anticipating a wealth accumulation unto,

Of land and money altogether into,

Counting the currency and commodity  too and too,

Relying on a resounding victory all too.

Elections  took place  in Tamil nadu with full force,

The leaders campaigned  the polls with an intimate browse,

Extending Televisions, laptops  and few grams of gold  in the course,

Rambling out promises in a high throated  roars,

Fooling the people in well  conceived  pros.

Karunanidhi claims a victory with ease,

Jeyalalitha harps on a triumph of full freeze,

Each engaged in a prattle  of unhealthy tease,

Battling on an embittered  seas,

Awaiting another innings with most appease.

Penny wise pound foolish  is the Tamils motive,

Pounding  on free throws and  sops  like a captive,

Gaping at the  gaudy sly leaders  like a fugitive,

Enthralled by the politicians  gestures in a transitive,

Tamils follow them in a trance and thrill emotive.

The leaders  with their family march ahead   with a  pace,

Clinging to their children both  legal and illegal  in  trace,

Carrying with them a wholesome baggy brace,

Putting forth an ever smiling and charming face,

Creating a significant thoroughfare of grace.

After few months,

People  sell the televisions and gold in times of need,

Poverty  in  no little time strikes  a blow on the breed,

Leaving them in the mercy of the  political creed,

Terminating the  mirth  into a bloody bleed

subscriptions thoughts turmoil

Gone With A Storm

As a toddler I saw balloons  floating  in the  blue  sky ,

As a girl I saw kites flying up and up in the  sparkling  silver  sky,

As a young lady I  looked up at my degrees blowing up  in the  beautiful orange sky.

As an old woman I gaze at my birth rights rising up in the dark grey sky.

Right! My  stakes are  visible nowhere now in the dense dark sky.

reverberation subscriptions thoughts

The Echo of Life

Going into the deep woods one day,

Found a profound serenity in the lay,

The silence reflected a stirring tense,

Keeping the solitude in  presence,

To call out or not was the play,

Which kept on haunting all the fray.

It was an abysmal  deal out,

Crossing the inroads  was a fall out,

Yet moved in measured steps to the intense,

To find out the  mystery in  its substance,

Enacted with  a charming  relevance.

The song of the woods was a delight,

Composed of a music  of the elite,

Comprehensive of the cackling  and hooting,

Conducive to the mood insinuating ,

Instilling a refreshment warming.

Birds tweet with a gay sound,

Which reverberates  all around,

The blowing of the winds in a whistle,

Comes back  through the dangling thistle,

Inviting all to a sanguine bristle.

The humming of the river is a tune,

Which in the course of its flow attune ,

The thunder and the storm cast a spell,

Which echoes in a vociferous bell

Provoking   the area to a numbed  shell

Life gives back in  leaps and bounds .

What it takes from you  without a sound,

The more you sow seeds of  kindness

The more it repays in  kindness,

Consisting  great and gracious kindness


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Tag Archives: unique maternity photo shoots

Chicago Maternity Photographer | Vikki’s Downtown Maternity Session at The Godfrey Hotel

I love being a Chicago maternity photographer because of the city’s endless options for a picture-perfect location.View full post »

Vilayphone’s maternity shoot: Momma in red

I took these photos for a friend, who just delivered a healthy baby boy a couple weeks ago! He’s almost nine pounds andView full post »

Maui Anniversary/Maternity Shoot

Some women might be afraid to be seen in a bathing suit while 7 months pregnant. Not me. I’ll pose for a photo shoot.View full post »

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An impromptu fashion shoot at a bookstore brings about a new fashion model discovery in the shop clerk.

Tonight I revisited an old but favorite movie on Netflix, a very, very classic (& iconic, if you ask me) film from 1957: Funny Face. Starring Audrey Hepburn & Fred Astaire as the main love interests, as well as co-starring Kay Thompson. The storyline sets around a naive bookstore shop girl who inadvertently gets mixed up in a high fashion photoshoot for a prestigious fashion magazine. She is immediately discovered by the lead photographer who sets in motion her future career as a model for that very magazine. A trip to Paris for an exclusive photoshoot & fashion show fans the flames of love between the two lead characters, with a few relationship hiccups along the way. But in the end, as always, everything turns out S’wonderful!

This is one of my all-time favorite movies. It is most certainly on my Top 5 list of favorites. It’s also one of my most favorite Audrey Hepburn starring movies (my first favorite being How To Steal A Million, not Breakfast at Tiffany’s as one would think as the obvious answer.) I just absolutely adore Audrey Hepburn; I practically idolize her. I am also a big fan of Fred Astaire as well (I would choose his dancing skills over Gene Kelly any day.) Every time I watch this movie, it makes me smile & swoon all over again. I will never get sick of watching Funny Face. This movie packs all of the greats: actors, plot line, acting, humor, singing, dancing, drama, iconic fashion, &…ROMANCE. What more could you ask for???

I adore Audrey’s innocence she portrays in her character Jo Stockton. She’s both naive & strong at the same time; her heart is filled with pure passion & love. I love all of the characters Audrey plays in her movies. They are always so adventurous & end up falling madly in love with the handsome rake who has swooped in to steal her heart in a flourish. I also love Fred’s character Dick Avery in this movie as well. He’s always looking out for Audrey’s character & protecting her, guiding her to find her shining light as a model. Dick is able to crack Jo’s tough exterior & help turn an awkward duck into a graceful swan. I also like Kay Thompson’s character Maggie Prescott. She’s the head of a leading fashion magazine in the 1950s (among many headstrong men of those days, I assume). She really eludes power & influence with style & flair. Kay’s character reminds me of a softer version of Ms. Anna Wintour.

These are my favorite scenes from the movie. All photo credits belong to Paramount Pictures.

The iconic red dress down the staircase shoot

Take the picture, take the picture! – Jo Stockton

The “Bonjour Paris” song & dance

Livin’ is easy. Livin’ is high. All good Americans should come here to die. – Dick Avery

The wedding photoshoot & dance number

Darling, he loves & she loves & they love. So why don’t you love me, as I love you. – Dick Avery

I’d definitely recommend watching this movie. It’s 1 hours and 43 minutes of pure bliss. Hollywood sure doesn’t make movies like this anymore. Cheers.

Today’s song of the day:
“S’wonderful” by Fred Astaire

9GAG – The best things in life.

I found this really nice post on 9GAG (a social meme website), & I wanted to spread the word.  When I first read this post, my first reaction was to say “Awwwww”.

P.S. is one of my favorite websites to view funny pictures, posts, quotes, You Tube videos, etc.  Keep in mind, some posts are rated NSFW (a.k.a. Not Safe For Work).  Enjoy.

May 2021

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CafÃ© in the House

This place used to be called Backbenchers, but has changed its name to Cafe in the House (Yo, yo!). It still seems to serve the same food and has some rather entertaining wait staff! When we arrived, it was dubious as to whether we would eat here as it took the waiter quite a while before he decided that there actually was a spare table! We ordered gourmet sandwiches and wedges. At this point I should say there are not a lot of vegetarian options on the menu, there was the soup of the day which sounded a bit odd (cream of mushroom with some cannelini beans), quiche (boring!), something else with mushrooms and goats cheese pesto (although this might have actually listed proscuttio on the menu) or a sandwich. The sandwich filling was suppposed to be roasted capsicums, artichokes, babaganoush and roasted pinenuts. Not being a fan of artichoke, I asked if they could substitute that with cheese and tomato. I ended up with a cheese, tomato and roasted capsicum sandwich – I have no idea what happened to the babaganoush and roasted pinenuts… oh well… To be honest, given there is little variety and their inability to make a simple substitution (I wonder what would have happened if I had ordered a dish without the meat!) I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat here again… but if you are at Old Parliament House and are hungry, then it would be worth a visit. Oh, and I almost forgot… we had to ask what something was that was listed on the menu – and the answer was quite surprising! So, if you know what cornichons are (without looking on google!) or if you have a highly amusing answer, then email Lucy!


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Differentiating Buttock Pain – Gluteal Tendinopathy

Online Course: Differentiating Buttock Pain – Gluteal Tendinopathy

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Differential Diagnosis of deep gluteal pain is challenging due to the complex anatomy of the region. In other related courses Tanya Bell-Jenje discussed sacroiliac joint dysfunction and deep gluteal pain syndrome and their symptoms. In this course, you will learn about Gluteal Tendinopathy also known as Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome (GTPS), another condition that causes lateral and posterior hip pain.

The course aims to explore Gluteal Tendinopathy symptoms, diagnosis and management

This course is made up of videos, reading, discussions and a final quiz. The course content is split into the following sections:

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This course is aimed at Physiotherapy and Physical Therapy clinicians, students and assistants. Other interested professionals such as athletic trainers, occupational therapists, nurses or medical doctors interested in this subject are also invited to participate.

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Virgin Valley let its punishing running game do the talking as the Lady Bulldogs ran wild in pounding visiting Sunrise Mountain, 42-6, in a 3A South Regional playoff game Thursday night at Evan Wilson Stadium.

The victory sends the Lady Bulldogs (16-3 overall) into the 3A State semifinals where they will host Tech (10-9) Tuesday at 6 p.m. inside Wilson Stadium. Tech advanced by edging Desert Pines, 19-13, in Thursday’s first game at Wilson Stadium.

The Lady Bulldogs piled up 391 yards on the ground and scored on their first five possessions in running over the Lady Miners, who finished their season 4-16.

With second leading rusher Nikita Eskelsen unavailable, the Lady Bulldogs turned to senior Emily Teerlink and freshman Rainee Brito to fill the void. The offense didn’t miss a beat as Brito ran for 93 yards on eight carries while Teerlink added 50 yards on six attempts and a touchdown. Brito was added to the playoff roster after playing on Virgin Valley’s freshmen team which went unbeaten on the season at 15-0.

The Lady Bulldogs wasted little time in taking charge of the contest. They scored in seven plays on their initial possession capped by Katie Zuniga’s 20-yard touchdown dash that featured a juke at the 10-yard line that left a Lady Miner defender grabbing at air. Quarterback Kallie Graves hooked up with Madison Cheney for the conversion to put VVHS up 7-0 after just five minutes of play.

Zuniga, Virgin Valley’s leading rusher, finished with 80 yards on 11 carries.

On their next possession, the Lady Bulldogs covered 60 yards in only two plays to score again. Graves did the honor scrambling out of the pocket and racing down the far sideline untouched for 55 yards for the touchdown. Graves connected with Mackenzie Leishman for the conversion.

Teerlink scored on a one-yard run early in the second quarter. The score was set up by a 49-yard run by Brito. Graves connected with Markell Ludvigson on the conversion to put Virgin Valley up 21-0.

The Lady Bulldogs extended their lead to 28-0 midway through the quarter when Graves, who was 10-of-12 on the night, completed a seven-yard scoring pass to Ludvigson. Graves ran in the conversion attempt.

Virgin Valley closed out the scoring in the first half with 50 seconds remaining on a six-yard touchdown run by Graves, who also tacked on the conversion to put the Lady Bulldogs up 35-0 at the halftime break.

Graves, who led all rushers for Virgin Valley with 122 yards on seven carries, scored her third touchdown of the contest on an 11-yard run early in the third quarter. Zuniga ran in the conversion to boost the advantage to 42-0 which allowed VVHS head coach Joey Bowler to clear his bench and give everyone that dressed quality playing time.

Sunrise Mountain avoided the shutout when running back Hope Humes scored on a one-yard run with 45 seconds left in the third quarter.

Defensively, Macee Bundy led the Lady Bulldogs with six flag pulls with Julia Ramirez and Nataly Serna recording five each. Kiera Swanson, Alley Shaner and Cheney had four pulls apiece.

In other regional playoff games on Thursday, defending state champion Cheyenne blanked Boulder City, 24-0, and Del Sol Academy rolled over Mojave 32-6. Cheyenne (14-4) will host Del Sol Academy (14-8) in Tuesday’s other state semifinal contest.

The 3A state championship game is scheduled for Thursday at 4 p.m. at Cimarron-Memorial High School in Las Vegas.


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With each film written and directed by a different talent, Cabiria, Charity, Chastity sees the accomplished actress, Natasha Lyonne, making her directorial debut. The film follows Chastity (Maya Rudolph), on a surreal journey through a parallel plane, as she discovers that in order to face her future, she must first reconcile her Vaudevillian past.

Much like Alice in Wonderland, Chastity journeys through an absurd and nonsensical landscape, finding meaning where there is none and engaging with a vast array of eccentric characters with a beguiling charm.

Alongside Maya Rudolph there is a range of vibrant roles played by a star-studded cast, this film marking their first ever fashion campaign. The talent includes Lyonne herself, Fred Armisen, Greta Lee, James Ransone, Matt Lucas, Macaulay Culkin, Waris Ahluwalia and Leslie Odom Jr.

The film features Kenzo’s stunning Fall/Winter 2017 collections by the creative directors, Humberto Leon and Carol Lim. With the campaign imagery shot by photographer Casper Sejersen. Set in a world of theatrics, illusion, and burlesque, their vision is made possible by Arianne Phillips’s stunning costume design. As Madonna’s stylist of choice, it is clear she would understand the theatrical!

The film is full of vibrant colours, whimsical charm, brilliant floral patterns and bold minimalism. It stresses how reality is never as it seems and that we live in an unintelligible and absurd world. Kenzo has already garnered two Tribeca Film Festival Tribeca X Award nominations, and it is clear this film will also be met with a stunning reception.

Emma Phillips

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Contestants of four in a bed
Four in a Bed is back with new episodes! (Picture: Studio Lambert)

Money plays an important role on popular Channel 4 B&B competition Four in a Bed.

Four Bed & Breakfast owners spend the night in each other’s establishments, paying what they think the stay was worth in cash, over the course of four episodes.

Though the payments don’t get revealed until the end of the final episode – sometimes with dramatic results.

But do the contestants pay for their stays using their own cash? Or is it supplemented by Channel 4?

Do Four in a Bed contestants spend their own money?

It’s believed contestants pay out of their own pocket initially – choosing what they think is a fair amount for their stay.

However, in a Digital Spy forum for show superfans, someone involved with the series seemed to confirm that contestants get reimbursed for whatever they’ve paid.

Contestants standing outside The Farrier.
More hoteliers will be welcoming guests to judge their hospitality skills (Picture: Studio Lambert)

User fallowfields commented: ‘Yes, the contestants pay and then the programme reimburses them.’

They also added that the producers make up payments for any contestants who’ve been underpaid for their stay.

‘The programme also makes up any shortfall to the hotelier,’ they wrote. ‘Not sure what happens to over payments though.’

Though this sounds likely, it is unconfirmed, so we’ve asked Channel 4 for comment.

Do Four in a Bed contestants get paid?

It is understood that contestants don’t get paid to appear on the programme.

Though as mentioned, it’s believed they do get their full fees for the rooms they provide to fellow contestants.

So, the hotelier doesn’t lose out on any cash. And hopefully gets some nice promotion for their B&B.

When is Four in a Bed on TV?

Four In A Bed is back with brand new episodes from Monday, March 1 on Channel 4.

Episodes air on weekdays, Monday-Friday at 5pm.

MORE : How is Gogglebox filmed? All the behind-the-scenes secrets

MORE : Metro spent time grounded in hotel quarantine and this is what it’s like

Follow Metro across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Dräger works closely with its customers to develop new solutions. We offer integral solutions
The reform of the Federal Labor Law included a chapter dedicated to the observance of occupational health and safety procedures in mines
In general, better enforcement and compliance with health and safety norms in the mining industry benefits both the government and the sector’s…
Over the last 10 years (2002-2012) the mining industry boom has propelled an increase of more than 60% in the number of people employed by the sector,
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BEYONCE Replica Sparkling Sequin Dress

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Quick Answer: How Do You Buy Real Estate With Cash?

Why would a home seller only accept cash?

When the listing states “only accepting cash offers” it means the seller does not want to wait for a buyer to get his financing approved or be subject to conditions from the lender that the seller may have to satisfy – and he wants a fast close..

Can you buy a house with cash and no job?

Buying a home without a job is possible, but it’s not easy. If you can’t prove to a lender that you have a steady job, you’ll instead need to prove that you have a sizable savings account, lots of liquid assets or a reliable source of income other than a traditional job.

Can you pay cash for real estate?

Paying cash for a home eliminates the need to pay interest on the loan and any closing costs. … A cash home purchase also has the flexibility of closing faster (if desired) than one involving loans, which could be attractive to a seller. These benefits to the seller shouldn’t come without a price.

What does cash only mean in real estate?

When you see the phrase “cash-only” listed with a home for sale, this means the home is not in the condition to be financed under a conventional mortgage. These are distressed properties, those that have been abandoned for long periods of time, condemned, or have experienced flood damage or other natural disasters.

What is a good cash on cash return for rental property?

There is no specific rule of thumb for those wondering what constitutes a good return rate. There seems to be a consensus amongst investors that a projected cash on cash return between 8 to 12 percent indicates a worthwhile investment. In contrast, others argue that in some markets, even 5 to 7 percent is acceptable.

Why is a cash offer better for a seller?

A cash offer is an all-cash bid, meaning a homebuyer wants to purchase the property without a mortgage loan or other financing. These offers are often more attractive to sellers, as they mean no buyer financing fall-through risk and, usually, a faster closing time.

Do I need a survey if I am a cash buyer?

The fact you are a cash buyer means there is no lender who will require you to have a survey or valuation carried out. … The purpose of a survey carried out on your behalf will assist you to do some or all of the following: Make a reasoned and informed decision on whether to go ahead with buying the property.

How much are closing costs on a cash deal?

Even if you’re buying a home with cash, the one-time closing costs, or fees you’ll have to pay during the closing process, can be as much as 3% of the purchase price, according to Lee Dworshak, a Realtor with Keller Williams LA Harbor Realty.

How can I buy a house with cash only?

If you’re ready to take the leap and buy a home in cash, here’s how to do it….Buying a house with cash: The processGet the cash together. … Obtain proof of funds from the bank. … Find your house. … Make an offer. … Choose a settlement agent. … Secure your earnest money check. … Get an inspection. … Take part in title research.More items…•Sep 9, 2020

Does it make sense to buy rental property with cash?

Buying an investment property in cash will undoubtedly produce higher cash flow. This is because you won’t be paying a mortgage on the property every month. A rental property purchased with cash should immediately start seeing cash flow as soon as a tenant moves in.

Can you buy a house outright with cash?

Paying cash for a home offers some great benefits if you are able to swing the initial cost. It is, however, a very big financial commitment, and ties up liquid assets in a major way. If you can buy a house outright and still maintain an adequate cash cushion, it may be a great financial move.

Do I need title insurance if I pay cash?

You are not required to buy title insurance during a cash sale, but it could be a good way to protect yourself from loss.

Should you pay cash for an investment property?

By paying cash for an investment property, you are more protected against things like vacancies and market downturns. After all, without a mortgage, your ongoing out-of-pocket expenses will be much lower than they otherwise would be. … Paying cash makes for a much smoother closing process.

Are closing costs cheaper when paying cash?

You can save money on closing costs: Those who purchase their homes with cash can avoid many of the expenses typically associated with closing on a mortgage. These include loan origination fees, costs associated with having the property appraised, and various closing costs typically required by lenders.

Who pays closing costs in a cash sale?

Who pays closing costs? Typically, both buyers and sellers pay closing costs, with buyers generally paying more than sellers. The buyer’s closing costs typically run 5 to 6 percent of the sale price, according to Realtor.com.

How much does it cost to buy a house with cash?

Upfront cash needed to buy a house Home buyers should also budget 2-5% of the purchase price for upfront fees including things like earnest money, closing costs, and prepaid property taxes and homeowners insurance. The total “cash to close” is equal to the down payment plus around 2% to 5% of the purchase price.

How does buying a house in cash affect taxes?

If you pay cash for a home, you’ll lose your mortgage interest deduction. If you qualify, however, the IRS will allow you to continue taking deductions for your property taxes and interest on a home equity line of credit (HELOC). Some taxpayers can also deduct moving expenses.

Do closing costs have to be paid in cash?

Cash to close refers to the funds a home buyer needs to finalize a real estate purchase. These can include the down payment in addition to fees related to appraisal, insurance, legal counsel and escrow. The total amount is paid at closing, so buyers should have cash to close funds ready for closing day.


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*MG* I shape 120cm Solid wood+ Oak veneer study desk, in stock*Special*

Vendor: MicroGiant

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    • You are welcome to our showroom shop 39 in Royal Oak Mall and you will find this is a very good quality product.
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      2)Veneer: real oak venneer with the thickness is 0.3--0.5mm in different side. Oak is more stable and the surface is smoother and clean and it is not easy to crack.

      3) Painting:Only high quality paint used without bad smell and the colour won't changed for a long time. 6 coats of paint are applied.
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