Welcome

Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does. Everything has been figured out, except how to live. One always dies too soon or too late. And yet, life is there, finished. The line is drawn, and it must all be added up. You are nothing other than your life. There is only one day left, always starting over. It is given to us at dawn and taken away from us at dusk. We do not know what we want and yet we are responsible for what we are, that is the fact. When you live alone you no longer know what it is to tell a story: the plausible disappears at the same time as the friends. You let events flow by too.Suddenly you see people appear who speak and then go away; you plunge into stories of which you can't make head or tail. You'd make a terrible witness. It is true that people who live in society have learned how to see themselves in mirrors as they appear to their friends. Luckily, I only have a few...

Dr Shaw is a lecturer in Further Education at Edge Hill University, Ormskirk. She also offers philosophy courses at the School of Continuing Education, Lifelong learning, at the University of Liverpool. In 2015, she has completed her Doctorate in philosophy with a focus on existentialism, the equilibrium doctrine and narrative. She has worked as a teacher of English and Comparative literature and Philosophy at The American University in Cairo, Egypt where she also obtained her BA (Hons). Dr Shaw has an MA in Philosophy and Literature from the University of East Anglia where she also taught on a number of humanities subjects. Whilst working in North Wales in Further education, she gained a PGCE aimed at teaching in FE and HE sectors. Dr Shaw moved to Liverpool in 2010 where she now resides.

Interests: Existentialism, Narrative, Comparative Literature, Feminist Thought, Public Speaking, Arab Existentialism, Philosophy of Education, Art, Music, Film and Theatre, Greek Mythology, Existential counsellor and psychotherapist.

https://liverpool.academia.edu/ShereenHamedShaw


Wednesday 17 October 2012

Becoming religious?

Someone told me yesterday that some of the top scientists are the most religious and I thought to myself maybe because they realised man's inability in the universe, or maybe because they have hit a wall with their own studies that they truly believe that the matter is out of their own hands...whatever the reason, I think this statement could actually be very true. 

I am working on a book at the moment which introduces a new philosophy of life, or perhaps suggests a "better" view of life. The book is really saying the obvious, nothing new, but it is us who chose to ignore the obvious facts in the first place and as a result, now we see the book's message as a novelty. 

In all cases, I was told that by the end of working on the book, I may actually become "religious" and those who read it may follow too. Although I don't see right away how, I think there may be some underlying truth there. But what would make me really religious? Is it just reading this book and understanding what it says and giving it proper thought. Or is it witnessing the development of a baby day by day that I am in every moment in utter wonder and appreciation of God's creation? I think the later for sure, don't you?!