“Medieval philosophers distinguished the internal activity of the agent from the external event produced by that activity. The former was called “immanent causation” and the latter “transeunt causation.” These terms have been adapted by Chisholm and others to mark the difference between agent causation and event causation. The idea is that the internal activity is agent-caused by the person whose activity it is, whereas the external event is event-caused by the internal activity of the agent.”
― The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy
― The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy
“Both aristocracy and democracy are human ideals: the one saying that all men are valuable, the other that some men are more valuable. But nature does not say that cats are more valuable than mice; nature makes no remark on the subject. She does not even say that the cat is enviable or the mouse pitiable. We think the cat superior because we have (or most of us have) a particular philosophy to the effect that life is better than death.”
― Orthodoxy
― Orthodoxy
“For you, a thousand times over." Then I turned and ran. It was only a smile, nothing more. It didn't make everything alright. It didn't make anything all right. Only a smile. A tiny thing. But I'll take it. With open arms.”
― The Kite Runner
― The Kite Runner
“In a battle ‘Alī confronted a powerful enemy and after a fierce fight was able to throw the enemy to the ground and sit on his chest with his sword drawn. At this moment the enemy warrior spat in ‘Alī’s face, whereupon ‘Alī immediately disengaged himself and abstained from delivering a blow with his sword. The enemy warrior, who was an idol worshipper, had never seen such an event. He became agitated and asked ‘Alī why he had not killed him. The response of ‘Alī, which in the verses of the Mathnawī constitutes one of the masterpieces of Sufi poetry, was that ‘Alī was fighting at first for the preservation of the Truth, but once the enemy warrior spat in his face ‘Alī became angry, and he would never react on the basis of anger and certainly not get into a battle or slay someone for personal or selfish reasons. In Rūmī’s words, ‘Alī responded: Said he, “I wield the sword for the sake of the Truth, I am the servant of the Truth not the functionary of the body. I am the lion of the Truth, not the lion of passions, My action does witness bear to my religion.”
― The Garden of Truth: Knowledge, Love, and Action
― The Garden of Truth: Knowledge, Love, and Action
The History Book Club
— 26084 members
— last activity Apr 22, 2026 07:27AM
"Interested in history - then you have found the right group". The History Book Club is the largest history and nonfiction group on Goodread ...more
History, Medicine, and Science: Nonfiction and Fiction
— 1542 members
— last activity Oct 14, 2025 06:03PM
Discussion about the fascinating stories of our scientific and medical past
Fabio’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Fabio’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Fabio
Lists liked by Fabio
























