X CLOSE

Cultural diversity

Traditional Chinese painting of a woman resting on a chair in a pavilion by a pond with ducks and lotus flowers.

Creativity

idea

To be creative, Chinese philosophy teaches us to abandon ‘originality’

Whether grieving a death or connecting to colleagues, creativity enables an artful life, according to Chinese philosophy

by Julianne Chung

Ancient Roman fresco depicting a nude couple in an intimate pose on a bed, with faded hues on a textured background.

Sex and sexuality

idea

What rude jibes about Caesar tell us about sex in ancient Rome

‘Every woman’s man and every man’s woman’ was a slur Julius Caesar’s political opponents levied. What did it mean?

by Aven McMaster

Miniature painting of two men in traditional Persian attire, standing in a garden surrounded by trees with floral accents.

Virtues and vices

idea

Persianate ‘adab’ involves far more than elegant manners

Across 13th- to 19th-century Persianate culture, ‘adab’ meant more than manners – it was proper social and aesthetic form

by Mana Kia

A muslim woman in a colourful orange sari reaches up to touch a decorative panel above a shrine

Mental health across cultures

idea

Why a Sufi approach to healing mental illness is so powerful

In Sufi shrines, rituals offer sufferers a path beyond the fear and isolation of their mental distress

by Bhrigupati Singh

Stone sculpture of a serene figure in draped robes with a halo against a dark background.

Symbols and myth

idea

Why the first Buddhas in art wore finely folded Greek tunics

How the iconography of Greek art influenced the development of an increasingly standardised image of the Buddha in India

by Garrett Ryan

Photo of religious statues in a shop window with a reflection of an arch and a mosque tower in the background.

Spirituality and religion

idea

One good way to understand religion is to break it apart

To understand what religion means, don’t reach for the dictionary. Better that you take it apart, break it, even throw it away

by Joseph Blankholm

Photo of people riding brightly adorned elephants on a stone path with a vendor standing nearby pointing.

Knowledge and reason

idea

In Nyāya philosophy, only some debates are worth having

For the Indian philosopher Vācaspati Miśra, the only debates worth having aim at truth. No point-scoring or put-downs

by Malcolm Keating

Watercolour illustration of an Aztec person walking, holding a flowered staff, speech glyphs surrounding their head.

Poetry

idea

Learning Nahuatl, the flower song, and the poetics of life

Learning to think and feel in Nahuatl, the poetic language of my ancestors, broke me down and remade me

by David Bowles

A man in a sleeveless shirt and hat working in a dense, leafy forest or thicket, looking focused on the task at hand.

Cultural diversity

idea

What Aboriginal people know about the pathways of knowledge

For Aboriginal peoples, knowledge is specific to cultures: what is true and relevant for one might not be so for another

by Stephen Muecke

Painting depicting 16 scenes of diverse families and cultural attire, titled with Spanish casta terms in a grid layout.

Identity

idea

Why Spanish colonial officials feared the power of clothing

Colonial society depends on a clear distinction between the rulers and the ruled. Clothing could create problems

by Rebecca Earle

Black and white photo of an elderly person in sunglasses and hat, wearing a fur-collared coat, standing in a street.

Thinking and intelligence

idea

Why academia should embrace ‘Grandma’s metaphysics’

‘Grandma’s metaphysics’ and other sources of wisdom are vital if academia is to embrace diversity and fully benefit from it

by Devin Sanchez Curry

Two men near a graffiti-covered wall with chipped paint, one standing and gesturing, the other sitting on the pavement.

Cultural diversity

idea

Cultural differences are far more nuanced than East vs West

It’s simply not the case that ‘Eastern’ cultures are relationally-minded, while ‘Western’ societies are individualistic

by Matt Huston