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.

Presentations on the Iraq war: TODAY

Today (Monday, March 19th) there will be two panels by the USU Veterans Representatives regarding the Iraq war. One will feature philosophy major Will Hollaway, along with other students, veterans, protesters, Iraqi students and possibly others at 1 pm. The second is at 6 pm, called “After Iraq: The costs and benefits of nine years in Iraq,” with potential panelists Jeannie L. Johnson (USU political science), Selin Ece Guner (USU political science), Lyle Holmgren (USU extension), Iraqi students, and VA representatives. The events will be held in the TSC Juniper room.

Bessinger lecture

Philosophy major Carson Bessinger will be presenting a public lecture on March 31st. His talk will be about a project for which he was awarded a grant from the Utah Humanities Council. (Way to go, Bessinger!) I will copy below the press release for the event.

Chapter U of the International P.E.O. Sisterhood, an organization that
promotes education for others, has invited Carson Bessinger, a reciver of the Utah
Humanities Council 2011 Undergraduate Student Research Fellowship, to present his
research on the philosophy of consciousness on March 31 at 4:00 PM at the Accolades
at Hamilton’s 2427 North Main Logan, Utah 84341. Bessinger will be presenting his
research from a paper titled: “Consciousness Enframed: The Alētheia of Qualia,” which
he presented at an undergraduate philosophy conference last year.

Bessinger’s research is an examination of the philosopher Daniel Dennett’s claim that
qualia—the subjective experience of our senses—do not exist, that they are an illusion.
That is to say there is no red that we experience when we see an apple, just a
judgment that it is red. Bessinger argues in favor of Dennett’s account while ultimately
criticizing it using the philosophy of Heidegger.

All are welcome to attend this lighthearted presentation of an examination of
consciousness—what it seems to be and what it might actually be.
For more information regarding this event please call Carson Bessinger 435-881-4212.
For more information about the Utah Humanities Council contact Maria Torres at
torres@utahhumanities.org or call 801-359-9670. For more information regarding the
P.E.O. Sisterhood, call 435-752-5438.