Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2009 August 30

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August 30

Countries without legal recognition of marriage

Are there any countries in which the state does not grant formal legal recognition of marriage? In most places, it seems to be regarded as one of the functions of government to either define and register marriages itself, or else give legal status to marriages conducted by religious/traditional authorities. But is there anywhere where marriage is simply regarded as irrelevant to state business? I don't just mean countries where the state's recognition is considered secondary to the religious aspect, but where the state doesn't give recognition at all. -- 203.97.105.173 (talk) 03:05, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

I thought that I was going to find something of use in Polygamy in Islam, whereby a man may have up to 4 wives, but it seems that countries such as Tunisia have outlawed it, and in Morocco there is a Government minister responsible for Sharia law, under which marriages are performed, so no go there. My partner indicates that in Egypt young couples often sign and 'hide' their 'marriage certificates', which have no state approval, and the whole issue is currently up for debate. Maybe a topic you could explore as the legal ramifications of polygamy vary from country to country. I also wondered about tribal marriages in Africa, but as yet cannot come up with anything concrete. -- Александр Дмитрий (Alexandr Dmitri) (talk) 06:17, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

Marriage is usually considered to be an important, stabilizing institution, in any culture. It's hard to imagine a government would undermine that institution. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 10:16, 31 August 2009 (UTC)

In South Africa the Muslim Marriages Bill has still not been enacted, meaning that marriage under Islamic law is at present not legally recognised by the state under the Marriage Act. This has led to helluva complications in cases of divorce and maintenance settlements. There've been a few individual cases whee an applicant has sought a ruling to declare parts of the Marriage Act unconstitutional. This court case is one such example, and this article explains the situation a bit more. It's a fascinating battleground at the moment, especially of you're in the legal field. Tragic if you consider that Apartheid was abolished some 17 years ago, and ironic for a country which has "the most liberal constitution in the world" according to some. Zunaid 14:55, 31 August 2009 (UTC)

Thanks for the replies. -- 203.97.105.173 (talk) 01:29, 8 September 2009 (UTC)

The pioneer (painting)

Why is this proper noun uncapitalized? Is this a clear naming convention error? This article is today's Did You Know. I'd move it, but I am not sure why it even exists under this title. Mac Davis (talk) 06:54, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

The National Gallery of Victoria, where it resides, also has it uncapitalized. Clarityfiend (talk) 07:08, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

Probably because the artist felt like doing it that way. Just like how e.e. cummings and k.d. lang spelled/spell their names in lower case. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 07:17, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

Just because the National Gallery of VIctoria did it, isn't good enough reason for me, but I'll take the second explanation. Mac Davis (talk) 07:27, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

In case you were wondering, no, Victoria (Australia) is not and has never been a nation. Many Australians have long been bemused by the name "National Gallery of Victoria", but the NGV have steadfastly refused to change it. -- JackofOz (talk) 07:44, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

Pakistani Politics

Hola! I'm in search of diverse research papers on "Punjab Disturbance 1953".Please also suggest me some reliable resources related to the issue.Thanks--59.103.12.171 (talk) 07:58, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

Our article Punjab Disturbances Court Of Inquiry has only one external link, but that link is quite comprehensive. In fact, almost all ghits for "Punjab disturbance" are references to that report. 152.16.59.102 (talk) 09:26, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

Original philosophy texts to read by a beginner

I'm interested in identifying any texts that are all of these: a) of use in living a better or happier life, b) written by the philosophers themselves, c) slim books, not door-stoppers, d) pleasant to read, not a tedious ordeal. Do any books fulfill all these criteria please? I have in mind the 19th. century philosophers but would be interested in others. Before anyone mentions Alain de Bottom, I've partly read one or two of his books in the past and did not like them, too much verbage I think. Edit: if fulfilling all the criteria is too difficult, then I am willing to drop criterion a). 78.147.245.55 (talk) 11:27, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

Walden. -Arch dude (talk) 15:06, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

A pleasant read by a philosopher but without too much verbiage. Hmmm. No you got me there :) I quite liked Sophie's World but I think I'd just look for how many stars the books in the philosophy section on Amazon got and read the reviews to choose a book like that Dmcq (talk) 17:16, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

I'm not sure if Candide would really help one living a better or happier life (given that it ridicules the idea that you can really do that), but it's slim and interesting! --98.217.14.211 (talk) 18:21, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

Colin McGinn's The Making of a Philosopher is a book about how the author became an academic philosopher. Although it is not a text directly about philiophy itself, it does explain several philiosophical concepts and debates in very clear language. It is very readable and quite slim, so it fits your other criteria. Gandalf61 (talk) 18:41, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

The Alice books (Lewis Carroll).--Radh (talk) 18:56, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

Late Davison.--Radh (talk) 18:58, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

Thanks for all responces so far. Summary of the state of my reading: Walden - already read it. Read Candide a month or two ago. Sophie's World - does not seem to be an original philosophical work, had similar feelings as with Alain De Posterior when I looked at a few pages. Alice In Wonderland - read them. I assume the late Davidson refers to Donald Davidson (philosopher). I was thinking about Schopenhower (or was that the composer?), Nietzche (sp?), Kiegergard, and so on. Didnt one of the 19th century crowd ever write a readable book? 78.147.140.105 (talk) 20:24, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

Have you tried any of Julian Baggini's books? Dmcq (talk) 20:36, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

Marcus Aurelius,his work is written in small,easy to read bites....hotclaws 20:55, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

You might find Robert M. Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance interesting: it's not a primary philosophical text itself, but rather a fairly engrossing account of a philosopher's mental struggles. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 23:26, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

Anthem, by Ayn Rand. I love questions like this one because I get to see others' responses. I've read everything mentioned above except The Making of a Philosopher. That's going on my list. 152.16.59.102 (talk) 23:57, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

A great little inspirational philosophical book that is so easy to read that even children enjoy it is Jonathan Livingston Seagull. I highly reccomend it. Vespine (talk) 01:00, 31 August 2009 (UTC)

If you don't mind reading isolated tidbits, you might enjoy reading collected aphorisms by Lichtenberg and by Schopenhauer. I don't know about criterion a) ("of use in living a better or happier life"), but some of them made me smile and thus lead a happier life :-) ---Sluzzelin talk 06:21, 31 August 2009 (UTC)

Nietzsche, Wiliam James, Pascal. Russell (not his stupid History though). I still think the late non-technical looking essays by Donald Davidson are simply the most intelligent philosophy there is. For morals and ethical debates George Orwell. Open one of the Collected Works somewher), Thomas Nagel, Peter Singer ("controversial"). Colin McGinn has a good blog. Dennett is always a bit wrong, but good fun. Dennis Dutton (perhaps too easy-going). Richard Wollheim, Cornelius Castoriadis, Ernst Tugendhat are all first rate, but perhaps too complicated to begin with. There is an enormous amount of philosophy on delicio.us, some of my philosophy bookmarks there are marked "wikiphil", but most perhaps of too technical philosophers. The Chinese thinkers look simple, but to me are near-imposssible to understand, every translation of "Lao-tze" seems to be completely different from the next, "Konfuzius" can not be understood it seems to me without extensive studies, but perhaps it works for you.--Radh (talk) 10:03, 31 August 2009 (UTC)

Stranger in a Strange Land (Robert Heinlein) and Lady Slings the Booze (Spider Robinson) offer excellent philosophical discussions in a science fiction format. DOR (HK) (talk) 04:18, 1 September 2009 (UTC)

Paradoxically I would say that reading the harshest sort of philosophy enables you to lead a happier life, once you've digested and understood it all. So with that in mind I'd recommend some sort of Nietzsche compilation, Nineteen-Eighty-Four, and Hagakure, a samurai text. Also you can browse the quotes from Kant, Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard, and ancient Romans and Greeks like Cicero... and I forget the rest. Vranak (talk) 01:37, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

Prostitution in the old muslim world (pree the 1800s)

I wonder: were there prostitution in the old muslim world - that is to say, in the 19th-century and before that? I assume there were, at least in some countries, but how was it arranged? The muslim world had gender-segregation, after all. I know about the slave trade, but I am reffering to prostitution similar to what occured in the rest of the world. --85.226.45.50 (talk) 14:15, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

Exactly the same as anywhere else and with bribes to cover it up, how do you expect? When did theory and practice ever correspond with prostitution. By the way you might be interested in Nikah Misyar. Dmcq (talk) 17:07, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

Well, as islamic society is so gender-segregated, you could expect it to be harder in practice, even if it is just as forbidden in the rest of the world, especially in the 1800s and before. Was Nikah Misyar used in those days? --85.226.41.180 (talk) 10:09, 1 September 2009 (UTC)

The third story in The Thousand and One Nights is called "The Porter and the Three Ladies of Baghdad." Those ladies are extremely jolly in the unexpurgated translation. Weepy.Moyer (talk) 17:52, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

I have not read it. Were they actually prostitutes, or simply just enjoing sex? Those things are so often confused with each other in sexually repressed societies when women are concerned. --85.226.41.180 (talk) 10:11, 1 September 2009 (UTC)

There is also Nikah mut‘ah. // BL \\ (talk) 18:23, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

Is Nikah mut‘ah an old tradition? --85.226.41.180 (talk) 10:09, 1 September 2009 (UTC)

There must have been some prostitutes in all places and time where Islam was a religion. Otherwise, how would they have been so able to ask Western men "Why do you let your women dress like prostitutes?" Edison (talk) 02:21, 1 September 2009 (UTC)

Good point. Although if a woman is regarded as a prostitute merely because of her dress code, then there may not have been a real concept about was prostution actually was. Were there actually brothels? If so, were the women there slaves? --85.226.41.180 (talk) 10:09, 1 September 2009 (UTC)

I'm sure there have been prostitutes in almost every "civilized" society, but another thing which may be relevant to your question is that in a number of societies (not just Muslim ones) where "virtuous" women are rigidly excluded from social contacts with men who are not of their own family, then men who might not otherwise have homosexual tendencies often turn to homosexual relationships. In such cases, there's a usual pattern of a relationship between a fully adult male and a young man or teenage boy; the ancient Greek term for it was "pederasty"... AnonMoos (talk)

Number of Iranians living in exile

I know lots of Iranians living in the USA and in European countries. Their families fled Iran during the Islamic Revolution or in the years after due to religious and/or political persecution. I was wondering how many people ethnically identifying as Iranian are currently residing in countries outside of Iran (not Tajikistan and Afghanistan so much, those are easier to find). This is not the same as the number of people who fled Iran due to persecution, but it's easier to find statistics on, I'd imagine. I haven't been able to find any reliable sources so far. Thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Binrapt (talk • contribs) 14:40, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

This might be what you want. --KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 14:51, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

Since that article has been removed as a possible copyright violation, I'll also note that Demographics of Iran puts the number of Iranian citizens abroad at 2 to 3 million. —D. Monack ^talk 06:15, 31 August 2009 (UTC)

Not a question

This isn't a question, I just want to tell all the question answerer's here that I think you're doing a really fantastic job, I was really impressed by the response to my question above. So, in response to this, here we go:

		The Original Barnstar
		For magnificent question answering at Wikipedia's Reference desk Jac16888Talk 14:56, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

anybody who has answered a question legitimately on here, feel free to take this and put it where ever. Well done, all of you--Jac16888^Talk 14:56, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

Oh dear. I've been reading about the Dunning–Kruger effect. If I have a good opinion of myself it must mean I'm a twit and don't deserve this ;-) 20:13, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

Thank you. It's nice to be appreciated. --Thomprod (talk) 21:19, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

Joe Biden and the Little League World Series

Joe Biden was at the Little League World Series game today, because he and Chris Drury were inducted into the LLWS Hall of Fame. I understand why Chris Drury was inducted, but what is Joe Biden's connection to the LLWS? Who then was a gentleman? (talk) 19:21, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

This article from last fall might shed some light: [1] Biden played in Little League when he was a kid, and is the second Vice President to have played Little League. Presumably the Little League organization likes to honor former players who become famous and successful. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 20:26, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

Ah, thanks. Who then was a gentleman? (talk) 20:57, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

Indonesian tsunami museum

I'm trying to find out where I can mail a donation to the Aceh Tsunami Museum in Indonesia. The purpose of the museum is to remember all of the lives who perished in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. If more information is available, please let me know. Thank you.69.203.157.50 (talk) 22:51, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

I'm not sure whether the Museum takes private donations. It should be noted that the Museum is now up and running (in a huge building), and from what I can dechiffer from Indonesian press it appears it was mainly funded via government agencies. --Soman (talk) 09:33, 1 September 2009 (UTC)