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Every Thursday evening, from 5 pm onward, at the Bull’s Head Tavern. There are specials on food, and plenty of varied kinds of drinks to consume. Come and have fun philosophizing around the cozy outdoor fireplace!

“In chapter three Maffie introduces the “fundamental premise” of Aztec metaphysics, which he calls inamic agonistic unity. Teotl, Maffie claims, is defined by

the continual and continuous cyclical struggle (agon) of paired opposites, polarities, or dualities. Agonistic inamic unity refers to a brute fact about the nature of teotl and hence a brute fact about the nature of reality per se. . . . Teotl’s ceaseless self-becoming, self-presenting, and self-unfolding, and therefore its ceaseless generating and regenerating of the cosmos, are defined by agonistic inamic unity. (137)

“Night and day, male and female, life and death, warp and weft, wind and fire, wet and dry, flower and flint stone, weakness and strength, order and disorder or being and non-being are just a few of the countless opposites that struggle for dominance. Indeed, all things, processes, forces, powers, influences, or energies-in-motion have an inamic match that they complete, complement, and compete with. More accurately, all things have multiple matches, which indicates one of the ways in which teotl is ineliminably ambiguous. For example, a person is both male (vis-à-vis his wife) and female (vis-à-vis his enemy), both dead and alive, both weak and strong, etc. Importantly, no inamic half ever triumphs over the other, for both opposites are necessary for the existence of the pair. There is no death without life, for instance, even though death and life constantly struggle to dominate each other.”

Read a review of James Maffie’s Aztec Philosophy.

What do you think of this? It’s funny, yes, and bitingly truthful. But what is it to clap and cheer, and go on with one’s job, when such a truth has been stretched out before your eyes?

SLCC will be hosting a big conference focused on Nietzsche at the end of this month. October 30 (Thursday) will feature presentations by professors, and October 31st (Friday) will feature undergraduate presentations. The sponsors are eager to have as much participation as possible – and the conference is an exceptionally friendly and welcoming one. So if you have an idea for a short paper on some philosophical topic having some connection to Nietzsche – please participate! Just send me a note with a possible title for your presentation and (if possible) a photo – I’ll forward it along to the organizers.

MORE INFO HERE: http://slccnietzsche.wix.com/slccphilosophyconf

The Catholic Newman Center is holding its annual Newman Lecture on October 9 (the feast day for Blessed John Henry Newman).

Glenn Olsen (Professor Emeritus, U of Utah History Dept) will present a lecture entitled “Faith, Reason and History: How Catholicism Enlivens My Historical Scholarship”.

October 9, 4:30pm in Ray B West #114.  All are welcome!