Huenemann

Check-out line theology

I thought readers of all “denominations” would appreciate this. At the check-out line in the grocery store, I came across The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Faith (subtitle: “how to deepen your journey with God”). I probably would’ve bought it, had I not felt guilty about supporting such endeavors with my cash. The clerk thought I was weird because I couldn’t stop giggling.

iPods: ruin of civilization?

Before I get started, let me confess that I am a ‘Pod-person. I have two of them, in fact. And I listen to them everyday, except in the now-routine occurence of losing them for a few days at a time.

In fact I think that the ending of cultural literacy began with player pianos. Before they existed, if you wanted to hear music, you had to either learn how to play an instrument or wait for a concert to come along. This put a great value in music, since it was either difficult or rare. And so people had fewer tunes buzzing around in their heads, and each one they knew pretty thoroughly and savored.

But with player pianos, and then radio, records, CDs, etc., music got cheaper and cheaper and much more easily available. Now, in fact, it is hard to go anywhere without some sort of music playing — “backgound music,” which is a phrase to resent.

With this automation comes a loss of cultural literacy, I think. Sure, any of these devices can be used to augment one’s own cultural literacy — I try to tell myself that’s what I’m doing — but usually that’s not the purpose. It’s just to create a soundtrack to whatever else we’re doing.

What do you think?

T-shirts on the way!

At the beginning of the fall term, we’ll have “Philosophy” t-shirts available! They will look pretty cool, and come in 3 different colors. And they’ll only be $5.

If you just can’t wait for a t-shirt, or if you want a hoodie or mug or messenger bag, we have set up a store at this website.

Is the self relational?

In various discussions on this page, the claim that “the self is relational” has come up. What do you suppose this means? Usually, when there is a relation, there are things being related (“relata”). So what are the relata that go into the composition of the self?

I guess a tough materialist could say, “Ultimately, the relata are atoms (or quarks, or whatever). Those are the ultimate building blocks, and sometimes their complex organizations result in there being a conscious self.” But I think this probably misses what people want to say when they say the self is relational.

Could it be that the self is a relation of other selves, which are relations of other selves, …, ad infinitum? I don’t know. Leibniz for one thought the buck has to stop somewhere; there must be true individuals, which he called “monads.” But these he thought were selves (or at least some of them were).

Maybe selves are relations among social institutions, cultures, histories,…? But are any of these things supposed to be more real than individual selves? I would think they are produced by the relations and interactions among selves, rather than vice-versa.

Academic freedom vs. intellectual responsibility

… post over at huenemanniac.