Tag Archives: Leo Tolstoy

All Men Are Brothers: Barack Obama, Officer James Crowley, Henry Louis Gates, and Human Solidarity

I think this image of solidarity, in which two men, Officer James Crowley and Professor Henry Louis Gates, once quarreling, are now holding onto one another, one helping the other down steps, is moving. All men are brothers, yes? I … Continue reading

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“The Lord Bless Thee, and Keep Thee”: Did Leo Tolstoy, in 1902, Stumble Upon the Reason We Bless People Before Sending Them Off to War?

In Part 2 of the Gilgamesh Epic, the elders of the Mesopotamian city of Uruk send Gilgamesh on a journey to the Land of Cedars with this blessing: May Shamash [the sun god] give you your heart’s desire, may he let you see with … Continue reading

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