Panda-monium: Pawsome Pondering!

 A.G. Gardiner’s essay "On Saying Please" is a classic piece of social philosophy. It explores the "minor" virtues of politeness and civility, arguing that while rudeness isn't a legal crime, it is a social one that poisons the atmosphere of human interaction. Summary The essay begins with an incident involving a lift-man who threw a passenger out of his lift because the passenger refused to say "Please" when requesting the Top Floor. While the lift-man was legally in the wrong (one cannot physically assault someone for being rude), Gardiner uses this to discuss the "invisible" laws of social conduct. Gardiner argues that while the law protects us against physical violence, it cannot protect us against "incivility." If we were allowed to hit people for being rude, the streets would be "running with blood." However, he emphasizes that even though bad manners aren't a crime, they are often more damaging than physical b...

 Wole Soyinka’s "Telephone Conversation" is a sharp, satirical poem that exposes the absurdity and dehumanization of racism. Written during the mid-20th century, it captures a tense dialogue between an African man looking for an apartment and a white British landlady. Summary The poem begins with the speaker finding a suitable apartment in a newspaper advertisement. The price is reasonable, and the location is "indifferent" (private). However, knowing the racial climate of the time, the speaker decides to "self-confess" his race to the landlady before meeting in person. When he tells her he is African, the line goes silent—a silence he describes as "silenced transmission of pressurized good-breeding." The landlady eventually speaks, but instead of asking about his lifestyle or profession, she asks a ridiculous, clinical question: "How dark?" and "Are you light or very dark?" The speaker is initially stunned but then decides ...

 Leo Tolstoy’s short story "God Sees the Truth, but Waits" is a powerful parable about faith, forgiveness, and the idea that true justice doesn't always happen on a human timeline. Summary Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov is a young, successful merchant in Vladimir who sets out for a fair. Despite his wife’s premonition of a bad dream, he begins his journey. Along the way, he stays at an inn and meets a fellow merchant. The next morning, Aksionov is stopped by the police. They find a blood-stained knife in his bag and inform him that the merchant he met has been murdered. Despite his innocence, the evidence is damning. Even his wife begins to doubt him, leading Aksionov to conclude that only God knows the truth and only He can grant mercy. Aksionov is sent to Siberia, where he spends 26 years as a convict. He becomes a pillar of the prison community, known for his piety and nicknamed "Grandfather." One day, a new prisoner named Makar Semyonich arrives. Through conversa...