It's easy to get too busy to read, and too busy to write. My sporadic blog posting reflects the cycles of the academic year: some times I'm full of time to post and full of ideas for writing; other times, I'm simply too busy to write. Those too-busy-to-write times seem to come more often than the other times.
Still, I make myself promise to write -- books, articles, reviews, essays -- as a means of self-discipline. If I'm reading, I'm learning. If I'm writing, I'm learning even more.
But I am busy. So all this posting will do is acknowledge the giants upon whose shoulders I have been sitting this past week: Plato's Phaedrus; Augustine's City of God; Mooney's Lost Intimacy in American Thought; West's Prophetic Fragments and American Evasion of Philosophy; Apuleius' De Deo Socratis and his Asinus; a handful of Rorty's essays; Royce's Problem of Christianity; a handful of books on environmental philosophy (trying to sort out both some ethical issues and the practical matter of next spring's syllabus!); and, as always, a smattering of Peirce.
No, I don't usually read quite that many books in a week. (Actually, I think I'm leaving out a half-dozen or so - oh, yeah, there was some Rauschenbusch in there, and some Martin Luther King, too. Lots of social and political thought about religion, politics, freedom, and creativity, mostly.)
Last week was a marathon of reading and writing. The result was a book chapter and sketches of about ten other articles. Not sure they'll all get written - I only have so much time, remember? But the most important part of this has been not the words on the page, but the way those words have served as a tool for thinking. For that, and for the life that allows me to do that at all, I am very, very grateful.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
On Writing Philosophy Essays
Writing a philosophy paper? Here are a few phrases you should probably avoid:
1) "Socrates* feels that X is true." (We don't know much about his feelings, do we? Focus on what he said rather than on what you think he felt, unless you're also prepared to explain your insight into his feelings, and the relevance of that insight and of those feelings.) (*Or any other philosopher who doesn't tell us how she is feeling.)
2) "There is no answer to this question." (Do you mean no correct answer? Why do you think I asked it, by the way? Let me suggest that, at a minimum, there is an answer given in the texts we read. If you think it's wrong, I'd be delighted to hear why you think it's wrong, once you've told me clearly what it is.)
3) "I've decided to ignore what the books say and focus on my own opinions here." (Not that your opinions don't matter, but they're deucedly difficult to grade.)
1) "Socrates* feels that X is true." (We don't know much about his feelings, do we? Focus on what he said rather than on what you think he felt, unless you're also prepared to explain your insight into his feelings, and the relevance of that insight and of those feelings.) (*Or any other philosopher who doesn't tell us how she is feeling.)
2) "There is no answer to this question." (Do you mean no correct answer? Why do you think I asked it, by the way? Let me suggest that, at a minimum, there is an answer given in the texts we read. If you think it's wrong, I'd be delighted to hear why you think it's wrong, once you've told me clearly what it is.)
3) "I've decided to ignore what the books say and focus on my own opinions here." (Not that your opinions don't matter, but they're deucedly difficult to grade.)
They Know It When They See It
An inmate in the South Dakota State Penitentiary has been denied access to art-instruction books because they contain images of unclothed human bodies. (Original story here and here.) While not everything that could be called an art book is a good art book, shouldn't we be doing everything we can to help felons improve their lives? And isn't art one of the best things they can do while in prison? Let us grant the prison wardens their claim that pornography worsens prison conditions; does that mean that all nudity is obscenity? (Scroll down to the concurring position of Mr. Justice Stewart.)
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
St. Nicholas Society and "un-stealing"
I just read an article about German Catholics wanting a Santa Claus-free Christmas this year. It reminds me of something I have often spoken to students about: creating a "St. Nicholas Society." The idea comes from the legend of the young St. Nicholas,
who was the orphaned son of wealthy parents. One day he overheard a father lamenting that he had to sell one of his three daughters into slavery in order for the rest of the family to survive. That night Nicholas threw some coins into the family's window to ensure the liberty of the girl, and returned the next two nights to repeat the gift on behalf of the other two girls. This is why the symbol of St. Nicholas is often three coins:
He wanted his gift to be done in secret, perhaps so that he knew he wasn't giving in order to receive gratitude and honor. I have come to think of this as the reverse of stealing, a secret giving or an "un-stealing."
Once, while I was teaching at Penn State, a student told me he was weighing an invitation to join a secret society. Some aspects of the society were appealing - friendship, loyalty, and a shared purpose, for instance - but he did not feel wholly comfortable with the idea. I suggested then (and have suggested to several others since) that they consider forming a secret society that was not inwardly-focused but outwardly-focused. They could call it the "St. Nicholas Society." Its purpose would be to do good in the world without seeking to receive anything in return.
Of course, I have no idea if any of them have formed a St. Nicholas Society. If they have, they have been successful at keeping it secret, at least from me! And you have no idea if I've formed one, or if I just like to talk about it to others.
who was the orphaned son of wealthy parents. One day he overheard a father lamenting that he had to sell one of his three daughters into slavery in order for the rest of the family to survive. That night Nicholas threw some coins into the family's window to ensure the liberty of the girl, and returned the next two nights to repeat the gift on behalf of the other two girls. This is why the symbol of St. Nicholas is often three coins:
He wanted his gift to be done in secret, perhaps so that he knew he wasn't giving in order to receive gratitude and honor. I have come to think of this as the reverse of stealing, a secret giving or an "un-stealing."
Once, while I was teaching at Penn State, a student told me he was weighing an invitation to join a secret society. Some aspects of the society were appealing - friendship, loyalty, and a shared purpose, for instance - but he did not feel wholly comfortable with the idea. I suggested then (and have suggested to several others since) that they consider forming a secret society that was not inwardly-focused but outwardly-focused. They could call it the "St. Nicholas Society." Its purpose would be to do good in the world without seeking to receive anything in return.
Of course, I have no idea if any of them have formed a St. Nicholas Society. If they have, they have been successful at keeping it secret, at least from me! And you have no idea if I've formed one, or if I just like to talk about it to others.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
New Bio-Itzá Website!
Check it out.
The Asociación Bio Itzá does great, inexpensive Spanish-language immersion programs for individuals or groups in Petén, Guatemala. It's a short trip from the Flores airport to their school and homestays in San José:
and it's also a short trip to Tikal:
They also have a school for teaching indigenous Mayan languages like Itzá, Quiché, and Kekchí.
There are some slightly cheaper language schools in Guatemala, but this one makes your money go a long way, since they use the income to preserve and protect one of the largest unbroken stretches of rainforest North of the Amazon, and to preserve indigenous culture, protect archaeological sites, and promote sustainable agriculture. In addition to learning Spanish, you can learn about medicinal plants; local cooking, music, and culture; rainforest ecology; Mayan archaeology (they have a licensed archaeologist on their staff); and a lot more. Students interested in rural medicine can ask about arranging to work in the local medical clinic. Worth every penny.
(Thanks to Luke Lynass and the other Augustana College students who worked to get this new website up and running.)
The Asociación Bio Itzá does great, inexpensive Spanish-language immersion programs for individuals or groups in Petén, Guatemala. It's a short trip from the Flores airport to their school and homestays in San José:
and it's also a short trip to Tikal:
They also have a school for teaching indigenous Mayan languages like Itzá, Quiché, and Kekchí.
There are some slightly cheaper language schools in Guatemala, but this one makes your money go a long way, since they use the income to preserve and protect one of the largest unbroken stretches of rainforest North of the Amazon, and to preserve indigenous culture, protect archaeological sites, and promote sustainable agriculture. In addition to learning Spanish, you can learn about medicinal plants; local cooking, music, and culture; rainforest ecology; Mayan archaeology (they have a licensed archaeologist on their staff); and a lot more. Students interested in rural medicine can ask about arranging to work in the local medical clinic. Worth every penny.
(Thanks to Luke Lynass and the other Augustana College students who worked to get this new website up and running.)
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
On Enemies
Just heard a very thought-provoking talk by Augustana Professor Janet Blank-Libra on the story of Jonah. As she was talking, it occurred to me that in the story, God makes this disturbing analogy in Jonah 4.10-11:
Vine:Jonah::Nineveh:God
It's not the only possible interpretation of the verse, I admit, but it looks like at least one way to read it is that the people I think of as enemies might be as delightful to God as a shady spot in the hot desert was to Jonah.
Vine:Jonah::Nineveh:God
It's not the only possible interpretation of the verse, I admit, but it looks like at least one way to read it is that the people I think of as enemies might be as delightful to God as a shady spot in the hot desert was to Jonah.
Sam Harris Needs A Mirror
Sam Harris recently tweeted this column by Nicholas Kristof, adding this tag: "Found: the most sanctimonious person on earth."
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Respect for laws and Respect for the Law
I don't tend to talk about politics - at least not about specific candidates - on my blog or in my classroom. One of my main reasons for this (I have several) is that as a teacher of philosophy, I am more interested in the ideas than in the people running for office.
The case of Kristi Noem - a Republican running for Congress in South Dakota - is one of those cases where it's difficult to separate the person from the ideas. I don't mean that she is inseparable from her politics. I am instead referring to her driving record.
Many people in my state feel that Noem's record has been subjected to enough scrutiny, and that it is just an example of her opponent, Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin, playing dirty politics. The latter may be true (I don't pretend to know), but I don't think the former is true. I don't mean that we need to have a longer investigation of Noem's driving record. But I do wonder whether Republicans should be endorsing Noem at all.
It's not that Noem got caught speeding once. It's not even that she has been caught speeding 20 times. It's that her record of breaking the law is so long that it speaks of a strong disrespect for Law in general. None of us is perfect, but this record suggests that she's a habitual speeder. One recent ticket had her clocked at 96 mph (the state speed limit is 75 on highways.) Her actions say pretty loudly that she doesn't much care for the law. Not a good attribute for someone whose job it would be, if elected, to write the law.
Do we really want to endorse candidates who view the law as something to be obeyed by others but not by themselves? Isn't that precisely the opposite of the character we want in our legislators? (Or have I just been reading too much Plato?)
Addendum: A friend of mine points out that while the link above states it, I do not mention that Noem also has six times failed to appear in court; and she has twice had arrest warrants issued against her. I'm not just asking Republicans if they want this to be their public face; I'm asking all of us if we want this to be the profile our legislators. A state in which the legislators do not honor the law is a state in serious trouble.
The case of Kristi Noem - a Republican running for Congress in South Dakota - is one of those cases where it's difficult to separate the person from the ideas. I don't mean that she is inseparable from her politics. I am instead referring to her driving record.
Many people in my state feel that Noem's record has been subjected to enough scrutiny, and that it is just an example of her opponent, Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin, playing dirty politics. The latter may be true (I don't pretend to know), but I don't think the former is true. I don't mean that we need to have a longer investigation of Noem's driving record. But I do wonder whether Republicans should be endorsing Noem at all.
It's not that Noem got caught speeding once. It's not even that she has been caught speeding 20 times. It's that her record of breaking the law is so long that it speaks of a strong disrespect for Law in general. None of us is perfect, but this record suggests that she's a habitual speeder. One recent ticket had her clocked at 96 mph (the state speed limit is 75 on highways.) Her actions say pretty loudly that she doesn't much care for the law. Not a good attribute for someone whose job it would be, if elected, to write the law.
Do we really want to endorse candidates who view the law as something to be obeyed by others but not by themselves? Isn't that precisely the opposite of the character we want in our legislators? (Or have I just been reading too much Plato?)
Addendum: A friend of mine points out that while the link above states it, I do not mention that Noem also has six times failed to appear in court; and she has twice had arrest warrants issued against her. I'm not just asking Republicans if they want this to be their public face; I'm asking all of us if we want this to be the profile our legislators. A state in which the legislators do not honor the law is a state in serious trouble.
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