Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2007 June 23

= June 23 =

Religion and Skepticism
Is there a term for a person who is devoutly religious but "skeptical" in the generally understood sense, or would such a person be accused of fooling him/herself? Eran of Arcadia 00:48, 23 June 2007 (UTC)
 * I am not entirely certain from your question if this is along the lines of what you're asking, but see if this sheds any light on the topic. ◄   Zahakiel   ►  01:11, 23 June 2007 (UTC)
 * I'm not aware of a word that means this precisely, but a quick browse through the thesaurus turns up some possibilities: undogmatic, unorthodox, unprejudiced, open-minded, reasonable, sensible, sage, sane, lucid, and -- this one I like best -- wise. Pfly 05:28, 23 June 2007 (UTC)
 * Depending on what you mean by "devoutly religious" and "skeptical" two possibilities that come to mind are Deist and Theosophist. 152.16.59.190 10:01, 23 June 2007 (UTC)


 * The original meaning of "agnostic" was lack of knowledge but not lack of belief. Another term, though, for those who believe but entertain all possibilities of implementation is "free thinker."  The reason I haven't linked that is that "free thinker" has come to be a compliment and gotten reassigned over and over.  From 1660 - 1740, though, it was a dangerous and frightening term (e.g. I think of Anthony Collins).  Geogre 10:57, 23 June 2007 (UTC)

The Iliad
Where can I find a copy of the Iliad that is: -free -has line numbers -doesn't rhyme?

I actually need something like this for a good number of the ancient classics, such as the Odyssey, Plato, Aristotle, Sophocles, Herodotus, Euclid, Aristophanes, Aeschylus, Euripides, Plutarch, Lucretius, Thucydides, and Ptolemy...but the Iliad is a good place to start! 151.196.140.157 02:25, 23 June 2007 (UTC)


 * See if this is what you're looking for. ◄   Zahakiel   ►  02:46, 23 June 2007 (UTC)

Thanks! While we're at it, any ideas on the rest of them (if line numbers are applicable?)


 * You can find a number of these on the "search" page for this website: . I don't think the lines are numbered for all of them, though. ◄   Zahakiel   ►  04:09, 23 June 2007 (UTC)


 * The best such translation, by Lattimore, can be accessed freely here. Wareh 03:40, 24 June 2007 (UTC)

Spanish poetry
What are some good verses in Spanish (language) poetry? -- hello, i'm a member  |  talk to me!  05:40, 23 June 2007 (UTC)

the 'coplas' by Gabriela Mistral


 * Do you mean category:poetics or category:Spanish poetry? Excluding things like, oh, Cervantes, and sticking solely to Modernism, you get Lorca, Octavio Paz, and, of course, Pablo Neruda.  With any of these men, simply grab a volume, close your eyes, flip it open, and stick your finger in, and you'll have found fine verse, IMO.  Geogre 20:13, 23 June 2007 (UTC)


 * For what it's worth, the only Spanish poetry that reads well in Russian translation is that by Rubén Darío. Antonio Machado is another obvious choice. Among the old poets, Quevedo is majestic but little known outside the Spanish-speaking world. --Ghirla-трёп- 22:08, 23 June 2007 (UTC)


 * César Vallejo.
 * Cyrusc 22:27, 23 June 2007 (UTC)


 * Jorge Luis Borges is another excellent modern poet as is Juan Ramón Jiménez. Going back in time, Lope de Vega and Quevedo, of course, and the fascinating Sor Juana de la Cruz. Góngora will test your language skills to the limit, even if you're a native speaker, but he wrote some extremely beautiful poems. If you appreciate religious poetry, then San Juan de la Cruz is a must. There are many others. Why not get hold of an anthology such as The Penguin Book of Spanish Verse (which has prose translations at the bottom of the page) or Spanish Poetry: A Dual-Language Anthology 16th-20th Centuries edited by Angel Flores and published by Dover? --Folantin 08:55, 24 June 2007 (UTC)

studying philosophy
if I wanted to study philosophy, what would the best unversity or place to do so be? (the most advanced and prestigious, not only including the US...but worldwide). thank u!

Of course, it depends on what sort of philosophy you want to study. Start with the Philosophical Gourmet Report, or specify what sort of philosophy interests you, and there are likely some professional philosophers here who will give you more advice. Llamabr 13:32, 23 June 2007 (UTC)


 * Know if you like analytical philosophy or not pretty early. Some schools really concentrate on it, some merely concentrate on it, and very few these days concentrate away from it.  If you decide that you deplore it, you'll either seek out a particular philosopher to work with or seek out "history of philosophy" sorts of institutions.  The latter are very rare in the US among the first two tiers.  Geogre 20:16, 23 June 2007 (UTC)

If distance (and money!) is no obstacle to your ambition, then the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge has an excellent reputation, as one would expect from an institution where Bertrand Russell, G. E. Moore, and Ludwig Wittgenstein once taught. You will get details of the undergraduate prospectus here. Clio the Muse 23:02, 23 June 2007 (UTC)

Hi Anonymous, I'd like to suggest you seriously consider The University of New Mexico Department of Philosophy. I do not teach there, I've never been there, and as far as I know, there are no pre-eminent philosophers on the faculty. Hence, this will be the perfect place for you to stand out and make your mark. Glad I could help. dr.ef.tymac 01:03, 24 June 2007 (UTC)

Shame Anonymous never wrote back. I hate to think that he/she is limiting his/her future search to Cambridge, and New Mexico. This might have been an interesting conversation. Llamabr 13:48, 25 June 2007 (UTC)

hi lamabr, thank u for all the answers guys!!!:D

United European American Club
I'm trying to track down some information about the above mentioned organization (which may or may not be defunct, I don't know), but am not having any real luck. Unfortunately, I don't have any real information about what they are/were, or what they do/did, as the name came up as a fragment, without any useful associated information. Here's what I do know: If anyone remembers (or knows about) this organization, and can provide any information whatsover, that would be great. Carom 14:42, 23 June 2007 (UTC)
 * 1) The organization was almost certainly founded in 1961
 * 2) In 1968, the had a clubhouse on Ventura Blvd. in Studio City, CA, and the president was one Egon Eilers
 * 3) The last reference I can find is in 1974


 * Only because nobody else is answering: I assume that you have guessed, as I do based on the Google hits, that it was some type of membership-based discount travel outfit? --mglg(talk) 18:28, 25 June 2007 (UTC)


 * Something along those lines, yes (at least, as far as I can tell). Carom 18:09, 26 June 2007 (UTC)

Tariff levels
Are the world tariff levels the lowest in world history now? This could be measured for example as state revenues from trade barriers as a percentage of GDP or total trade. I have tried to find data on this but found none. I know that tariffs have been declining steadily since World War II, but does our era have even more free trade than the world had during the last period of relative free trade, in the end of th 19th century? Jacob Lundberg 18:05, 23 June 2007 (UTC)


 * To answer your question would require a survey of tariff receipts and GDP for all major nations now and at various points going back to the late 19th century. Since statistics for GDP are not available for most (or any) nations in the late 19th century, they would have to be induced using available statistics. Unfortunately, this would be a laborious empirical undertaking beyond the scope of this reference desk.  Marco polo 02:01, 25 June 2007 (UTC)

Marching Baritone Horn in C
Can anybody tell how to maintain it? I am a trombone player and have to play this while marching and I was abandoned with a C (open is B-flat) horn. I would appreciate if anybody could help. Thank you.
 * Valve oil on all the valves before every playing, slide grease on all the slides, empty the water out after playing, wash it out from time to time and pull a swab through the slides. See or Google care of brass instruments Edison 18:45, 23 June 2007 (UTC)

Comparitive value of money in 1908 and 2007
In the 1908 edition of Scouting for Boys by Baden Powell, having 6d in the savings bank is a requirement for a boy to become a First Class Scout. My Scouts have been asking me how much 6d would be worth today. So, what would be a comparable amount in 2007 in the UK, allowing for a) increase in prices, and b) increase in wages? DuncanHill 21:59, 23 June 2007 (UTC)


 * Duncan, six old pence in 1908 would be worth £1.79 new pence in 2006, using the retail price index. To make your own calculations go here .  There are several options under the United Kingdom and Europe heading.  The one I used was How Much is that Worth Today?, which provides a measurement of the purchasing power of the pound from 1264 to 2006. £1.79 will not seem an awful lot to the boys; but if you point out that the average weekly wage for farm labourer at this time was under a £1.00 a week, they may get some idea of the relative values.  Clio the Muse 22:37, 23 June 2007 (UTC)


 * Clio, thank you that is an excellent link! (btw, not all Scouts are boys). DuncanHill 22:54, 23 June 2007 (UTC)


 * Of course not! I was a mere Girl Guide, and we were all, well, girls!  Clio the Muse 23:04, 23 June 2007 (UTC)


 * You should have been a Scout - lots more fun for a lively enquiring mind :) DuncanHill 23:16, 23 June 2007 (UTC)


 * Dialogue from the movie Arabesque (1966):
 * Yasmin: Are you burning it?
 * David: That's how you detect invisible ink. Weren't you ever in the Boy Scouts?
 * Yasmin: I flunked the physical.
 * David: Should've tried my troop... we'd have waived it.
 * --Anonymous, June 24, 2007, 00:39 (UTC).

Mayan cremation
Can anyone tell me about Mayan or a civlization close-to not the Vikings, cremation or funeral ceremonies, where the dead is placed on a bed of wood or a boat and sent out to sea on fire ? 76.214.176.9 23:02, 23 June 2007 (UTC)


 * I think the form of boat cremations you describe, 76.214, are unique to the Norse world; I certainly do not associate them with the Maya. In the South Pacific, though, it was customary to place the dead on rafts or canoes, and set them adrift, without, I believe, the added element of fire.  Clio the Muse 00:03, 24 June 2007 (UTC)


 * I believe a similar romantic tradition exists in India, where the body is cremated and the remains placed in the river Ganges. However, the government discourages this practice, as partially burnt corpses floating down the Ganges are not quite so romantic. StuRat 04:13, 25 June 2007 (UTC)

The War on Terror
What if the U.S.A. and its Allies win the War on Terror?


 * Then there would be no more terror. I'm sorry, but I'm not quite sure what it is that you are looking for.  This form of question would seem to call for virtually endless speculation, along the lines of 'What if there was peace on Earth?'  It is a question, in other words, without a meaningful answer.  I would be happy to assist if you could perhaps make your inquiry just a little less general.  Clio the Muse 23:55, 23 June 2007 (UTC)


 * Then they'll have to find yet another pretext for maintaining a wasteful military empire. &mdash;Tamfang 06:15, 24 June 2007 (UTC)


 * Or, dump the military and shut down all the U.S. industry that supplies the military. That would be about $500 billion dollars in domestic spending immediately removed from the economy.  Or, are we supposed to assume the easy solution is always as simple as it sounds? Youth in Asia 13:25, 24 June 2007 (UTC)


 * There are many other reasons for the US to maintain it's military, even if terrorism somehow ceased to exist. Iran trying to get nuclear weapons, North Korea having them, and Europe failing to maintain much of a military infrastructure to counter such threats are just a few of those reasons. StuRat 04:10, 25 June 2007 (UTC)


 * If Uncle Sam spends less, the citizenry will find something to spend on. (I'm reminded of Dave Barry's crack about pies.)  &mdash;Tamfang 03:10, 26 June 2007 (UTC)


 * Then everyone on Earth will eat a sweet-smelling pie. Gzuckier 15:30, 25 June 2007 (UTC)

Contemporary Poetry in English
Does it resolve into a manageable number of dominant schools/movements? What would comprise its leading "vanguard" element?

Cyrusc 01:16, 24 June 2007 (UTC)

Modern poetry seems too fragmented for a dominant school or movement to have formed-or be capable of forming-,Cyrusc, but please have a look at the List of poetry groups and movements. Under the Alphabetic List you will find all those that have pages on Wikipedia. Clio the Muse 03:03, 25 June 2007 (UTC)