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Kevin R. D. Shepherd
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FAQ and 25 Articles
I am a British author, born in 1950 (more specifically, I am half Irish, half English). I have composed fourteen books ranging from Psychology in Science (1983) and Meaning in Anthropos (1991) to Pointed Observations (2005). This is my second website, commenced in 2008. My first site Citizen Initiative appeared in 2007, and produced shocks in some directions. That site has become noted for seven letters of mine which complain about commercial mysticism and forms of alternative therapy, including LSD therapy (currently illegal). Those letters were written to official sectors and also to certain organisations. My basic commitment is to a philosophy and science of culture, which I call anthropography. I also regard history and biography as a priority. See further my profile and bibliography. I maintain seven other websites:
independentphilosophy.net
kevinrdshepherd.info
citizenphilosophy.net
citizenthought.net
citizeninitiative.com
Commentaries
Analysis of a Cultist Defamation
The present website (commenced in 2008) is arranged in a FAQ format, comprising 25 entries.
FAQ contents:
- Citizen philosophy is here briefly described, being my own approach. This factor became evident in the sub-title of my book Pointed Observations, which stated Critical Reflections of a Citizen Philosopher.
- A critical assessment of current computer usage.
- A version of ecological priorities and climate change dangers, with especial reference to the Club of Rome, James Lovelock, and COP26.
- A critical view of Paul K. Feyerabend, the postmodernist philosopher of science who promulgated the “against method” version of relativism.
- A presentation of citizen sociology, or a version of sociography, in relation to the contemporary yob problem in Britain. Includes reference to the skinhead and punk antecedents to yob behaviour.
- Confrontation with the cultural materialist strategy of Marvin Harris, the “neomaterialist” anthropologist.
- A citizen perspective on socialism and sociology, with reference to Hegel, Karl Marx, and Max Weber.
- A critical view of Jacques Derrida, the influential philosopher of deconstruction.
- Reasons for self-published works, some of which contrast with commercial preferences operative in the book trade. Such works fall into different categories, including the minority angle of private research and annotated format.
- Criticism of “new age” trends, with especial reference to the Findhorn Foundation.
- On the dangers of recreational and addictive drug use in Britain, including cannabis, cocaine, and LSD.
- A critique of Grof Transpersonal Training, which signifies the Holotropic Breathwork of Stanislav Grof, and also the closely associated LSD therapy and MDMA therapy.
- Detailed analysis of commercial mysticism and ecobiz at the Findhorn Foundation.
- An investigation of “perennial philosophy,” being a critical survey of such exponents as Aldous Huxley, Adi Da Samraj, and Ken Wilber.
- On Greek philosophy, which though outdated, is here viewed as having some relevance in certain respects.
- Overview of Islamic philosophy, including the falasifa, Ibn Khaldun, Sufism, Suhrawardi and variants of ishraq, and Seyyed Hossein Nasr.
- Investigating the critical rationalism of Sir Karl Popper, with reference to the philosopher Bryan Magee, closely associated with Oxford University.
- Remarks on Zoroastrianism and Zarathushtra (Zoroaster), in commemoration of Professor Mary Boyce.
- A coverage of some nineteenth and twentieth century Hindu gurus, including Ramakrishna of Dakshineswar, Swami Vivekananda, Ramana Maharshi, Aurobindo, and Upasani Maharaj.
- Some Buddhist complexities, including the D. T. Suzuki/Hu Shih debate, Shakyamuni, Nagarjuna, Tibetan Vajrayana, and the sudden-gradual polarity in Chinese Buddhism.
- Coverage of Christian events, including the dissolution of the monasteries in Britain, Friar Roger Bacon, the Inquisition, the Fraticelli, and Celtic monasticism.
- A refutation of sectarian polemic and libel, describing the instance of cyberstalker Gerald Joe Moreno, the defender of Sathya Sai Baba.
- Investigating Sathya Sai Baba, with reference to allegations of abuse, purported miracles, the reincarnation claim, and other matters.
- Cults and suspect organisations from Japan to America, with reference to the Children of God, Aum Shinrikyo, Nexium, and numerous other drawbacks.
- On art and craftsmanship, moving from the Georgian era to a critical angle on contemporary art and the associated spending mania.
None of the written materials on this website may be copied for public use or posting without written permission.
The photograph of Kevin R. D. Shepherd is copyrighted and requires due permission for public use or posting. |
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