Philosophy
fromThe New Yorker
1 month agoHow God Got So Great
Monotheism functions as a moral and political credential in American public life, with non-belief in God representing a greater electoral liability than other demographic factors.
To her followers and yogic practitioners, Kali Maa is not a scary goddess. She is the ultimate Mother. She represents the slayer of illusion and the symbol of truth that brings freedom. She is the symbol of the cycle of time, transformation, the loss of self and awakening to the spiritual realm. In yoga, Kali Maa is linked to inner cleansing. She helps awaken the kundalini and gives courage. This courage helps us face our darkest sides.
We are living through one of the most disorienting periods in recorded history. The AI race is accelerating toward ever faster, ever more sophisticated automation and optimization. Agentic AI systems are moving from research labs into workplaces, healthcare, and governance. Geopolitical tensions are restructuring alliances faster than institutions can adapt. And planetary systems are signaling, with increasing urgency, that our current trajectory is unsustainable. Amid all this, it is dangerously easy to lose sight of a foundational question: What are we actually optimizing for?
as the gods were understood as the true monarchs and the king as simply their steward. In order to maintain his authority, the king needed to court the goodwill of the gods, and although they made their approval clear through military victories, bountiful harvests, and prosperous trade, events such as the Akitu festival provided an annual opportunity for the divine to continue its relationship with the ruling house or withdraw its favor.