Category: Uncategorized

Philosophy club event and meeting

Next Thursday (3/29), we will have a brief meeting to talk about hosting an undergraduate philosophy journal, and future events for philosophy club. Then I’ll give a brief talk on Nietzsche, evolution, and culture. Everyone is welcome!

Thursday, 3/29, Main 227
4:00 – philosophy club meeting
4:30 – “Nietzsche, evolution, and culture”

Create silence

“I have often said that the sole cause of man’s unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room.” – Pascal

“The present state of the world and the whole of life is diseased.  If I were a doctor and were asked for my advice, I should reply, ‘Create silence’.” – Kierkegaard 

Many of my Intro to Philosophy students will be undertaking an exercise in creating silence over the next two weeks.  The exercise begins tomorrow at the end of class and runs until April 4 at the end of class.  Students are agreeing to:
  • not watch any television, movies, or other video
  • not listen to an iPod or other portable music device
  • not play any video games on any sort of device
  • not check facebook, twitter, or any other social networking site
  • not get on the internet (exceptions only for legitimate school work)
  • check email for only 15 minutes a day
  • treat their cell phone like a land line (plug it into the wall and leave it there)
  • not text message, video message, or use any other messaging/texting on a phone, computer or any other electronic device

Feel free to join us in our little experiment of cutting ourselves off from the cacophony of the modern world for a while.  When the exercise is finished, I intend to post selections from short reflections on the experience that students will write.

New Fall 2012 course

Fall 2012 I have the opportunity to teach a special seminar:

Inkling Philosophy: J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis on Myth and Truth.

Banner listing: PHIL 4900 ST: Tolkien and CS Lewis on Myth, cross-listed under RELS 4910-004 ST: Tolkien and CS Lewis on Myth.

MWF 9:30-10:20

Course Description:

In this course we will first read what Tolkien and Lewis have to say about myth and then we will read some of Tolkien’s and Lewis’ myths.  In reading about myth, we will seek to understand their philosophy of myth, asking questions about myth and its relation to truth, symbolic language and the limits of natural reason, and the role of the imagination in belief.  Then we will read some of their myths (Lord of the Rings, Narnia, etc) to see how perennial truths about God, man, and the universe can be expressed in, and perhaps only in, myth.

No pre-requisites or previous philosophical experience required.  But note that this is a 4000 level course so it will be reading intensive.  Those unable or unwilling to take on thick reading assignments should look elsewhere.