Re: [silk] Chanakya's teachings
On Wednesday 14 Mar 2012 12:40:47 pm Srini RamaKrishnan wrote: On Wed, Mar 14, 2012 at 2:58 AM, ss cybers...@gmail.com wrote: Do you have any recommendation for books by Henry Kissinger by the way? Not really, I only have a book of his memoirs on the Vietnam War that I never was able to finish, but how about some by Noam Chomsky? Or perhaps Howard Zinn? BTW, knowing Aanjhan off list as well I am pretty sure he was not entirely in the dark about the works of Chanakya. I am just curious as to why you wanted to know what anyone might gain from Chanakya when you do not show any curiousity about why anyone might want to read Kissinger. Kissinger writes about statecraft and realpolitik. Some of it is good. Some of it is rubbish. Noam Chomsky is a different ball game. Noam Chomsky is honest which would make him unsuitable for statecraft. Kissinger had all that one needs for statecraft, guile, dishonesty, no concerns about what he does not know and delusions of grandeur. shiv
Re: [silk] Chanakya's teachings
On Mar 14, 2012, at 6:18 AM, ss wrote: Kissinger had all that one needs for statecraft, guile, dishonesty, no concerns about what he does not know and delusions of grandeur. That, and a willingness to use vast military might to kill lots of people, without regard to the value of things destroyed or the numbers of combatants and non-combatants killed and maimed on either or any side. jrs
Re: [silk] Chanakya's teachings
On Tue, Mar 13, 2012 at 11:35 AM, Aanjhan Ranganathan aanj...@gmail.com wrote: Hi All, Do you folks have any recommendation for books on Chanakya's [1] teachings and philosophies? What do you hope to learn from C or even from Machiavelli's Prince? I hear there's a rather slow and dusty writer called Ayn Rand whose writing seems equally ethically challenged.
Re: [silk] Chanakya's teachings
Srini RamaKrishnan [13/03/12 11:39 +0100]: On Tue, Mar 13, 2012 at 11:35 AM, Aanjhan Ranganathan aanj...@gmail.com wrote: Hi All, Do you folks have any recommendation for books on Chanakya's [1] teachings and philosophies? What do you hope to learn from C or even from Machiavelli's Prince? I hear there's a rather slow and dusty writer called Ayn Rand whose writing seems equally ethically challenged. funnily enough, the prince was a lesson in how to be ethical by illustrating unethicality
Re: [silk] Chanakya's teachings
On Tuesday 13 Mar 2012 4:09:47 pm Srini RamaKrishnan wrote: What do you hope to learn from C How is one supposed to know what one can learn from any book before reading it? Perhaps a reader could learn what ethically challenged means? shiv
Re: [silk] Chanakya's teachings
On Tue, Mar 13, 2012 at 2:12 PM, ss cybers...@gmail.com wrote: How is one supposed to know what one can learn from any book before reading it? Perhaps a reader could learn what ethically challenged means? I assume one does not read Chanakya to read fine poetry; he is about statecraft and real politik, and I'm always curious when someone decides that's a good thing to learn.
Re: [silk] Chanakya's teachings
On Tue, Mar 13, 2012 at 2:31 PM, Srini RamaKrishnan che...@gmail.com wrote: On Tue, Mar 13, 2012 at 2:12 PM, ss cybers...@gmail.com wrote: How is one supposed to know what one can learn from any book before reading it? Perhaps a reader could learn what ethically challenged means? I assume one does not read Chanakya to read fine poetry; he is about statecraft and real politik, and I'm always curious when someone decides that's a good thing to learn. Wrong assumption. I find people who just read fine poetry boring and uninteresting. So, its bad to read Mein Kampf, on leaders who came to power masterminding other's downfall, etc.? History is history. It has good and bad things as with anything in this world. One has to grow up reading diverse topics and eventually form his/her own moral values / ethics in life. Cheers! Aanjhan
Re: [silk] Chanakya's teachings
On Tue, Mar 13, 2012 at 2:46 PM, Aanjhan Ranganathan aanj...@gmail.com wrote: Wrong assumption. But I haven't mentioned any assumptions? Just curious about your reasons...
Re: [silk] Chanakya's teachings
On Tuesday 13 Mar 2012 8:14:33 pm Srini RamaKrishnan wrote: On Tue, Mar 13, 2012 at 2:46 PM, Aanjhan Ranganathan aanj...@gmail.com wrote: Wrong assumption. But I haven't mentioned any assumptions? Just curious about your reasons... But Srini you wrote: I assume one does not read Chanakya to read fine poetry; You are making an assumption and then denying that you mantioned any assumptions. You are assuming that the genre and content of the aurhor's works are known to the person who asked the question. Do you have any recommendation for books by Henry Kissinger by the way? shiv
