Oct 29Jean Gebser’s blind spot: the Chinese “perspective”Summary The German philosopher Jean Gebser (1905–1973) claimed that the invention of linear perspective in the early Renaissance (15th century) represented a new stage in the development of human consciousness. He argued humans became “aware of space.” Gebser further claimed that Cubism represented the next shift in consciousness, with humans becoming…Jean Gebser17 min readJean Gebser17 min read
Sep 15The Brave New World of CBDCs, Tokenized Assets, and Unified LedgersCentral banks and financial institutions around the world are working on the internationalization of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). The global network will be able to process cross-border payments in real time. …Cdbc7 min readCdbc7 min read
Aug 7Fear of AI in the West is misdirectedWestern paranoia has given China a head start The fear of artificial intelligence is largely a Western phenomenon. It is virtually absent in Asia. In contrast, East Asia sees AI as an invaluable tool to relieve humans of tedious, repetitive tasks and to deal with the problems of aging societies…AI5 min readAI5 min read
Jul 18Classic China: A Civilization in Sync with the CosmosThe following is an extract from my new book Creating a Planetary Culture: European Science, Chinese Art, and Indian Transcendence. The Chinese way of looking at life was not primarily through religion, philosophy, or science, but through art. George Rowley, Principle of Chinese Painting When the Chinese emperors ascended the…Science12 min readScience12 min read
Jun 15Creating a Planetary CultureEuropean Science, Chinese Art, and Indian Transcendence — The following is the Preface and the Introduction of my forthcoming book Creating a Planetary Culture: European Science, Chinese art, and Indian Transcendence. The book will have six chapters, 45 illustrations and about 95 pages. It will be available at online book stores at end of June or early July. …AI15 min readAI15 min read
Apr 28How the caste system endsIn the 1980s, the American futurist Lawrence Taub developed a macro-history based on Hindu cosmology that shows a path to the end of the notorious caste system. …Macrohistory8 min readMacrohistory8 min read
Mar 20Democracy is struggling with itselfHas democracy become an end in itself rather than a means to an end? Democracies have had a dismal start in the 21st century. Opinion surveys around the world show a counter-intuitive trend: Citizens of democratic nations are more pessimistic about the future of their countries than people living in…Democracy7 min readDemocracy7 min read
Feb 2The US, China, and the Thucydides trapWestern political leaders have shown themselves to be incompetent and self-absorbed, but they are not suicidal In 2012, the American political scientist Graham T Allison argued that the US and China were on a collision course for war. …Thucydides Trap6 min readThucydides Trap6 min read
Jan 24Revisiting ‘The Tao of Physics’Science does not need mysticism and mysticism does not need science, but man needs both. — Fritjof Capra In 1975, the American physicist Fitjof Capra published the first edition of his best-selling book The Tao of Physics. …Fritjof Capra6 min readFritjof Capra6 min read
Jan 24Revisiting ‘The Tao of Physics’Fortunately, the Tao is easier to understand than quantum physics In 1975, the American physicist Fitjof Capra published the first edition of his best-selling book The Tao of Physics. Capra described the parallels between the ancient Chinese notion of Tao and the subatomic world of particles revealed by quantum physics. …Tao Of Physics6 min readTao Of Physics6 min read
