IPC Section 497 is arbitrary - SC

Adultery no longer a criminal offence in India: 5 things the judgement said
The judgement observed that women weren’t the property of their husbands and questioned why a moral wrong was considered a criminal offence in India.
Jyotsna Raman
 Thursday, September 27, 2018 - 16:57
Share @Facebook Share @twitter Share @reddit
Image for representation only


In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that adultery is not a criminal offence, thus striking down a century-old law which was introduced during the time of the British. Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code said that adultery is defined as a person having sex with a man’s wife without taking prior consent from the husband. The law only applies to men – women can neither be charged with adultery, nor can they be the complainant.

This meant that the wife’s consent played no role in the law. It didn’t look at women with agency of their own, but merely as the husband’s property, meant to do his bidding. It also meant that the man in the relationship could be persecuted by law, but the woman would be let off. On the other hand, if a husband has an affair, the wife cannot similarly prosecute him or the woman he cheated on her with.

In December 2017, Joseph Shine filed a petition challenging the section. A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, had referred the petition to a five-judge Constitution Bench, admitting that the law does seem to be archaic.


While hearing the matter previously, the court had observed that the law seemed to be based on certain “societal presumptions”.

In four separate but concurring judgements, the court struck down the law and declared that the husband cannot be the master of his wife. Here are five crucial points the judgement made:

1. Section 497 is arbitrary: Throughout the judgement, it was pointed out that the nature of Section 497 is arbitrary. For one, it doesn’t preserve the ‘sanctity of marriage’, for a husband can give consent to let his wife have an affair with someone else. Rather, the judgement points out, it serves to preserve the ‘proprietary rights’ a husband has over his wife. Moreover, the wife cannot file a complaint against her husband or his lover. There are no provisions to deal with a married man having an affair with an unmarried woman or a widow.

2. Women can’t be held captive by societal expectations: The second page of the judgement clearly states, “A woman cannot be asked to think as a man or as how the society desires. Such a thought is abominable, for it slaughters her core identity.” In a society like India, the role and expectations of women are deeply rooted in society. So it’s revolutionary for the Supreme Court to observe that women cannot be forced to act as per society’s will. It is not nuanced enough to take into account what kind of marriage it was or why one partner cheated.

3. A husband does not own his wife: The judgement adds, “And, it is time to say that a husband is not the master. Equality is the governing parameter.” Activists had slammed Section 497, saying it was totally “male-friendly” and that as long as it existed, it perpetuated the idea the wife was the husband’s property.

4. It is against Article 14, 15 of Constitution: Article 14 guarantees equality to every citizen in India and Article 15 states that no one can be discriminated on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex, etc. The court observed that the very nature of Section 497 was in contravention to this as it saw women as subordinates of men, and hence went against the Constitution of India.

5. Why should adultery be a criminal offence?: The judgement makes it amply clear that by criminalising the act, the law was entering an extremely private sphere – that of matrimonial life. According to Article 21 of the Constitution, everyone is guaranteed dignity and personal liberty, but by making adultery a criminal offence, individuals would be deprived of dignity and privacy. “The autonomy of an individual to make his or her choices with respect to his/her sexuality in the most intimate spaces of life should be protected from public censure,” Indu Malhotra wrote in her judgement, thus questioning why it is a criminal offence at all. She added that since adultery was a moral wrong, and not a public wrong which affected the lives of scores of others, it didn’t deserve to be classified as a criminal offence.



What is adultery law? How IPC Section 497 is anti-women
The Adultery law has been criticised for treating women as property owned by men
ADVERTISEMENT

Prabhash K Dutta
New Delhi
September 19, 2018UPDATED: September 19, 2018 10:10 IST
Picture for representation
Picture for representation
HIGHLIGHTS
Chief Justice Dipak Misra has called the adultery law "anti-women"
Adultery law in India is defined by the Indian Penal Code Section 497
The law has been criticised for treating women as property owned by men
Adultery law in India is defined by the Indian Penal Code Section 497. The adultery law has come under the scanner of the judiciary several times in the past but the courts including the Supreme Court held Section 497 valid. But in the latest case, the Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra called the adultery law "anti-women" while hearing a petition that challenged Section 497 for being anti-men and giving leverage to women.

The petition was filed by non-resident Keralite, Joseph Shine, who challenged the constitutionality of IPC Section 497 read with Section 198(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPc). The CrPc Section 182(2) deals with prosecution for offences against marriages.

IPC Section 497 states, "Whoever has sexual intercourse with a person who is and whom he knows or has reason to believe to be the wife of another man, without the consent or connivance of that man, such sexual intercourse not amounting to the offence of rape, is guilty of the offence of adultery."

The Supreme Court on August 2, said, "The law seems to be pro-women but is anti-women in a grave ostensible way. As if with the consent of the husband, wife can be subjected to someone else's desire. That's not Indian morality."

"Each partner of the marriage has equal responsibility. Why should the woman take more load than the man? That is the reason we call it archaic," the Supreme Court said.

The Supreme Court's observation followed an affidavit by the Centre, which said, "Adultery should remain an offence. Diluting adultery law will impact the sanctity of marriages. Making adultery legal will hurt marriage bonds."

ADVERTISEMENT
Section 497 also states that a man found guilty of adultery "shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, or with fine, or with both."

In cases of adultery, the wife shall not be punishable as an abettor.

Similarly, an unmarried woman can not be prosecuted for adultery. The offence of adultery is, according to Section 497, committed by a man against a married man.

The adultery law has been criticised for treating women as property owned by men.

In the event of a man committing adultery by means of sexual intercourse with a married woman or an unmarried woman, this law does not confer any right on the man's wife o prosecute the adulterous husband or the woman with whom the husband has indulged in sexual intercourse with.

Simply put, only a man can be a victim or accused/culprit under the existing reading of Section 497 of the IPC.

But the Union home ministry defended Section 497 by referring to a judgment passed in 1985 Sowmithri Vishnu vs Union of India case. Quoting from the Supreme Court judgment, the home ministry said, It is better, from the point of view of the interests of the society, that at least a limited class of adulterous relationship is punishable by law. Stability of marriages is not an ideal to be scorned.

A three-judge Supreme Court bench headed by the then Chief Justice YV Chandrachud had upheld the constitutionality of Section 497 of the IPC.

The existing adultery law under Section 497 gets complicated further in the view of an Amendment Act of 1976. This was the Marriage Laws (Amendment) Act. It makes an act of adultery valid ground for divorce. Either spouse can seek divorce on the ground of adultery.

It states that even a single act of voluntary sexual act by either party to the marriage with any person other than his or her spouse constitutes a ground for divorce for the other spouse. But, Section 497 of the IPC doesn't recognise a woman as an aggrieved party in the case of adultery.

కాపురాల్ని కూల్చుతున్న కొత్త సమస్య ఇగో .. ఇద్దరూ ఉద్యోగస్తులైతే..

కాపురాల్ని కూల్చుతున్న కొత్త సమస్య  ఇగో .. ఇద్దరూ ఉద్యోగస్తులైతే..
7/31/2019 10:36:22 AM 
ఇగోతో.. తెగుతున్న బంధాలు
ఆనందాల స్థానంలో ఘర్షణ వాతావరణం
ఎవరికి వారే తానేమీ తక్కువ కాదనే అహం
పెరుగుతున్న నెగిటివ్‌ ఆలోచనా ధోరణి
తగ్గిన సర్దుకునే గుణం

హైదరాబాద్‌ సిటీ (ఆంధ్రజ్యోతి): ఇగో.. ఇది మనిషిలోని మానవత్వాన్ని మంటగలుపుతుంది. ఇది పట్టింపులు పెరిగి మనుషుల మధ్య దూరాన్ని పెంచుతోంది. ఆనందంగా సాగాల్సిన కాపురం కలహాల కాపురంగా మారుతుంది. ఎవరికి వారు తానేమీ తక్కువ కాదనే ధోరణితో వ్యవహరిస్తుండడంతో పట్టింపులు మరింత పెరుగుతాయి. ఈ మధ్య కాలంలో ఇది దంపతుల మధ్య దూరాన్ని పెంచి వారి కాపురాలను కూల్చేస్తోంది. ఇద్దరి మధ్య ఇగోలు చోటు చేసుకోవడానికి కొన్నిసార్లు సమాజ పరిస్థితులు కారణమవుతున్నాయి. ప్రధానంగా ఆర్థిక అంశాలే వీటిని పెంచి పోషిస్తున్నాయి. ఆర్థికంగా ఎదుగుతుండడంతో కొందరిలో ఇగోలు పెరుగుతున్నాయి.

దెబ్బతింటున్న అహం
ఒకే జనరేషన్‌లో ఆర్థిక అసమానతలు చోటు చేసుకుంటుండడంతో కింది దశలో ఉన్న వారిలో అహం దెబ్బతింటోంది. సమాజంలో ఇతరులు ఉన్నతులుగా ఉంటుండడం, తాము ఆ స్థాయికి ఎదగలేకపోవడం మనసుపై ప్రభావం చూపుతోంది. రెండు రకాల వ్యక్తులు ఒకచోట కలిస్తే మరొకరిలో ఇగో పెరుగుతుంది. తమను చిన్న చూపు చూస్తున్నారనే భావన వారిలో ఏర్పడుతోంది. ఇలాంటి సమయంలో చిన్నమాట ఎవరైనా అంటే చాలు.. ఒక్కసారిగా రియాక్ట్‌ అవడం చాలా ఎక్కువగా ఉంటుందని వైద్యులు పేర్కొంటున్నారు.

నెగిటివ్‌ ఆలోచనలతోనే
చాలా మందికి నెగిటివ్‌ ఆలోచనలు ఎక్కువగా ఉంటున్నాయి. ఎవరైనా ఏమైనా అంటే దానిని నెగిటివ్‌గా ఆలోచించి వారిపై ఇగో పెంచుకుంటున్నారు. దీంతో ఇరువురి మధ్య మనస్పర్థలు వస్తున్నాయి. ముఖ్యంగా ఈ తరహా అంశాలు భార్యాభర్తల మధ్య చోటు చేసుకుంటున్నాయి. గతంలో ఆర్థికంగా బాగా ఉన్న సమయంలో విలాసంగా బతికేవారి కుటుంబ పరిస్థితి తారుమరు అయితే తట్టుకోలేని పరిస్థితులకు చేరుతున్నారు. విలాసాలకు చెక్‌ పెడుతుండడంతో కుటుంబంలో తరచూ తగాదాలు ఏర్పడుతున్నాయి. అంత వరకు బాగా బతికిన కుటుంబం ఒక్కసారిగా చితికిపోవడంతో సమాజంలో తమకు స్టేటస్‌ తగ్గిందనే ఆత్మన్యూనతా భావం వారిలో ఏర్పడుతుంది. దీనికి కారణం నువ్వేనంటూ భార్యాభర్తలిద్దరూ పరస్పరం నిందించుకోవడం పరిపాటిగా మారింది. ఆ తర్వాత ఇది మరింత పెరిగి ఆత్మహత్యలకు దారి తీస్తోంది. తల్లిదండ్రులను ఎదురించి పెళ్లి చేసుకున్న కుటుంబాల్లో కూడా ఇరువురి మధ్య దూరం పెరిగిపోయే పరిస్థితి కనిపిస్తోందని వైద్యులు పేర్కొంటున్నారు. పెళ్లి చేసుకుని మంచిగా బతకాలనే ఆశతో పెళ్లి చేసుకున్న దంపతులకు అనుకున్నట్లుగా పరిస్థితులు లేకపోవడంతో ఇటువంటి సంఘటనలు ఎక్కువగా చోటు చేసుకుంటున్నాయని వైద్యులు తెలిపారు.

తగ్గిన కమ్యూనికేషన్‌
భార్యాభర్తల మధ్య కమ్యూనికేషన్‌ సైతం బాగా తగ్గిపోతోంది. ఇరువురు ఉద్యోగులు అయితే వారి మధ్య దూరం మరింత పెరిగి కలిసి కూర్చుని మాట్లాడుకునే పరిస్థితులు కనిపించడం లేదు. అవసరమైతే పొడి పొడి మాటలు తప్ప, అన్యోన్యంగా పలకరించుకునే పరిస్థితులు కనిపించడం లేదని వైద్యులు పేర్కొంటున్నారు.
ఒకే ఇంటిలో ఉన్పప్పటికీ ఎవరికి వారే ఉన్నట్లుగా ఉంటున్నారు. ఎక్కువగా ఫోన్లతోనే సవ్గుయం గడుపుతున్నారని వైద్యులు పేర్కొంటున్నారు.

ఇద్దరు పనిచేయడం..
భార్యాభర్తలు ఇద్దరూ పనిచేస్తుండడంతో వారిలో మార్పులు చోటు చేసుకుంటున్నాయి. గతంలో పురుషుడు ఉద్యోగం చేసే వారు, భార్య ఇంటి విషయాలు చూసుకునేలా ఉండేవారు. కానీ.. ఇప్పుడు పరిస్థితులు మారాయి. ఇరువురు ఉద్యోగం చేస్తుండడంతో భార్యను ఇంటి మనిషిగా చూస్తుండడంతో ఆమె తట్టుకోలేని పరిస్థితిని ఎదుర్కొంటోంది. నేనూ సంపాదిస్తున్నానే ఇగో ఇద్దరిలో పెరిగి గొడవలకు దారి తీస్తోంది. ఒకవైపు ఆఫీసు పని, మరోవైపు ఇంటి పనులతో గృహిణి ఒత్తిడికి గురవుతోంది. అన్ని పనులు నేనే ఎందుకు చేయాలి.. ఆయన కూడా చేయొచ్చు కదా.. అనే భావన ఏర్పడి ఇగోతో గొడవలు పడుతున్నారు.

మాట్లాడుకునే సమయం లేక..: సుజాత రమణి, సైకాలజిస్టు, కిమ్స్‌ ఆస్పత్రి
భార్యాభర్తలు పూర్తిగా మాట్లాడుకోవడం లేదు. ఇద్దరి మధ్య అవినాభావ సంబంధాలు పెద్దగా ఉండడం లేదు. ఏదో మొక్కుబడిగా ఉన్నామా.. అంటే ఉన్నాం.. అనే ధోరణితో వ్యవహరిస్తున్నారు. ఏదైనా సమస్య వస్తే కూర్చొని మాట్లాడుకునే సమయం ఇద్దరి మధ్య ఉండడం లేదు. దీంతో పరిష్కారించుకోవాల్సిన సమస్యను పెద్దవి చేస్తుండడంతో ఘర్షణ పెరుగుతోంది. దీంతో ఇద్దరి మధ్య ఇగో అడ్డం వస్తోంది. భార్యాభర్తల మధ్య ఒత్తిడి పెరిగి ఇగోలతో రాజీకి రాలేని పరిస్థితి ఏర్పడుతోంది. ఇది క్రమేణా మనస్పర్థలకు కారణమవుతోంది.

రియలైజేషన్‌ రావడం లేదు..:డాక్టర్‌ భరత్‌కుమార్‌, సైకియాట్రిస్టు, అపోలో ఆస్పత్రి
భార్యాభర్తల మధ్య ఏవైనా తగదాలు వస్తే రియలైజేషన్‌ వచ్చేది. ఒకరికొకరు తప్పు తెలుసుకుని సర్దుకుపోయే వారు. కానీ.. ఇప్పుడు ఆ పరిస్థితుల లేవు. వయస్సు పెరుగుతున్నప్పటికీ వారిలో రియలైజేషన్‌ రావడం లేదు. ఎవరికి వారు ఏ మాత్రం తగ్గడం లేదు. ఇది కాస్తా పెరిగి నేను తగ్గడం ఎందుకనే ఇగో పెరుగుతుంది. భార్యాభర్తల మధ్య ఇగో పెరగడానికి కారణాలు తెలుసుకోవాలి. ఒకరి అభిప్రాయాలు మరొకరు అర్థం చేసుకోవాలి. సమస్యకు కారణాలు గుర్తించాలి. ఇద్దరి మధ్య ఇంటరాక్షన్‌ బాగా పెరగాలి.

International day of solidarity of journalists

International day of solidarity of journalists

8 SEPTEMBER

sunday
3.8/512345
Annually on the 8th of September is the international day of solidarity of the people of this profession, in memory of the Julius Fuchik, about famous Czech journalist who was killed in the Second World war.

Czech writer, leader of the anti-fascist movement, was executed by the Nazis on 8 September 1943 in Germany. His famous book is called "the Report with a noose around his neck", written in prison, with time, was published in 70 languages of the world.

On this day all over the world conferences, which writes the brethren shares his experience and receives awards for its sometimes quite unsafe work. The ceremony of awarding the Pulitzer prize (the most prestigious among American journalists), for example, are almost always held on 8 September.

The largest and oldest international journalist organization in the world is CAN the international organization of journalists established by representatives of 21 countries of anti-Hitler coalition on 8 June 1946. The main task of the organization has always been preserving peace and friendship through honest, truthful and free publicity. Uniting under its wing more than 400 thousand professionals from many countries of the world, we CAN accept into the ranks of the national journalists ' unions and individual members.

At one time the organization has been established by the international journalism award and the Honorary medal of the name of Julius Fucik, which are awarded to the best figures in the field of media for professional activities that promote the preservation of peace and the development of a spirit of cooperation and unity among journalists.

అవసరానికి తగ్గ కోర్సులే వుండాలి

అవసరానికి తగ్గ కోర్సులే వుండాలి
బడుల మూత

4000 బడుల మూత?
10-07-2019 03:30:48

3500 ప్రాథమిక పాఠశాలలు
500 ఉన్నత పాఠశాలలు
విద్యార్థులు, టీచర్లు ఇతర స్కూళ్లకు
టీఆర్టీ నియామకాలు కాగానే ప్రక్షాళన
విద్యార్థులు లేని బడులకు కోత
మూసివేతకు రాజస్థాన్‌ ఫార్ములా
సర్కారుకు నేడు అధికార్ల నివేదిక
త్వరలో టీచర్ల సంఘాలతో భేటీ
పదోన్నతుల తర్వాతే టీఆర్‌టీ నియామకాలు
పలు ఉపాధ్యాయ సంఘాల డిమాండ్‌
హైదరాబాద్‌, జూలై 9(ఆంధ్రజ్యోతి): తెలంగాణలో 4 వేలకు పైగా ప్రభుత్వ బడులు మూతపడనున్నాయి. సరిపడా విద్యార్థులు లేని బడులను మూసివేయాలని ప్రభుత్వం భావిస్తోంది. ఇందుకోసం రాజస్థాన్‌ ఫార్ములాను అనుసరించనున్నారు. ఐదుగురు సభ్యుల అధికారుల బృందం ఇటీవల రాజస్థాన్‌లో పర్యటించింది. అక్కడ ప్రభుత్వ పాఠశాలలు ఏ విధంగా ఉన్నాయి? ఎన్ని మూసివేశారు? ఏ అంశం ఆధారంగా మూసివేశారు? వంటి విషయాలపై ఈ బృందం అధ్యయనం చేసింది. పూర్తి నివేధికను బుధవారం ప్రభుత్వానికి అందించనుంది. రాజస్థాన్‌లో 2015 నుంచి ఇప్పటి వరకు నాలుగేళ్లలో 20 వేల ప్రభుత్వ పాఠశాలలను మూసివేశారు. 30 మంది కన్నా తక్కువ విద్యార్థులున్న పాఠశాలలను మూసివేసినట్లు మన అధికారులు గుర్తించారు. ఇక్కడ కూడా అదే ఫార్ములాను అమలు చేయనున్నారు. మూసివేసే బడుల్లో ఉన్న విద్యార్థులు, టీచర్లను ఇతర పాఠశాలలకు తరలిస్తారు. రోజూ దూరంగా ఉన్న పాఠశాలకు వచ్చే విద్యార్థులకు రవాణా చార్జీలను ప్రభుత్వం చెల్లిస్తుంది. టీచర్లను అవసరం ఉన్న పాఠశాలలకు డిప్యుటేషన్‌ మీద పంపిస్తారు.

ADVERTISEMENT


POWERED BY PLAYSTREAM


టీఆర్టీ నియామక ప్రక్రియ పూర్తయిన తర్వాత బడుల మూసివేతకు శ్రీకారం చుడతారు. ఇప్పటికే అన్ని జిల్లాల డీఈవోలకు ఆదేశాలు జారీ చేశారు. 10 మంది విద్యార్థుల లోపు ఉన్న ప్రాథమిక పాఠశాలల వివరాలను, 30 మంది లోపు ఉన్న ఉన్నత పాఠశాలల వివరాలను అందించాలని ఆదేశాలిచ్చారు. ఇప్పటికే కొన్ని జిల్లాలు సమాచారాన్ని అందించగా, మరికొన్ని జిల్లాలు కసరత్తు చేస్తున్నాయి. బడుల మూసివేతకు ఓవైపు అంతర్గత చర్యలు చేపడుతూనే పైకి మాత్రం అలాంటిదేమీ లేనట్లే వ్యవహరిస్తున్నారు. ఇటీవల ఓ ఉపాధ్యాయ సంఘం నాయకుడు పాఠశాల విద్యా కమిషనర్‌ను రాజస్థాన్‌ పర్యటనపై ఆరా తీయగా... త్వరలోనే ఉపాధ్యాయ సంఘాలతో సమావేశం నిర్వహిస్తామని, అందరి అభిప్రాయాలు పరిగణనలోకి తీసుకుంటామని హామీ ఇచ్చారు. టీఆర్టీ నియామకాలు కూడా ఎక్కువ విద్యార్థులు, తక్కువ టీచర్లు ఉన్న పాఠశాలల్లో మాత్రమే చేపట్టనున్నారు. దీంతో టీఆర్టీ నియామకాల తర్వాత బడుల రేషనలైజేషన్‌ చేసినాఇబ్బంది ఏమీ ఉండదని అధికారులు తెలిపారు. మూసివేతపై త్వరలో ఉపాధ్యాయ సంఘాలతో సమావేశం నిర్వహించనున్నారు.

4 వేల స్కూళ్లకు ముప్పు...
తెలంగాణలో 26,040 ప్రభుత్వ పాఠశాలలు ఉన్నాయి. వీటిలో 18,217 ప్రాథమిక పాఠశాలలు, 3,186 ప్రాథమికోన్నత పాఠశాలలు, 4,637 ఉన్నత పాఠశాలల ఉన్నాయి. 27.73 లక్షల మంది విద్యార్థులు చదువుకుంటున్నారు. బడులను మూసివేయాలనే విద్యాశాఖ నిర్ణయంతో తెలంగాణలో సుమారు 4 వేల పాఠశాలలకు మూసివేత ముప్పు వాటిల్లనుంది. వీటిలో ప్రాథమిక పాఠశాలలు 3500 వరకు ఉండగా, ఉన్నత పాఠశాలలు 500 వరకు ఉండే అవకాశం ఉంది. ప్రాథమిక పాఠశాలల్లో 10 కన్నా, ఉన్నత పాఠశాలల్లో 30 కన్నా తక్కువ విద్యార్థులున్న పాఠశాలలపై వేటు పడనుంది. 2018-19 విద్యా సంవత్సరంలో 3445 ప్రాథమిక పాఠశాలల్లో, 22 ఉన్నత పాఠశాలల్లో 1-15 మంది విద్యారులున్నారు. 14138 ప్రాథమిక పాఠశాల్లో, 1397 ఉన్నత పాఠశాలల్లో 16-100 మంది విద్యార్థులు ఉన్నారు. కనీసంగా 4వేల పాఠశాలలు మూతపడే అవకాశాలు కనిపించాయి. 2017-18 లెక్కల ప్రకారం 793 పాఠశాలల్లో విద్యార్థులే లేరు. వీటిలో 779 ప్రాథమిక పాఠశాలలు కాగా 11 ప్రాథమికోన్నత, 3 ఉన్నత పాఠశాలల ఉన్నాయి. 1544 పాఠశాలల్లో 1-10 మంది విద్యార్థులున్నారు. వీటిలో వీటిలో ప్రాథమిక పాఠశాలలు 1510 కాగా, ప్రాథమికోన్నత పాఠశాలలు 30, ఉన్నత పాఠశాలలు 4 ఉన్నాయి. 3,252 పాఠశాలల్లో 11-20 మంది విద్యార్థులున్నారు. వీటిలో ప్రాథమిక పాఠశాలలు 3,13, ప్రాథమికోన్నత పాఠశాలలు 96, ఉన్నత పాఠశాలలు 22 ఉన్నాయి. వీటితో పాటు 3681 పాఠశాలల్లో 21-30 మంది విద్యార్థులున్నారు. వీటిలో ప్రాథమిక పాఠశాలలు 3420, ప్రాథమికోన్నత పాఠశాలలు 217, ఉన్నత పాఠశాలలు 44 ఉన్నాయి.


బడుల మూత మానుకోవాలి
మంత్రి జగదీశ్‌రెడ్డికి విద్యా పరిరక్షణ కమిటీ విజ్ఞప్తి

ఈనాడు, హైదరాబాద్‌: విద్యార్థుల సంఖ్య తక్కువగా ఉన్నదని చెప్పి ప్రభుత్వ పాఠశాలలను మూసివేయడం, ఉపాధ్యాయ ఖాళీలను తగ్గించే చర్యలను మానుకోవాలని తెలంగాణ విద్యా పరిరక్షణ కమిటీ విద్యాశాఖ మంత్రి జగదీశ్‌రెడ్డిని కోరింది. కమిటీ ప్రతినిధుల బృందం శుక్రవారం మంత్రిని కలిసి వినతిపత్రం అందించింది. ప్రభుత్వ బడుల్లో విద్యార్థుల సంఖ్య తగ్గడం, ఇతర సమస్యల గురించి న్యాయమూర్తి, విద్యావేత్తలతో కమిటీ వేయాలని ప్రతినిధులు సూచించారు. పూర్వ ప్రాథమిక విద్యను ప్రవేశపెట్టాలని, పిల్లలకు ఉదయం, సాయంత్రం అల్పాహారం ఇచ్చి...హోం వర్క్‌ని పాఠశాలలోనే చేయించాలని, ప్రైవేట్‌ బడులను నియంత్రించాలని కమిటీ ప్రతినిధులు మంత్రికి సూచించారు. దీనికి స్పందించిన జగదీశ్‌రెడ్డి ..తమ పరిధిలో చేయగలిగినవన్నీ యుద్ధ ప్రాతిపదికన చేస్తామని తెలిపారు. మూసివేతలపై ఇప్పటివరకు ఎటువంటి నిర్ణయం తీసుకోలేదని, ఏ నిర్ణయమైనా ఉపాధ్యాయ సంఘాలు, విద్యావేత్తలతో చర్చించిన తర్వాతే తీసుకుంటామన్నారు.

‘అమ్మఒడి’తో సర్కారీ బడుల మూత?
S ,7 à 8 RSCA (si SASPAS) et 6 cialis pharmacie cialis rapports de stage.

Published Tuesday, 25 June 2019
పిల్లలను బడికి పంపే ప్రతి తల్లి బ్యాంకు ఖాతాలో రూ.15 వేలు జమచేసేలా ‘అమ్మఒడి’ పథకం అమలు చేస్తానని వైకాపా అధినేత జగన్ ఎన్నికల ముందు హామీ ఇచ్చారు. ముఖ్యమంత్రి పదవిని చేపట్టిన అనంతరం ఆ హామీని అమలు చేస్తానని ఆయన స్పష్టం చేశారు. ముఖ్యమంత్రి జగన్ ఆలోచన మేరకు ప్రభుత్వ, ప్రైవేటు పాఠశాలల్లో చదివే పిల్లలందరికీ ‘అమ్మఒడి’ వర్తింపజేస్తామని అధికారులు ప్రకటించారు. పేదవర్గాల తల్లిదండ్రులకు ఇదొక వరమే. ఇది ప్రభుత్వానికి అదనపుభారం అని చాలామంది అనుకోవచ్చు. అయితే, కేంద్ర ప్రభుత్వం ద్వారా ప్రభుత్వ పాఠశాలల నిర్వహణకు ఒక్కో జిల్లాకు రూ.300- 400 కోట్ల వరకు నిధులు విడుదలవుతాయి. ఆ లెక్కలను సమగ్రంగా పరిశీలిస్తే ఏ ఒక్క జిల్లాలో కూడా పూర్తిస్థాయిలో పాఠశాలలకు గ్రాంట్లు వినియోగించిన దాఖలాలు లేవనే చెప్పవచ్చు. అలాంటప్పుడు ఆ నిధులను అమ్మఒడి పథకం ద్వారా విద్యార్థులకు వినియోగించుకునే అవకాశం లేకపోలేదని నిపుణుల అభిప్రాయం. అమ్మఒడి పథకాన్ని ప్రైవేటు పాఠశాలల్లోని విద్యార్థులకూ వర్తింపజేయడం వల్ల ప్రభుత్వ ప్రాథమిక పాఠశాలల మనుగడ కష్టమేనన్న అభిప్రాయాలు వ్యక్తమవుతున్నాయి. విద్యాహక్కు చట్టప్రకారం దారిద్య్రరేఖకు దిగువన వున్న 25 శాతం విద్యార్థులను ప్రైవేటు పాఠశాలల్లో చేర్చుకోవాల్సి వుంది. ప్రైవేటు పాఠశాలల్లో చదివే ఆ 25 శాతం మందికే ‘అమ్మఒడి’ని వర్తింపజేస్తే బాగుంటుందన్నది కూడా చర్చనీయాంశంగా మారింది. పిల్లలను ప్రైవేటు పాఠశాలలకు పంపే మధ్యతరగతి కుటుంబీకులైతే తాము చెల్లించే ఫీజులకు కొంత డబ్బు కలిసొస్తుందని ప్రైవేటు పాఠశాలల వైపు మొగ్గుచూపే అవకాశాలు లేకపోలేదు. పట్టణాలు, నగరాల్లో వున్న ప్రైవేటు పాఠశాలల్లో చదివే విద్యార్థులకు అమ్మఒడి ద్వారా అందే మొత్తం ఫీజులకు చాలకపోవచ్చు. గ్రామీణ స్థాయిల్లో ప్రైవేటు పాఠశాలల్లో ఏడాదికి రూ. 15వేలకే ఒకటి నుంచి 5వ తరగతి వరకు చదివించే వారు లేకపోలేదు. ఆంధ్రప్రదేశ్‌లో సుమారు 1700 కంటే ఎక్కువగా ప్రభుత్వ ప్రాథమిక పాఠశాలలున్నాయి. గ్రామీణ ప్రాంతాల్లో తగినంత మంది విద్యార్థులు లేక ఇప్పటికే చాలా పాఠశాలలు మూతపడి, లక్షలు విలువ చేసే భవనాలు నిరుపయోగంగా వున్నాయి. చాలా ప్రాంతాల్లో 10 నుంచి 20 మంది విద్యార్థులున్న ప్రాథమిక పాఠశాలలు లేకపోలేదు. అమ్మఒడి పథకం ద్వారా లభించే నగదు ప్రోత్సాహకాలతో గ్రామీణ ప్రాంతాల వారు తమ పిల్లల్ని ప్రైవేటు పాఠశాలల్లో చేర్చించే పరిస్థితి వుంది. ఈ నేపధ్యంలో గ్రామీణ ప్రాంతాల్లో మరిన్ని ప్రాథమిక పాఠశాలలు మూతపడే అవకాశాలు లేకపోలేదు. కార్పొరేట్ పాఠశాలలకు దీటుగా ప్రభుత్వ పాఠశాలలను తీర్చిదిద్దుతానని ముఖ్యమంత్రి చెబుతున్నారు. అయితే, అమ్మఒడి పథకం వల్ల ప్రభుత్వ ప్రాథమిక పాఠశాలలు మూతపడే అవకాశాలున్నందున ముఖ్యమంత్రి ఆశయం ఎలా నెరవేరుతుంది?


ఏపీలో 9,200 సర్కార్ బడుల మూత?

Wed,August 1, 2018 12:22 AM
9200 Sarkar boxes lid in AP
-హేతుబద్ధీకరణ పేరుతో స్కూళ్ల విలీనం
హైదరాబాద్, నమస్తే తెలంగాణ: విద్యార్థులు తక్కువగా ఉన్నారనే సాకుతో ఏపీలో ప్రభుత్వ పాఠశాలల మూసివేతకు రంగం సిద్ధమవుతున్నది. ఈ ఏడాది దాదాపుగా 9,200 స్కూళ్లను మూసివేసేందుకు ప్రణాళికలు తయారుచేస్తున్నట్టు తెలిసింది. పాఠశాలల్లో విద్యార్థుల సంఖ్య తక్కువగా ఉంటున్నదని, వాటిని పక్కనున్న ప్రాథమికోన్నత పాఠశాలలో విలీనం చేయాలని నిర్ణయించి అందుకు అనుగుణంగా చర్యలు చేపట్టింది. గత ఏడాది ఇదే కారణంతో దాదాపు 4 వేల స్కూళ్లను మూసేసింది. విద్యార్థుల సంఖ్య తక్కువగా ఉన్న పాఠశాలలను గుర్తించే పనిని ఉపాధ్యాయులకు అప్పగించిన ప్రభుత్వం ప్రాథమికోన్నత పాఠశాలలను ఎత్తివేసి ఉన్నతపాఠశాలల్లో విలీనం చేసేందుకు చర్యలు చేపట్టినట్టు సమాచారం. గత ఏడాది విద్యార్థుల సంఖ్య 30 కంటే తక్కువగా ఉన్న పాఠశాలలను మూసివేసిన ప్రభుత్వం ఈ ఏడాది 60 కంటే తక్కువగా ఉన్నవాటిసి మూసివేసేందుకు సిద్ధమైనట్టు తెలుస్తున్నది. 60 కంటే తక్కువగా ఉన్న పాఠశాలలు ఏపీలో 17,690 ఉన్నట్టు విద్యాశాఖాధికారులు ప్రభుత్వానికి నివేదించినట్టు తెలుస్తున్నది. విద్యాశాఖ నిర్ణయం ప్రకారమైతే ఈ పాఠశాలలన్నీ మూతపడే అవకాశాలున్నాయి.

అవసరానికి తగ్గ కోర్సులే వుండాలి

అవసరానికి తగ్గ కోర్సులే వుండాలి

https://epaper.andhrajyothy.com/c/41229865

Norms, Normality, and Normativity

Norms, Normality, and Normativity
Lisa Wade, PhD on September 23, 2016
Flashback Friday.

Sociologists distinguish between the terms norm, normal, and normative.

The norm refers to what is common or frequent.  For example, celebrating Christmas is the norm in America.

Normal is opposed to abnormal.  Even though celebrating Christmas is the norm, it is not abnormal to celebrate Hanukkah.  To celebrate Hanukkah is perfectly normal.

In contrast to both of these, normative refers to a morally-endorsed ideal. Some Americans make a normative argument that Americans should celebrate Christmas because they believe (wrongly) that this is a Christian country.

A thing can be the norm but not be normative. For example, a nuclear family with a married man and woman and their biological children is normative in the U.S., but it is certainly not the norm. Likewise, something can be normal but not the norm. It’s perfectly normal, for example, to date people of the same sex (so say the scientists of our day), but it’s not the norm. And something can be both normal and the norm, but not be normative, like Americans’ low rates of physical activity.

These three terms do not always work in sync, which is why they’re interesting.

I thought of these distinctions when I looked at a submission by Andrew, who blogs at Ethnographer. Bike lanes in Philadelphia used to be designated with this figure:

Today, however, they’re designated by this one:

Do you see the difference? The new figures are wearing bike helmets. The addition is normative. It suggests that bikers should be wearing bike helmets. It may or may not be the norm, and it certainly isn’t normal or abnormal either way, but the city of Philadelphia is certainly attempting to make helmets normative.

Originally posted in 2010.

Lisa Wade, PhD is a professor at Occidental College. She is the author of American Hookup, a book about college sexual culture, and a textbook about gender. You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

6 Things Single Women Still Can’t Do And It’s 2018

6 Things Single Women Still Can’t Do And It’s 2018
By Ayushmita Samal -July 23, 201844183
 Subscribe to FII's WhatsApp
As women, we have continuously been told that we need to ‘fit in’ or ‘blend into’ the spectrum of the societal expectations and norms. The life of a woman is measured by the number of expectations she has stood up to. Regardless of the success she might have tasted in her professional work, she is subject to being judged and labelled by some of the simple choices that she makes. Remaining unmarried is one such choice. However, in our country, there is a lot that a single woman has to go through, by the simple virtue of being unmarried.

1. Restrictions on entering clubs and pubs in Gurugram
After a raid conducted by the Police on the MG Road area of Gurugram on 3rd July 2018, single women are being denied entry into pubs and nightclubs. The raids were conducted to check the alleged solicitation and immoral trafficking, and the club owners decided that the easiest way to avoid a repeat was to ban single women in the premises.


Single women are being barred from entering pubs and nightclubs in Gurgaon.
Image Source: Daily Mail
This ‘no-single-women’ policy disallows women who are not accompanied by their husbands or fiancés to enter these nightclubs and pubs. According to the club owners, the best way to avoid trouble is not ensuring that no illegal practices take place, but by barring women from enjoying their freedom. One of the club owners said that they have strict directions from the police to not allow any single woman to enter the clubs though they do have any written direction.

2. You need your guardian’s permission to travel abroad
Single women travelling alone in India are subject to a lot of harassment from their family raising brows over their safety to the difficulty in finding accommodation. To add to their plight, a No Objection Certificate from their guardians is usually asked by the travel agents. Guardians here, in case of single women refers to her immediate male family members. For married women who are travelling alone, they require an NOC from their husbands.

When a woman from Bangalore was asked to furnish an NOC from her husband by her agent in January 2015, it triggered public uproar citing discrimination. The officials dodged the demands by citing that there were certain ‘rules’ that they had to follow. Nobody, however, was sure who wrote these rules down, the police, embassy officials, or patriarchal norms that agents follow.

3. Single women are denied hotel rooms
The issue of biases passed at female solo travelers is not new. Every now and then, one comes across reports of prejudices that single women have to face while travelling. Another problem that single women go through while travelling is the difficulty of finding hotel rooms, especially in South Asian countries. 


In June 2017, Nupur Saraswat recounted her struggles with a hotel in Hyderabad in a Facebook post.
Image Source: The Indian Express
In June 2017, a spoken word artist from Singapore was denied a hotel room in Hyderabad owing to her being a woman solo traveler. The manager said that the police had earlier stated that the area is ‘unsafe’ for single women, this being the reason why they apply a ‘No Single Women’ policy on all their visitors. How is woman’s safety ensured in an unsafe area by denying her an accommodation is beyond what a rational mind can perceive.

4. Single women are not allowed mobile phones in many parts of rural India
What comes as a surprise in the millennial age of smart-phones, is that single women in many parts of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh are not allowed to have mobile phones by their village heads. The situation came into limelight in February 2016, when a village in Gujarat banned mobile phones for single women and girls. They could use phones only if they wished to talk to their relatives, under the supervision of someone who is allowed to use a phone. The argument made in the favor of this step was that girls and single women should focus more on their education and not indulge in addictive activities like using a mobile phone. This comes in a country where female literacy rate stands at 65.46%, as compared to the 82.14% for their male counterpart.

5. Single women face difficulty in finding accommodation
In a report published earlier this year, 82% of the single women who are also working professionals in India have to face a lot of difficulty and stigma while looking for an accommodation in Indian cities. Cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and Hyderabad, where thousands of young professionals flock to every year, for a career, have proved to be particularly hostile towards single women. Awkward questions, lewd comments, questions raised on a persons’s character only begin the narrative of horror stories faced by single women in our country.


Bachelor Girls, a documentary on being a single woman in India.
Image Source: Youtube Find the documentary here
In 2016, a documentary film was released by Shikha Makan, who had interviewed over 300 young single women in India who told tales of the difficulty they faced while trying to find an accommodation. While there is no law whatsoever pertaining to the special care taken by the brokers and owners of flats and other accommodation in our country, it is pretty evident that the life of a single woman is no cakewalk.

6. Restrictions on the possession of gold
Among the many things that single women cannot do just because they are single, is the restriction put on the amount of gold they can have. If the gold possessed by a person does not match their known income or inheritance, a married woman can have 500 gm of gold, while a single woman can have only 250 gm.

These are only some of the ways that single women in our country face discrimination based on their marital status. What is even astonishing is the fact that most of these are not even laws. They are just rules passed by satellite organisations of the government without proper review or debate, or the moral police who live around us. This just adds to the systematic oppression and biases against single women.

The everyday discrimination faced by single women stands testimony to the notion that women ‘belong’ to, first their fathers and then their husbands. In 2018, when all of us are talking so vehemently against the oppression of women, the 71 million population of single women should not be ignored.

Also read: Why Do Single, Independent Women Still Scare People So Much?

Why Do Single, Independent Women Still Scare People So Much?
By Amreen Gill -December 23, 201636732
 Subscribe to FII's WhatsApp
For as long as I can remember, I have tried to silence this nagging voice inside my head. It says mean things that seem to get meaner as I make my way through life and the inevitability of experience lends credence to its claims: “You will never be a whole person because you are a woman. Every one of your battles will be an uphill one because you are a woman. Yours will be just another voice silenced among many others because you are a woman. You were a disappointment to those who gave you life because you are a woman. And no amount of accolades or achievements you amass will ever change the fact that you are a woman.”

Before you go on and start feeling sorry for me, I should tell you that my life so far hasn’t been a battlefield, despite what my current state of mind and opening paragraph would have you believe. Born and raised in an upper middle-class family in Punjab, I have had quite a holistic upbringing. Some people who have known me as a child have gone so far as to claim that I was quite the little brat. That I got away with many things and have been thoroughly pampered all my life by virtue of being my parents’ first child. They usually go a step further and add “in spite of you being a girl…” in some shape or form in their anecdotes, but this is not going to be a rant against them. As luck and self-love would have it, in spite of being a girl (the horror…) I have grown up without the slightest doubt as to the love my family has for me.

My beef is not with easily shocked groups of people. India is full of them. It is with the systematic perpetuation and practice of archaic ideas and philosophies in our culture that have more often than not put me at odds with the very people I love and care about the most. And, as a 28-year-old single independent woman, I have this sinking feeling that my battle has only just begun.

I have moved countries twice in my lifetime, graduated top of my class with an MBA, gotten myself in and out of debt, successfully changed multiple career paths, and even found my true calling in life as a writer with a full-time day job—but all my conversations with my mother inevitably boil down to whether or not I am trying to look for a suitable matrimonial match.

In our culture, it isn’t just a piece of gossip for a young woman to be single into her late twenties; it is an act of defiance against the social order.

I will admit to the fact that every time my mom puts it that way, it only fuels me more to continue down this road of self-actualization and independence. Who doesn’t like the idea of being a rebel!

But there is more to it than my childhood fantasy of being a pioneer. Truth be told, it is a problem that sometimes feels too big for one person to take on. It isn’t just the sly remarks of your once-dear friends, cousins, extended family, even colleagues, expressing incredulity at your “not-married” status, but the deeper subliminal messaging in the voices of disappointed parents and mentors who, despite being highly educated in their own right, feel the constant need to conform to the archaic edicts of their society.

In most of our conversations about my “defiance,” my mom resorts to old-school emotional blackmailing, when phrases like “Because that is how it is!” and “What will people think?” fail to shake me enough to change my mind. And she is not your run-of-the-mill downtrodden woman who never got an education. No! She is a strong woman who has always stood up for injustices against her and others, with a voice as assertive as it is incisive.

I even heard her flip out on my dad once for blaming a fictional TV character for her choice of wardrobe and how it may have caused her to get raped at a late-night party. My mom did not rest until she made my dad feel terribly sorry for making such a nonchalant remark about such a serious issue. “Unacceptable!” she pronounced it. But when it comes to the matter of her daughter striving to be her own complete person, her voice falters quite noticeably.

Tonight, we had the same conversation again, and I felt compelled to say something to her that I don’t like to bring up too often if I can help it. I said, “Of all the people in the world, I expect you to be my rock and shield…you, who were forced to give up your dreams and career in the name of children that weren’t just yours…you, who weren’t allowed to follow your passion in music because the patriarch of the family considered singing to be ‘a deplorable profession for a daughter of a respectable family” …you, who have suffered injustices at the hands of a society that believes in keeping a woman in ‘her place..'”

There was nothing but silence on her end for quite some time, and then she said, “Why are you doing this to me? To us? Is this how you repay the kindness of parents who have allowed you to do and have everything in your life? Girls your age have kids here…and you…”

I know that a lot of hurtful things will be said and done before this matter is put to rest, but I also know that I cannot abandon this battle now or at any other point in my life. I cannot be another “could-have-been-this” or “could-have-done-that” woman, forced to take to her heart beliefs that go against her very basic nature and the simplest notions of justice and equality.

At the end of the day, in my own extremely grassroots and minuscule way, I am not just fighting for myself, but for countless women across the globe who are born, live, and die every day in the sincerest and the most vilely perpetuated belief that they are not a whole person on their own, that their life has no rhyme or reason without service to a man: whether in the capacity of a daughter, a sister, a wife, or a mother.

My life will be governed as any other independent man’s—by my own free will.

Voltaire and Rousseau

Voltaire and Rousseau

June 17, 2014, 11:00 PM IST Markandey Katju in Satyam Bruyat | India | TOI

Voltaire (1696-1778) and Rousseau (1712-1778) are the two main intellectual creators of modern Europe. They both attacked feudalism, which was the prevailing system in France of that time. They complemented each other, Voltaire emphasizing reason, and Rousseau emphasizing emotion.

Voltaire admired the scientific progress of the age, and denounced Christian superstitions. He was a product and populizer of the Enlightenment, its interest in science, its belief in natural rights, human reason, and human perfectability, and he attacked the irrational ideas and institutions of the 18th Century. Against organized Christianity, whether Catholic or Protestant, he made particularly sharp thrusts, repeatedly calling it l’infame’, and using the battle-cry ‘Ecrasez l’infame’ (crush the infamy). To him all priests were imposters, all miracles were illusions, and all revelations were human inventions, and he used the weapon of satire to inveigh against them (see his books, ‘Candide’, ‘Zadig’, etc). He was a strong advocate of freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and tolerance, and condemned religious bigotry.

Rousseau believed that natural man was not the dangerous, selfish brute imagined by Hobbes but was a virtuous being, a ‘noble savage’. In his ‘ Discourse on the Origin of Inequality’, Rousseau tried to show how vanity, greed and selfishness had entered the hearts of the ‘noble savages’, how the strongest had fenced off plots of land for themselves and forced the weak to acknowledge the right of private property. This, he said, was the real origin of inequality among men

In his most famous book “The Social Contract’ Rousseau propounded his theory of the ‘general will’ (volonte generale), which really meant popular sovereignty. This was a revolutionary theory for that time. The feudal theory was that the king was supreme, and the people being his subjects must obey him. Rousseau’s theory reversed this relationship between the state and the people. According to Rousseau, it was the people who were supreme, and all state authorities were only servants of the people.

While the thinkers of the Enlightenment, Voltaire, Diderot, Holbach, Helvetius, etc emphasized on reason, Rousseau emphasized on emotion. He was of the view that reason alone, without passion (to fight against injustice) was sterile. It was Rousseau’s philosophy which triumphed in the French Revolution (1789).

Those wishing to know more about Voltaire and Rousseau may read Will Durant’s ‘The Story of Civilization’ : “The Age of Voltaire’, and ‘Rousseau and Revolution’.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

Sleeping with your coworkers can be a tricky business.

Office Sex: 10 Men And Women Share Their Workplace Tryst Stories
Emma Gray
The Huffington Post

https://www.huffingtonpost.in/2013/05/30/office-sex-stories-sleeping-with-coworkers_n_3361790.html


Sleeping with your coworkers can be a tricky business. (Just ask Melanie Griffith halfway through "Working Girl.") But according to a recent survey conducted by Business Insider, a whole lot of people get romantically (or physically) involved with their colleagues.

We were curious about the realities of office sex -- did most people have positive experiences? Terrible ones? Were these interactions just sexual flings or did they turn into extended romantic relationships? So we asked HuffPost readers, both male and female, to chime in and share their stories.

"Sometimes we give each other that look of 'if only they knew.'"

He technically isn’t a co-worker, we just work in the same building. All the women in the building talk about him and how good looking he is. I obviously agreed, though I never thought that flashing a smile here and there and having quick flirty conversations every once in awhile would lead to anything. Eventually, he asked me out and we went out a couple of times before we hooked up. It isn't anything serious and it’s still going on. We both agreed that we would NEVER mention our situation to anyone at work because people would most definitely gossip about us. When we are around each other at work, we just act normal and sometimes we give each other that look of "if only they knew."
I don’t think there is anything wrong [with office sex] if you can keep your work and personal life separate. I think our arrangement works because we aren't look to be in a relationship, we are just having fun.

--24-year-old woman, Boston

"The thought of doing it right there where people work was intense"

We had just started dating and we worked in a computer room. We first worked together -- she was my supervisor. Then she was transferred to a different department but still worked in the same computer room. A couple of things happened. We worked nights frequently. We would flirt around constantly, playing little games like giving each other dirty handwritten notes or playing grab-a** as we passed by each other while no one was looking. One night when the two of us were alone in the office the games started getting really heavy we were outside of the computer room in an open office area and she laid down on the floor then we stripped each other's clothes off just enough. And then we started having sex. It was a bit tough at times because she complained about the carpet on her body and it was hurting my knees as well. But it was so hot that [the carpet] didn't stop us. The thought of doing it right there where people work was intense. Afterwards when we would see each other in the area during the day we'd give each other an evil grin -- like, "oh yeah we did!"
--50-year-old man, California

"Dynamics change when sex is involved"

Dan took me under his wing at my first attempt at working retail; fresh out of college I thought I'd struck workplace gold. He was a year or two younger than me but we shared similar interests and he was approachable enough to ask questions when I couldn't figure something out. After a few months, our flirty exchanges had grown into a friendship. One day Dan asked me on a date after work, and I accepted not thinking much of it. I had just gotten out of a bad relationship and I could use a drink or five.
I'd never dated a co-worker, never thought I would, and I definitely didn't want to date him. Dan was cute enough to flirt with when work got boring and nice enough to talk to on a break, but that was it. We had a few drinks too many, one thing led to the other and next thing you know we are romping in his bedroom somewhere in Jersey. My first one night stand (because I wouldn't do that again) and my first and only fling with him. The next morning I woke up casually, pulled myself together and he escorted me all the way back into the city. I knew he wanted something more, and that was something I just couldn't give him. I'd made it clear to him that that day was a one-time deal.

Things at work got weird. His demeanor toward me shifted. He would get mad at me in front of clients if I took too long to respond to him, if I seemed uninterested or if I was plain too busy with work. I confronted him about how unprofessional it was and he'd say "sorry" but would continue making comments here and there, giving me dirty looks, or confronting about things in fits of jealousy. After this experience I am wary of creating any sort of relationship other than a professional one with co-workers. Things tend to get tricky when you spend so many hours of your day around a set of people and dynamics somehow change when sex is involved.

--25-year-old woman, Miami

"The interview almost immediately felt like a date"

I needed a job quickly as I had just gotten laid off from an office job. I found myself outside the doors of a restaurant. I was reluctant, but went in an applied for a job. I was interviewed my the manager on the spot, [and the] interview almost immediately felt like a date. It was casual with lots of laughter and I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation.
Four months later, I received a phone call around 8 o'clock from this manager. We spoke for quite literally 12 hours. The very next night, I was over his apartment and it feels like I have never left since. I ended up moving to a new restaurant as my staying would jeapordize his job -- but we've been married for a year and together for six years!

--28-year-old woman, Arizona

"Everything was fine -- until we broke up"

So I was a professional musical theater actress for a while and I was dating a fellow cast member during a dance-intensive show. Everything was fine -- until we broke up. Since he was the largest man and I was the smallest woman in the cast, we had many dance lifts together during the show, the sort of death defying pick-you-up-and-spin-you-over-my-head sort. Needless to say, he got vindictive and dropped me several times during rehearsal. It was childish and stupid, and gave me more than a few bumps and bruises. I wouldn't recommend dating your lift partner. Believe me, it doesn't turn out well. Fortunately the director took note and he wasn't given dance roles after that.
--23-year-old woman, Seattle

"Today he is still with his wife and I have raised our son singlehandedly."

I 'hooked up' with a co-worker. We both worked for a large, multi-national company. Many of the (male) staff spent their week away from home and returned home over the weekend. We ended up sharing a house and I used to take him to the airport on Friday evenings and pick him up on Monday morning! That was over 20 years ago. Today he is still with his wife and I have raised our son singlehandedly.
[My son is] a successful young man now at university getting a math degree. He has never seen or spoken to his father! Will they ever meet? How would his father feel? How would my son feel? I loved my son's father and don’t know if we will ever meet again. Life has gone on and my son has only ever bought me joy. He is a product of an affair, illegitimate and unplanned. Yet this has never been an obstacle in his life or prevented him from being the intelligent, kind, funny and successful young man that he is. My heart has ached over the years but now it has healed.

--53-year-old woman, England

"I cheated on my boyfriend with one of the managers at my old job"

I cheated on my boyfriend with one of the managers at my old job. I ended up breaking it off with my boyfriend and marrying my manager! When my boss found out we were dating, my hours were cut from 20+ hours a week to five hours a week. He also made my time there absolutely miserable so I quit and found a new job: motherhood.
--21-year-old woman, Seattle

"Perks of the job, I suppose"

When I got my first job after uni (managing a small country pub), I had a few female co-workers. One I fancied like mad but she wasn't interested. Another was young and impressionable, and I'll happily admit was infatuated with me. We often shared drinks after work and spent the nights on the sofa in the bar.
Perks of the job, I suppose!

--25-year-old man, England

"Our relationship was against company policy, so we had to keep it hidden"

I've slept with a co-worker. We were in college, we had all the same friends and [we] hung out after work. One night after a handle of vodka the inevitable happened. In fact, it happened about four times that night. And then every day after that. We broke up a few weeks later. Working together was so awkward. He brought another girl to work one evening and I freaked out a little.
We got back together. He got promoted. Our relationship was against company policy, so we had to keep it hidden, even from our friends that we saw every night. [Eventually], he quit his job and we "came out" at the company party. Everyone was shocked. We've been together eight years and got married in February!

--30-year-old woman, Houston

"The entire time, my mind kept repeating, 'this is bad, you shouldn't be doing this'"

I am very conscious about keeping my personal and professional lives separate. However, one night, a co-worker and I ended up grabbing a couple drinks. It was meant to be just a couple post-work drinks, vent about the day, etc., but those drinks took us to a dark, poorly-lit bar oozing with sexual chemistry and pockets of isolation.
Then, one of those movie moments happened: he put his hand around my waist, I put mine on his shoulder. He looked down at me and I looked up, and then, it happened -- this incredible, inappropriate, "I know I shouldn't be doing this" kiss. It then morphed into, "let's go to your place" which then led to the most erotic, shameful and amazing sex I'd had up until that point. The entire time, my mind kept repeating "this is bad, you shouldn't be doing this, this is just stupid" but my body was loving every second of it. I haven't indulged since, but it's definitely one of the most intense experiences I've had.

--30-year-old woman, Oregon

Suggest a correction
Emma GrayThe Huffington Post

Sex in the Workplace

twenty six
A blog by writer Andrew Hutchinson
ABOUT
BLOG
WORK
CREATIVE INFLUENCES
PRESS
Sex in the Workplace
The simple explanation would be that my husband and I were married, I started to work nights, he couldn’t live with that, and we got divorced. Simple as that. But the real story has more to it. The real story is what saw me holding a reference note from my husband in the middle of the street outside our house, the rain sticking my clothes to me. Him inside, sitting at his desk. The real story is this.

Just after my husband and I married I finished my studies and got my first job, a low paying job with bad hours. For this job, I would be working at night. My husband didn’t like this, with him working days and all, as we got to see a lot less of each other. One day I said to my husband that he sould come in and visit me at work because it’s at night and no one is there but me so maybe he should come in and have my dinner break with me. I showed him the office, the deserted desks where people worked all day, computer screen savers lighting up small family photos and cheap ornaments. My husband said that he’d been missing me at home and kissed my neck. My husband said he’d always wanted to have sex at work, up against the photocopier, like those office party stories. He lifted my skirt up, bunched it up onto my hips, his belt jingling to his ankles. And no-one else is around at night, except us. The adrenalin rush at the risk of getting caught having sex in the workplace He unbottoned my work shirt, dropped his underwear to his ankles. And he took me under the flickering flourescent tube light above.

It was two days later at work when my husband called. He asked if there was anyone there, if maybe he could come have dinner break with me again. I laughed, told him no, that was a once off. He called again the next night, same thing, said he really liked it, having sex in the workplace, that he didn’t know what it was about it. He called the next night too. Said he was out and it was on his way home, if I wanted him to stop by. Said that he missed seeing my beautiful eyes. He always said he loved my eyes, always said they demanded attention. That he could get lost staring into them.

On a weekend was when it started, when we were at home. My husband was kissing my skin, unbuttoning my jeans, lifting his t-shirt off. My husband led me into the bedroom, lay me down, took his pants off then stopped, looked around the room for a second. He turned the computer in the corner of the bedroom on, let it go to screen saver, then returned to me, slid my underwear off over my ankles. He said nothing about this. Afterwards, I watched the animated screen light up a photo of us that sat by the keyboard. My husband was asleep, his breath on my naked shoulder.

This is when it started.

My husband rang me at work again that week, asked if he could come in. I told him, no, not laughing this time, told him it was seriously a once off, and that it would not happen again. He asked if I was sure. He asked if maybe he could just come in for a little while. No, I told him. He told me agina how he really liked having sex in the office, how he couldn’t explain it. He rang two more times that week, then stopped.

There was a water cooler in my loungeroom when I came home. A water cooler, just like the one at work. It was humming and bubbling to itself over next to the counch against the wall. Tiny plastic cups waiting to be used. My husband walked by me, said hello, then went straight to the water cooler, filled a plastic cup.

‘It came in yesterday, do you like it?’ He asked.

‘Baby, why do we need a water cooler, we have water taps here’

‘Yeah, but not this spring water stuff, I watched  TV report on it, it’s really good for you.’

‘But we don’t drink that much water’

‘That’s right, not enough. I’ll bet you use the one at work though, cause it’s there. Well, now there’s one here too, just like it.’ My husband took a sip, let out a satisfied ‘ahh’.

On saturday morning my husband woke up at eight thirty. He had showered and was dressed in his business suit, straightening his tie in the mirror.

‘Where are you going?’ I, half awake, asked.

‘Oh, no where, just making sure I look nice for my lady’ He smiled over at me. The computer behind him was turned on, it’s screen saver darting across the monitor. There was a new whiteboard up on the wall beside it.

‘I’m gonna’ do some paperwork today, bills and stuff, what are you going to do Mrs. Butler?’ With my eyes still half open, I stared back at him. I said nothing about this. I stumbled into the hallway, past the bathroom which smelled of fresh deodorant, and stubbed my toe on a box. My husband came to me, hearing my cursing it’s presence.

‘Oh, sorry about that honey, I’ll make sure it’s moved ASAP.’ As the pain flooded reality to me two things flashed into my mind. The first was, why the hell was there a box for a photocopier in my hallway?

The second, why did my husband just say ‘ASAP’?

Later that night, my husband, still in his business suit, he ran his hand along my skin in the kitchen.

‘Oh, Mrs. Butler’, he whispered to me, his hand now moving along my thigh. ‘Mrs. Butler, I need to see you.’ His words tingled onto my neck. My husband turned me to face him, kissed me, then stepped back, smiled.

‘Meet me in my office, Mrs. Butler.’

‘Why are you calling me that?’

‘Just go with it baby, for me.’ He said, leading the way. My husband strode into our bedroom, loosened the tie around his neck, put something into the new photocopier then turned to me.

‘Mrs. Butler, we need to talk. It’s about your dress sense.’ I looked down at myself, a t-shirt loose across my body, tracksuit pants for around the house.

‘What are you…?’

‘Please, baby,’ My husband broke out of his character for a moment. ‘Just go with it’. And though I could not justify it in my mind, he looked so happy. So excited. His obsession with sex in the workplace was overflowing slightly, but maybe this once it would be okay. Maybe.

‘So, Mrs. Butler, you are really not meeting the dress standards of our office.’ My husband leaned back on the photocopier, the bright light sliding across beneath the lid.

‘I am sorry, Mr. Butler.’ I said, playing the role. ‘Very sorry.’

‘Well’ My husband picked up a plastic cup from by the copier. ‘I’m going to have to ask you to take that t-shirt off.’

The photocopier beeped. It’s job was done.

It was another week before things took the next step. Our bedroom was now flooded with paper trays, stationery and pictures of cartoon which had things like ‘Don’t ever give up’ and ‘I hate Mondays’ written on them. My husband called me into his office early, criticised my clothing, then told me to pay some bills. Immediately.

‘Look, you’re starting to…’

‘Babe,’ My husband reasoned. ‘Please, just go with it.’ And he kissed my forehead. ‘Now, pay those bills or we may have to have a serious talk.’

The TV in the lounge room was on the news channel. always on the news channel, no exceptions. The photocopier was noisily flashing back and forth in the corner. The water coolrt bubbling. And here we were, in what was once our home. Now, a workplace that produced nothing. My husband CEO of the Nothing Corporation, sitting at his desk. He asked me ‘What are you getting up to on the weekend?.’ My husband, who I loved.

He’d ordered two new computers for the kitchen.

On a Thursday my husband called me into the office, criticised my clothes, then sat me down.

‘Our business is expanding.’ He told me. ‘Our needs becoming more diverse. So, it’s time we took the next step.’

‘Okay, look, this has gone…’

‘Please be quiet, Mrs. Butler.’ My husband snapped. ‘Now, I have ordered a new desk and have placed an ad in the paper this week.’ My husband, the CEO, flipped a newspaper in front of me, a job ad highlighted.

                Secretary/Admin. Must be confident, professional in appearance, have good typing speed (60 WPM) and have eyes that demand attention. Call during business hours.

‘What?’ I stood over him. ‘A secretary? What for? We don’t have an actual business here. You’ve gone too far with this. I mean, you’re starting to lose your grip.’

‘Mrs. Butler.’

‘No, don’t do it. Just stop with this. Babym I love you, but this is too much. I mean, what is a secretary going to do?’

‘Mrs. Butler.’ y husband spoke calmly.

‘No, no more Mrs. Butler. That’s it. I’m done with this. this is our home.’ My husband stood staring at me, then looked around the office.

‘You’re done with this?’ He asked, looking at what was once our bedroom. ‘You’re done, Mrs. Butler?’ His eyes met mine. ‘You’re done?’ He yelled. ‘Fine. You’re fired.’

For a moment I struggled for words.

‘I’m what?’

‘Fired, Mrs. Butler, you can pack your things, I will give you a good letter of reference. Good luck.’

And that’s how it happened. Me standing in the rain, a reference note from the CEO of nothing in my hand. Him working away inside. The real story. I never saw him again. But I have seen his ad in the paper, still looking for the perfect business partner to share his empire with. Someone with eyes that demand attention. He changed one thing on it though. It now has a title, his little job ad, in bold print above the description:

‘Seeking Mrs. Butler.’

Individual purpose and universal meaning

The best of Fred Hutchison
Individual purpose and universal meaning
FacebookTwitterGoogle+
Fred Hutchison, RenewAmerica analyst
August 30, 2012

Originally published January 7, 2005

Happiness cannot be long sustained unless one lives a life of meaning and purpose. How does one obtain a strong sense of meaning and purpose? Meaning is derived from things which are transcendent and universal. Such things are not accessible to the individual unless man has a nature that is universal to all people. Purpose comes from the idea that the individual is uniquely designed for a special destiny. One has a destiny for which one was created and to which one is called. A universal nature and a special design sound contradictory, but they are actually complimentary. It is difficult to sustain a sense of individual purpose without a source of meaning. Meaning can seem irrelevant if it is not expressed in or connected to a purpose.

Meaning

Meaning is derived from God, from universal truths, and from solidarity with one's fellows. One cannot enjoy human solidarity unless there are traits that are universal among all people. There can be no accessible universal truths without a universal human nature. There cannot be One God for all people and universal truths which impart meaning unless there is a universal human nature. The existence of universal truths and a universal human nature is powerful circumstantial evidence for the existence of God. Those involved in Christian apologetics, take note!

In my youth, I heard a man say, "My life has meaning because I am loved by God with an eternal love." Love is often the channel through which meaning is discovered. Men who love the truth discover meaning when that first lightning bolt of transcendent truth strikes their heart. Human love between man and woman sometimes leads to a sublime sense of being mystically connected to the universe. As the two become one in marriage, they transcend the petty self and feel a solidarity with all mankind.

Purpose

Without individuality, a person cannot have a special mission in life and be distinguished as having special talents and virtues. A hero cannot arise from a group of identical clones or a group-think cult. One derives a sense of purpose from a special mission or destiny or a sense that one is doing God's will. Many Americans think they can invent their mission and their destiny. This is a fundamental error of our world. A mission and a destiny must be discovered, not arbitrarily selected from a menu of choices or conjured from a fantasy ideal. A true purpose must unfold from how one has been designed or as a result of a personal developmental journey which Providence sets before one and to which one is faithful. In some cases, the destiny is revealed in a moment of revelation. The Apostle Paul was such a case.

The Apostle Paul did not choose to be an Apostle. He was chosen by God. At the end of his life, Paul exclaimed, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of glory..." (2 Timothy 4:7, 8). This is the cry of victory. He finished the journey of destiny that was chosen by Providence and faithfully completed his appointed task. It was a special blessing for him to know it before death. To die complete and fulfilled as a victor is the most sublime of earthly glories. Paul is the man of purpose extraordinaire.

The discovery of destiny

There must be a task to perform to which one is illuminated by powers outside oneself and appointed by persons greater than oneself. One must be caught up in and consumed by a cause or a role that is greater than the self. One cannot discover his destiny by reason and experience alone. A sense of a revelation, or a calling, or providential direction is often needed. Sometimes destiny shows itself in signs along the way, or in a progressive unfolding of a purpose or role. It can be a sense of having been designed for or chosen for a task. Those who don't know their destiny cannot find it on their own. They need help to find it: help from God or help indirectly from God though providential human guidance.

T. E. Lawrence gradually acquired a sense of destiny in the process of a series of adventures. In the movie Lawrence of Arabia, General Allenby was trying to persuade Lawrence to return to his unique task among the Arabs. Lawrence protested that he just wanted to do something "normal." Allenby said, "See here, Lawrence, very few men have a destiny." These word struck Lawrence's heart with such a force that he immediately consented to return to his mission among the Arabs. Lawrence's parting words to Allenby were, "You are a clever man." After Lawrence's departure, Allenby said in admiration and pity, "That poor devil is riding the whirlwind." An appeal to destiny is hard to resist, especially when a great man casts it before you like red meat thrown to a hungry hound.

Lawrence and Allenby were British officers who fought the Turks, an Axis power of World War I, and opportunistically discovered that the Arabs hated the Turks. Lawrence seized the day in fine swashbuckling manner and made the Arabs into an ally of Britain and created a sense of Arab nationalism among the divided desert tribes. He lived in the waning days of a Romantic culture. His idea of destiny was linked to the melodramatic ideal of the hero. When Lawrence wore his costume of an Arab prince, he comported himself in the manner of a Hollywood Sheik, a hero of cinematic melodrama. He was indeed filmed as though he was a movie star.

In spite of Hollywood fantasy, there is such a thing as a hero, of course, and heroes have a special kind of destiny. But what mainly concerns us in this essay is the kind of purpose that everyone can have but which not everyone aspires to or attains. One can go off the path and miss it, as Lawrence almost went off the path. The wonderful thing about destiny is that one can persevere on the path and finish in victory as the Apostle Paul did.

Meaning and purpose vs. postmodernism

The postmodern left is at war with Universals that impart meaning. They think man has no innate nature. They deny the existence of universal truths. They restrict life to the walnut shell of Me. "Me for the sake of Me" is meaningless and futile.

Postmodern thought excludes personal design and destiny. Its adherents think the self is self-invented and actions should be arbitrarily chosen based upon feelings. "I want what I want when I want it" is their rule and guide. They scoff at the idea of a divine design of innate personal uniqueness that can lead to a life of purpose. Therefore, in spite of the great American prosperity and dazzling diversions, many people are bored with their futile and meaningless lives and saddened by their lack of purpose. "Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, all is vanity and vexation of spirit....I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit" (Ecclesiastes 1:2, 14).

The one and the many

One of the most urgent metaphysical problems of ancient Greek philosophy was the problem of the One and the Many. This problem has profound implications for the issue of meaning and purpose.

Xenophanes (Zee-nof-uh-nees) of Elea was a Pantheist and believed that everything is part of God. He emphasized the One Being by downgrading the idea of many particulars. Parmenides (Par-men-ih-dees) carried Xenophanes' thought further when he said that the only thing that exists is Being. The many particular things one observes are all the same thing — that is to say, everything is Being. This "Metaphysical Monism" imparts meaning but rules out the hope that an individual life can have purpose.

Heraclitus (Hair-uh-clee-tus) of Ephesus said that everything is in flux and everything is changing. The particular item is unique but is transitory. It exists for a moment and vanishes. However, he did posit a link between particulars in flux to a Oneness: a governing principle of a Divine Logos, or cosmic mind, or rational principle. In the following verse, the Apostle John used the word Logos to refer to Christ. Logos is translated as "Word." "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). Christ, the Word, is the means by which individuals, caught in the flux of mortal life, can find a connection with the One Eternal Logos, and find meaning.

Several Greeks experimented with the idea of "Metaphysical Pluralism" — that a multiplicity of substances exists. The most extreme of these were the Atomists Leucippus (Loo-sip-us) and Democritus (Dem-oh-cri-tus), both of Abdera. They thought the world consists of agglomerations of indivisible atoms. Democritus was a materialist. Material atoms are moved about by mechanical forces. One can feel individualistic in such a world, but cannot live a life that has meaning. The followers of Democritus were skeptics concerning what we can know: the knowledge of the senses is relative and subjective and can provide no certain knowledge of the real world of material atoms.

Protagoras (Proh-tag-er-us), also of Abdera, developed the atomist ideas into an atomistic individualism and relativism of the truth. "Atomistic Individualism" is naturally linked to "Atomistic Materialism." The Atomistic Individualist is like a loose atom disconnected from the other atoms and disconnected from any higher truth. Such a life is devoid of meaning. Protagoras' relativism sounds shockingly Postmodern when he says that "what is true for you is true only for you and what is true for me is true only for me." Such an extreme of relativism can only be practiced by an Atomistic Individualist. Relativism is purely subjective and oriented to transitory feelings, and therefore is devoid of meaning. Feelings acquire meaning when they are linked to a higher truth and/or to other persons. An utterly private, indefinable, and irrelevant feeling, however pleasant, can have no meaning. That is why drug addicts and sex addicts have high rates of suicide. Feelings for the sake of feelings are ultimately futile.

Protagoras proposed equal rights for all and democracy which allowed women, children, and slaves to vote because he thought that every opinion is equally valid. Allan Bloom wrote in The Closing of the American Mind that when his postmodern students start to believe that every idea is equally valid, they lose interest in rational thinking. If every idea is equally true, then why work to find a better idea? For such persons, ideas lose meaning and become boring, tedious, and futile. However, if some ideas are better than others, a good idea can have meaning and be fascinating and worth the mental work to understand it. The discovery of a better idea is a meaningful moment, especially if the idea is connected to a universal truth. In popular symbolism, the discovery of a better idea is when a light bulb goes on and one says "eureka." When universals are vindicated by particular experience and particular experience is understood through the aid of universals, the sense of meaning wells up in the human heart.

Notice that absolute equality of ideas is only possible when atomistic individualism and moral relativism prevail. Therefore, absolute equality results in absolute meaninglessness. Notice the paradox? Meaning requires a universal nature. But absolute equality destroys meaning. Postmodern liberals look to theoretical equality and superficial diversity to provide them with a counterfeit feeling of meaningfulness. Such feelings based on a false equality that destroys meaning are vain. I would like to ask a postmodern liberal this question: "If every idea is equally valid, why do you rate equality as having preeminent importance, so that the idea of individuality must give way before it?"

Protagoras would have made a good liberal judge. He said that morality and justice are ideas invented by men to meet the practical needs of society. Specific codes are mere conventions that the individual should follow for selfish reasons, not because they are true and just. Rules and conventions should be changed as the practical need arises. But this is the very essence of injustice. A judge who arbitrarily and pragmatically invents new rules as he goes along is an unjust judge and an enemy of social order, harmony, and meaning.

Universals and particulars

The classical Greek philosophers of the late Hellenic era focused the problem of the One and the Many into the question of universals and particulars. It is easier to find a satisfying link between universal truths and particular instances than it is to find a link between an atom and the One.

Plato emphasized the primacy of universal archetypes or "forms." These archetypes have solid being, perfect form, and eternal unchanging existence. They subsist in a glorious spiritual realm to which we have limited and imperfect access through pure intuitions of reason. Ideas about the archetypes can be supported by inductive logic, which moves from particulars to generalities. Particulars are shadowy incarnations of universals. Particulars are transitory, perishable, and are effaced by imperfections. The value of a particular is limited to its connection with a corresponding universal.

Platonic life is rich in transcendent meaning but struggles to find purpose for the individual. Therefore Plato's Republic, his magnum opus, is devoted to solving this problem. The individual is put in his rightful place in the social order by philosopher kings based upon a correlation between the person's dominant motivation and the functional demands of the social class he is deemed to be fit for. Plato's Republic is a dictatorship. Dictators like Caesar, Napoleon, Hitler, and Stalin woo the rabble by using big airy concepts to give them a sense of collective meaning, while depriving them of a freedom and a sense of individual purpose.

Finding a rightful place in the social order is an inadequate substitute for individual purpose. The rural feudal system of the eleventh century assigned to each person a clearly defined place in the social order. The sense of purpose this imparted was inadequate to meet intrinsic human needs. Serfs were forever fleeing to the monasteries or the new cities to find a more humane and purposeful way of life.

Aristotle, a student of Plato, tried to strike a balance between universals and particulars. Plato had said that universals can exist independently of particulars. Aristotle argued that universals cannot exist apart from particulars. However, universals do exist, he said, but only as they subsist within particular things. The universal is the inner "essence" of the particular thing. The outer qualities of the particular thing are the "accidents." A practical individuality with meaning and a real but limited purpose is possible to the Aristotelian. In contrast, individual purpose is not available to the Platonist who is trapped in a dualism of spiritual universals and material particulars.

Unfortunately, Aristotelianism is inadequate. The universal overwhelms the accidents, so the individuality of particular qualities is muted. A perfect example is the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation developed by the Aristotelian theologian St. Thomas Aquinas in the thirteenth century. The body and blood of Christ overwhelms the accidents of the bread and wine. The material qualities, or accidents of bread and wine, do not disappear but are partially submerged. Compare transubstantiation to the incarnation of Christ. Christ had a complete humanity that was not submerged in His Deity. In contrast, the bread and wine are no longer bread and wine according to the words of the Mass. The material accidents of shape, texture, and flavor of the bread and wine become nonessential superficialities. The realm of the material is demoted to a inferior state of being.

Martin Luther rejected the Aristotelianism of Aquinas and his doctrine of transubstantiation. Luther said that the body and blood of Christ mystically indwells the bread and the wine, but the bread remains fully bread and the wine remains fully wine. A Lutheran world has more room to maneuver for the unique individual than does the world of Aquinas, where the unique personal traits of the individual are overwhelmed by the social and religious order of which he is a member. Both the Lutheran and the Catholic can find meaning through their faith, but it is easier for the Lutheran to find individual purpose.

Anselm's solution

The eleventh century in Europe was Platonic in tone. The leaders sought to build their earthly cities according to what they thought were the patterns of heaven. Dualistic thinking made this hard to achieve because of the great gap between the glory of heaven and the miserable realities of the earth. However, the spirituality of the cross that prevailed in the tenth and eleventh centuries helped many transcend this gap. The Great Reform Pope, St, Gregory VII (eleventh century), announced himself as the Vicegerent of Christ, with the mission to "restore right order on the earth." He intended to bring the sublime order of heaven down to earth. He believed this was possible because his monastic order was deeply devoted to the crucified Christ who suffered and died for us to reconcile a righteous God with sinful man.

St. Anselm, Italian-born Archbishop of Canterbury, wrote Cur Deus Homo (1098), which is literally "Why God Man" or "Why did God become a Man." He explained why the incarnation of Christ was necessary for the atonement. Christ must be fully God or his sacrifice is not adequate in value to atone for the sins of the whole world. He must be fully man in order to become the sacrificial substitute for sinful man. Because He is fully man, it is possible for men to identify by faith with his redemptive and sanctifying death and resurrection.

Christ solves the problem of the One and the many is several ways. He is God, the One, but He subsists in the Trinity, a plurality. He is God the One, but in His humanity has solidarity with the many members of the human race. In his atonement on the cross, he opened a way of access to a holy God by sinful but repentant men. He knits together the souls of redeemed people into a body, which is the invisible church found in heaven and contained within the visible church on earth. On Resurrection Day, they will all be one. The problem of the One and the Many that the philosophers could not solve is perfectly solved through Jesus Christ.

A message from Stephen Stone, President, RenewAmerica

I first became acquainted with Fred Hutchison in December 2003, when he contacted me about an article he was interested in writing for RenewAmerica about Alan Keyes. From that auspicious moment until God took him a little more than six years later, we published over 200 of Fred's incomparable essays — usually on some vital aspect of the modern "culture war," written with wit and disarming logic from Fred's brilliant perspective of history, philosophy, science, and scripture.

It was obvious to me from the beginning that Fred was in a class by himself among American conservative writers, and I was honored to feature his insights at RA.

I greatly miss Fred, who died of a brain tumor on August 10, 2010. What a gentle — yet profoundly powerful — voice of reason and godly truth! I'm delighted to see his remarkable essays on the history of conservatism brought together in a masterfully-edited volume by Julie Klusty. Restoring History is a wonderful tribute to a truly great man.

The book is available at Amazon.com.