Grounding chains are usually taken to be top-ist, grounded in the largest entity (the cosmos), or bottom-ist, grounded in the smallest entity(ies) (mereological atoms). Between these two, middle-ism, the view that grounding chains terminate in middle-sized entities (like iPhones, toasters, amoebae), is almost never considered. Sarah Bernstein in her paper Could a middle level be the most fundamental? argues for the plausibility for middle-ism. In this paper I argue against Bernstein in that middle-ism is a view much more problematic than (...) top-ism or bottom-ism. This is shown in three ways. The paper first shows how the middle level itself is problematic. The second problem is that middle-ism leads to a contradiction with respect to the notion of relative fundamentality, and third, middle-ism creates fatal problems for the parthood relation. Through these three issues, the paper shows how middle-ism is problematic in lieu of having fatal problems which refrain it from serving as the theory to explain fundamentalia and subsequently grounding structures. (shrink)

Abstract: The Bakar Wal community, along with the Gujar community was listed as Scheduled Tribes, in Jammu and Kashmir in the year 1991. These people mostly live as nomads and enjoy the status of being a Tribe. They are spread over a large area starting from Pir-Panjal range to Hindukush to Ladakh, located in the Himalayan mountains of South Asia. Bakerwals are mostly goat herders and shepherds, and for a cause they migrate from one place to another with their (...) herds of goat and sheep to different seasonal pasture lands, across the valley. They are found in the entire of Kashmir region across the borders of India and Pakistan. They have a very unique lifestyle and are known for preserving their rich culture for ages together. Gujjars are Bakerwals are the two sub ethnic groups that are mostly goat herders and shepherds, but at the very same time, there are administrative officers in the Government, Doctors, Professors, Teachers, and Police officers, etc. that come from these communities. They are known for their noble and truthful nature and are mostly considered sympathetic towards the fellow beings. These tribal communities are a part of the rich culture of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Keywords: Nomadic life, Gujjar, Bakarwals, Upliftment, livestock, pasture lands, grazing, Jammu and Kashmir . (shrink)

ABSTRACT -/- Ayurveda is science of living being with an aim to live healthy life and curing of ailments. Arogyata (healthy life) is root to achieve the purushartha chatushtaya which are dharma(religious rituals), artha, kama and moksha. Kama in society is taken in sexual lust but Vatsayan has described kama as the enjoyment of appropriate objects by the five senses of hear- ing, feeling, seeing, tasting, and smelling, assisted by the mind together with the soul. The ingre- dient in this (...) is a peculiar contact between the organ of sense and its object, and the consciousness of pleasure which arises from that contact is called Kama. A well organised, controlled form of kama comes under brahmacharya. Acharya Charaka has specified brahmacharya among three subpillars which assists in healthy living being. Brahmacharya leads to conservation of shukra dhatu which is essence of ahara. This shukra dhatu is responsible for bala, virya, yash, dhairya, preeti. Development of these qualities assists higher faculty buddhi or pragya not to indulge in pragyaparadh leading to correct decisionary power and patience. Healthy state of mind is achieved with this brahmacharya. Through this paper a review over various parameters of brah- macharya have been discussed and concluded. -/- Keywords: Kama, dhairya, pragyaparadh, health, shukra dhatu. (shrink)