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Anderson, Maxwell

(Encyclopedia)Anderson, Maxwell, 1888–1959, American dramatist, b. Atlantic, Pa., grad. Univ. of North Dakota, 1911. His plays, many of which are written in verse, usually concern social and moral problems. Ander...

Orphic Mysteries

(Encyclopedia)Orphic Mysteries or Orphism, religious cult of ancient Greece, prominent in the 6th cent. b.c. According to legend Orpheus founded these mysteries and was the author of the sacred poems from which the...

nirvana

(Encyclopedia)nirvana nērväˈnə [key], in Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism, a state of supreme liberation and bliss, contrasted to samsara or bondage in the repeating cycle of death and rebirth. The word in Sansk...

Butler, Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Butler, Joseph, 1692–1752, English bishop and exponent of natural theology. Butler held a series of church offices, ending his career as bishop of Durham. His principle writings are Fifteen Sermons ...

Bentham, Jeremy

(Encyclopedia)Bentham, Jeremy, 1748–1832, English philosopher, jurist, political theorist, and founder of utilitarianism. Educated at Oxford, he was trained as a lawyer and was admitted to the bar, but he never p...

electoral college

(Encyclopedia)electoral college, in U.S. government, the body of electors that chooses the president and vice president. The Constitution, in Article 2, Section 1, provides: “Each State shall appoint, in such Man...

Aristotle

(Encyclopedia)Aristotle ărˌĭstŏtˈəl [key], 384–322 b.c., Greek philosopher, b. Stagira. He is sometimes called the Stagirite. After the decline of Rome, Aristotle's work was lost in the West. However, in ...

Karamanlis, Costas

(Encyclopedia)Karamanlis, Costas (Konstantinos Alexandrou Karamanlis) kōˈstäs kärämänlēsˈ, kōnstäntēˈnōs älĕkˈsänᵺo͞o [key], 1956–, Greek politician, b. Athens. The nephew of Constantine Karam...

Ardern, Jacinda Kate Laurell

(Encyclopedia)Ardern, Jacinda Kate Laurell, 1980–, New Zealand political leader. A member of the Labor party, she worked for Prime Minister Helen Clark and for British prime minister Tony Blair and also was elect...

Hara, Takashi (Kei)

(Encyclopedia)Hara, Takashi (Kei) täkäˈshē häˈrä [key], 1856–1921, Japanese statesman, prime minister (1918–21). As secretary-general and later president (1914), Hara established the Seiyukai as the firs...