Assignment One

Q1. Explain the concept of ‘super humans’ and its manifestations.

Ans. The term superhuman refers to humans or human-like lifeforms with enhanced qualities and
abilities that exceed those naturally found in humans. These qualities may be acquired through
natural ability, self-actualization or technological aids. The related concept of a super ace refers to
an entire category of beings with the same or varying superhuman characteristics, created from
present-day human beings by deploying various means such as eugenics, euthenics, genetic
engineering, nanotechnology, and/or brain-computer interfacing to accelerate the process of human
evolution.

Throughout history, the discussion of superhuman traits and the idea of the ideal human in physical,
mental, or spiritual form has influenced politics, policy, philosophy, science and various social
movements, as well as featuring prominently in culture. Groups advocating the deliberate pursuit of
superhuman qualities for philosophical, political, or moral reasons are sometimes referred to as
superhumanist.

Modern depictions of this have evolved and are shown in superhero fiction or through
technologically aided people or cyborgs.

In transhumanism and futurology, superhuman abilities are the technological aim either of human
enhancement by genetic modification or cybernetic implants or of future superhuman artificial
intelligence.

Human enhancement is an attempt to temporarily or permanently overcome the current limitations

of the human body through natural or artificial means. Human enhancement may be through the
use of technological means to select or alter human characteristics and capacities, whether or not
the alteration results in characteristics and capacities that lie beyond the existing human range.

Some bioethicists restrict the term to the non-therapeutic application of specific technologies-
neuro-, cyber-, gene- and nano-technologies—to human biology.

Types Of Manifestations

Apparitions- The typical appearance of a ghost or other supernatural entity. Apparitions occur while
an individual is awake, and tend to be translucent representations of how a person looked in life
(although they can also appear fully formed and seemingly tangible). Apparitions can also be of
animals or inanimate objects, such as houses, or of non-human entities. It is very rare to see a full
apparition.

Ectoplasm- Originally reported to manifest from the bodies of mediums while channeling
supernatural entities. In pictures, ectoplasm often has the appearance of white cloth or netting.
More commonly, ectoplasm is associated with ghosts, and described as any number of substances,
including mist, which physically manifest in the presence of supernatural entities.

Orbs- Often captured in photographs, orbs are said to be ghosts manifesting in the form of glowing
balls of light. However, orbs in photographs often appear to be nothing more than camera flashes
hitting dust or other particulates in the air. Actual orb sightings or photographs are very rare.

Vortexes & Rods- These are similar to orbs, in that they typically present themselves in photographs
and are seldom witnessed with the naked eye. Vortexes are spiralling, mist-like apparitions, also
known as funnels. Rods, on the other hand, are often said to be alien in nature (perhaps even UFOs),
and are not necessarily spiritual.

It should be noted that the appearance of Orbs, Vortexes, or Rods in photographs should be met
with a good amount of scepticism, as there are a number of reasons why they may show up, not the
least of which is simple optical illusion.

In the case of Ectoplasm, many old photographs of purported mediums do tend to look like nothing
more than white bedsheets, and there’s very little reason to assume they are real.

Q2. Explain the concepts and practices of secular and plural.

Ans. Secularism focuses on religion to other ‘temporal’ things in consideration of nature, reasons,
science, and development. It is also termed as modernization of religious beliefs and traditional
values and hence the term secularization.

It ensures freedom of both believers and non-believers of secularism. Hence, it gives the right of
freedom to the people. It also protects the beliefs and traditional values of religion. Secularism
provides religious freedom i.e. freedom to choose the religious and individual wants. One can follow
multiple religious as well.

Secularism is often misunderstood with atheism. This is completely false. Secularism is choosing our
religion and believing and following the religious practices and traditional values. Atheism is not
believing in god at all and the force beyond. Secularism is just a framework for the society for
striving equality in every aspect. Aspects of politics, education and law etc.

Collaborative practices

A security network involving plural policing nodes can be seen as a kind of implementation network
which typically emerges as a response to the fact that “since no single agency provides the entire
package of related services [i.e., policing and security] often needed by clients, multiple services are
best delivered interorganisationally through a coordinated and integrated network of organisations
offering components of the complete service”(Provan & Milward, 1991, p. 394). The police cannot
protect soft targets alone and therefore need the support base of private security companies and
others.

The notion of plural temporality invites a conception of time as open, relative, local, and multiple
rather than universal, linear, closed and singular. This notion has a particular pertinence to Latin
America and other regions marked by a colonial past, whose histories of “discovery” or subjugation
in themselves pose ongoing problems of identity, memory, and narration vis-à-vis pre-Columbian
cultures. The Transregional Academy “Plural Temporalities: Theories and Practices of Time” seeks to
interrogate the impact of the understanding of temporalities on the construction or deconstruction
of identities. From a lateral perspective, this means considering the multiplicity of chronologies and,
moreover, their perceptions, their practices, their causes and consequences—opening a discourse in
order to lay the groundwork for a methodology or several methodologies.

In the western world there were many schools of thought that precluded blind faith and suspension
of judgement as often associated with religion. Most of these were critical of the existence of evil
and lack of justice in the world and questioned as to how a good and just God could allow such
things to happen. People often lost their faith in the face of suffering and what they felt as injustice
and evil.
The numerous gods that Hindus worship are simply manifestations that enable worshippers to focus
on whatever qualities they wish to see in their object of worship; therefore, no god or no form of
worship is unacceptable. Different ones may simply mean that someone has a different way but true
nevertheless.

Thus, while concept of exclusionary religions necessitates that a functionally plural society should
define secular as ‘no religion’ at all; religions that are not exclusionary and cultures that do not
perceive that religion is a bounded entity, are able to accommodate plurality by allowing all religions
to flourish.

Assignment Two

Q3.Discuss the theological and metaphysical bases of Hinduism.

Ans. The most central concept of Hindu metaphysics is Brahman, or Absolute Reality. Brahman lays
at the foundation of all existence. All other levels of reality have come from it and will eventually
collapse back within it. Now the primary purpose of human existence, it to realize the identity of the
self, or truest, spiritual essence (called Atman) with Brahman. This “soul,” we might call it, although
that is not the best term because of its Western and Christian connotations is stuck. We might say in
a level of reality called “maya” (or illusion). Our perception of existence is illusory, because we fail to
understand and experience the oneness of self-Atman with Brahman (Ultimate Reality). Instead of
oneness, we experience separateness, age, sickness, death, and the ephemerality of things. Thus,
the spiritual movements, is to re-unite or re-realize the identify of Atman and Brahman. The best
ways to do this, and how one can or should approach and unify with Brahman, are the questions
which have created different the diversity we see today in Hindu thought and practice.

Different traditions and practices recommend different avenues of uniting Atman with Brahman.
Firstly, however, one must discern the true, manifest, identity of Brahman and his Shakti in order to
approach and unite with it. Some worship Shiva as Brahman and Parvati as his Shakti. Others will
argue that Vishnu is truly Brahman and Lakshmi is his Shakti. we can imagine how this goes. All
theological arguments, of course, are rooted in various texts—the Bhagavad Gita forms the basis for
much Vaisnava worship (focusing on Vishnu, and particularly Krishna as the Godhead), and various
Puranas (holy texts in the Hindu corpus) advocate certain Gods (from Shiva to Vishnu and others).

Q4. Dicuss the factors for the decline of Buddhism in India.

Ans. 1. Corrruptions in Buddhist Sanghas:

In course of time, the Buddhist ‘Sangha’ became corrupt. The monks and followers came to be
drawn towards luxury and enjoyment. Receiving and saving valuable gifts like gold and silver made
them greedy and materialistic. They came to lead a life of indiscipline. Their example and perverted
life-style could not but bring popular hatred. No more the people were inclined towards Buddhism.

2. Reform in Hinduism:

Buddhism had dealt a heavy blow to Brahminical faith. Threatened with extinction, Hinduism started
to re-organize itself. Attempts were now made to give up the complex system of rites and rituals and
make Hinduism simple and attractive. The Hindus even came to accept the Buddha as a Hindu
incarnation and accepted the principle of non-violence. This helped revive Hinduism and made it
popular again. This took away the fragrance out of the flower of Buddhism. The decline of Buddhism
became inevitable.

3. Division among the Buddhists:

Buddhism faced divisions from time to time. Division into various splinter groups like ‘Hinayana’,
‘Mahayana’, ‘Vajrayana’, ‘Tantrayana’ and ‘Sahajayana’ led Buddhism to lose its originality. Also the
influence of tantricism made people hate it. The simplicity of Buddhism was lost and it was
becoming complex. This was enough for the people to keep away from it. The decline of Buddhism
became a matter of time.

4. Use of Sanskrit Language:

Pali and Prakrit, the spoken Language of most people of India, was the medium for the spread of the
message of Buddhism. But Sanskrit replaced these at the Fourth Buddhist Council during the reign
period of Kaniska. Sanskrit was a complex language that had accounted for the decline of Hinduism,
earlier. Now, when Buddhism adopted that language, few people were able to understand it. People
rejected what they could not understand.

Q5. Examine the development of Sikhism.

Ans. This is one of the youngest religions in the world. The religion is estimated to be around 500
years old. The religion is referred to as an ethnic religion since it is not widely practiced. It was
developed by Guru Nanak in the early 1500s. During this time, Islam and Hindu were the main
religion in Punjab area. The political system at this time had been unjust and very corrupt. It had
been at this time that the Punjab region had been going through a transition (Brodd & Sobolewski
2009). It was believed that the religious leaders of the Hindu and Islam religions had been engaging
in corruption and also viewed their respective religions as being superior. This caused the Punjab
region to be divided along religious lines. Castes and sectarianism were also some of the major
reasons behind the inequalities in the Punjab region.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji at this time tried to foster unity in the area by his simple teachings. Guru Nanak
believed that all people were created by one creator regardless of their religious views. However,
the teachings Guru Nanak were different from the two dominant religions that were Hindu and
Islam. Guru Nanak also encouraged his followers not to bow down to anyone but the almighty and
the Gurus who were the religious leaders.

The Gurus preached that all people should be devoted to God. They also preached that all people
are equal regardless of the religious views, race, gender and age. They also believed that trust and
honesty were the most important virtues that all human being should possess. They encouraged
their followers to be feeding the hungry and helping the poor.

Assignment Three

Q6. Distinguish between religion and magic.

Ans. 1. Religion is a public, magic a private affair

Religions are designed for a broader community. It doesn’t require any special skill or knowledge to
be part of Christanity, Islam or Budddhism. Only the elite members (priests) are required to have
more in-depth knowledge of the religious rites. Furthermore the aims (or at least proclaimed aims)
of religions concern the overall public good.

2. Religious miracles are acts of God

The power of magic relies on the power of the magician. There are multiple traits that have to be
developed by a magic user in order for his magic to effective- concentration, visualization powers,
power of intent, physical strength and endurance, knowledge and experience.
Q7. What is eschatology?

Ans. Eschatology is the branch of Christian theology dealing with the biblical study of end times
prophecies and the events of the last days. Some of these events include the Rapture, the Second
Coming of Christ, the Tribulation, the Millennial Kingdom and the Future Judgements. The primary
books of the Bible pertaining to end times prophecy are the book of Daniel, the book of Ezekiel, and
the book of revelation. In the context of mysticism, the term refers metaphorically to the end of
ordinary reality and to reunion with the divine. Many [quantify] religions treat eschatology as a
future event prophesied in sacred texts or in folklore.

Q8. What is fundamentalism?

Ans. Fundamentalism usually has a religious connotation that indicates unwavering attachment to a
set of irreducible beliefs. However, fundamentalism has come to be applied to a tendency among
certain groups- mainly, although not exclusively, in religion- that is characterized by a markedly strict
literalism as it is applied to certain specific scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, and a strong sense of
the importance of maintaining in-group and out-group distinctions, leading to an emphasis on purity
and the desire to return to a previous ideal from which advocates believe members have strayed.
Rejection of diversity of opinion as applied to these established “fundamentals” and their accepted
interpretation within the group often results from this tendency.

Q9. What is the value of secularism?

Ans. Secularism is one of the most important movements in the history of the modern West, helping
differentiate the West not only from the Middle Ages and more ancient eras but also from other
cultural regions around the world.

The modern West is what it is largely because of secularism; for some, that is a reason to cheer, but
for others it is reason to mourn. A better understanding of the history and nature of secularism will
help people understand its role and influence in society today.

Secularism as a Humanistic, Atheistic Philosophy

While secularism is usually used to denote the absence of religion, it can also be used to describe a
philosophical system with personal, political, cultural, and social implications. Secularism as a
philosophy must be treated a differently from secularism as a mere idea.

Q10. What is civil religion

Ans. Civil religion, also referred to as a civic religion, is the implicit religious values of a nation, as
expressed through public rituals, symbols (such as the national flag), and ceremonies on sacred days
and at sacred places (such as monuments, battlefields, or national cemeteries). It is distinct from
churches, although church officials and ceremonies are sometimes incorporated into the practice of
civil religion. Countries described as having a civil religion include France, South Korea, the former
Soviet Union, and the United States. As a concept, it originated in French political thought and
became a major topic for U.S. sociologists since its use by Robert Bellah in 1960.