Author: Andrew Taggart

• February 13, 2013

  Meditative jewelry: Jewelry that resonates with life

  Yesterday I wrote about a relatively new social group on the historical stage: open-minded, self-reflective individuals who are seeking they know not what through the regular practice of meditation. Today, I’d like to explore what led Alexandra and me to create Meditative Jewelry. Inspired by life in rural Appalachia, Alexandra’s collection is conceived in that…
• February 12, 2013

  ‘Meditation is a quest that the bewildered embark upon…’

  Intellectual Context One of the founders of sociology, August Comte, wondered what could provide the social cohesion for individuals living in the midst of a secular age. He posited a ‘religion of humanity’ to fill the void left by positive religion, a void that Emile Durkheim would later call ‘anomie’ in his attempt to understand…
• February 8, 2013

  Philosophical Improv no. 6: Mastery in the Practice of Living

  In this video, I propose an alternative formulation of radiance. On this construal, radiance just is mastery in the practice of living. In my forthcoming book, Radiance: An Essay for Unsettled Time, I discuss the important connection between goodness and beauty. To view other episodes in this series, you can visit my YouTube channel. I’m a Ph.D.-trained…
• February 7, 2013

  Philosophical Improv no. 5: Radiance is not guruism

  In this video, I seek to distinguish the radiant figure from the guru. In my forthcoming book, Radiance: An Essay for Unsettled Time, I discuss the important connection between goodness and beauty. To view other episodes in this series, you can visit my YouTube channel. I’m a Ph.D.-trained philosophical counselor who teaches individuals and organizations throughout the…
• February 6, 2013

  Philosophical Improv no. 4: Guidance Thesis

  In this video, I explore the thesis that the radiant figure is a guide for the pupil who longs to be a better person. In my forthcoming book, Radiance: An Essay for Unsettled Time, I discuss the important connection between goodness and beauty. To view other episodes in this series, you can visit my YouTube channel. I’m…