Author: Huenemann

It is my opinion that Heidegger, inspired by contact with the Eastern world and his own experience with nature, was a deep meditater. Indeed, I think any phenomenologist will miss the boat entirely unless they are thoroughly trained in meditation. Meditation allows you to fall into the thoughtless they-self without forgetting about the experience. This is the difference between a trained phenomenologist and a layman. Both are equally prone to falling into the they-self, but the phenomenologist expects it and is ready for it. The layman does not “wake up” or “return” to consciousness and then ponder about the time lost. The layman will not exercise the metacognition necessary for noting his return from the they-self, he will simply think a thought and then return to his absorption in the world. The phenomenologist however will not just return from his fall, but realize that he has “found himself”. The layman is never aware of his lostness in the way the phenomenologist is.

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Deadline for submissions is September 1st. Details here.

Here.

This fall we will see many more offerings in Philosophy than we have had in recent years, due mainly to the return/addition of more teaching faculty.

Gordon Steinhoff will return from his 09-10 sabbatical, and will resume teaching his courses in logic, metaphysics, and East Asian Philosophy.

Harrison Kleiner has been hired as a Lecturer, and will be teaching Ethics and Social Ethics, as well as distance ed sections of Social Ethics and Business Ethics. He also will be teaching a section of USU 1320 (Civilization: Humanities). We’re not sure yet exactly what Kleiner will be teaching in the spring, but his assignment is sure to include the highly-anticipated Contemporary European Philosophy. Also note that Kleiner is moving office, from the basement of Main to Main 341A.

Gary McGonagill will also be joining our faculty as a Lecturer this fall from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. Dr. McGonagill’s Ph.D is in Classics from Harvard, and he will be teaching our Ancient Philosophy course, as well as some sections of Intro to Philosophy and yet another section of USU 1320. His work has focused on the intersections of ancient Greek philosophy with early Christianity. McGonagill will also offer a seminar course in the spring, on a topic of his own devising.

Huenemann has been appointed an Associate Dean in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, so he will only be teaching one course each term next year, but he will be generally available for advising, consultation, and sarcastic skepticism.

Very interesting philosophically:

We are overshadowed by a nimbus of ideas. There is our physical reality and then there is our conception of ourselves, our conception of self — one that is as powerful as, perhaps even more powerful than, the physical reality we inhabit. A version of self that can survive even the greatest bodily tragedies. We are creatures of our beliefs. This is at the heart of Ramachandran’s ideas about anosognosia — that the preservation of our fantasy selves demands that we often must deny our physical reality. Self-deception is not enough. Something stronger is needed.

Full article here (part 4 of a 5-part series).