USUPhilosophy

There is relatively high per-capita beardedness in our philosophy department.  Ever wonder why?  While I am not sure Hunemann is interested in this defense, this article defends the thesis that “the practice of shaving is alike ridiculous and absurd, and that it violates one of the laws of nature.”  (Hat tip to Mike Linford for the link).

If you’re a stodgy reader like Kleiner and me, you will be glad to learn that the USU Library has put a set of “The Great Books of the Western World” on prominent display on the second floor in the new books area. Each volume is available for check out, or you can sit and read your Gibbon in the nearest comfy chair.

Welcome to the 2010-11 academic year. We’re hoping you’re facing many stimulating classes and encountering some interesting thoughts.

Here’s something just to get your thoughts going: David Hume ….

Read a review of the collection here. Stump is a very well-known philosopher of religion. One passage from the review may suggest why some of you out there interested in philosophy of religion should want to read her work:

One of the deeply attractive features of Stump’s work is the sheer humanity that shines through in both its verbal and oral forms. One cannot read her work, or listen to one of her presentations, or watch her respond as an interlocutor, without knowing that one has encountered a really profound soul. There is a spiritual depth and discernment in all she does that is attractive, serene, and totally authentic. This is entirely fitting in that there is something missing if reflection on the divine remains merely analytic and abstract; the discourse deployed should at some point reflect the grandeur of the subject matter. This is not to say that excellent work cannot be done by unbelievers; nor is it to wish out of existence the highly technical work that philosophers will naturally do in their writing. It is rather to be on the lookout for work that improves on excellence and takes the discourse to a whole new level. Stump’s work just naturally improves on excellence. One can therefore commend the work of Stump as a paradigm case of the kind of philosophical work that should be read and pondered by theologians. Hence I readily suggest to theological students that they should make the time and effort to become acquainted with her work on, say, the problem of evil.

Survey a variety of answers here (from the Templeton foundation), ranging from “Unlikely” to “I hope so”. Here’s an excerpt from Elie Wiesel:

But I know this: the questions that confront us today do have a response; and this response engages us. If the present world has a purpose or fate, it must be the same for all. And each human being, with his own background and culture, owes it to him or herself to affirm his or her own humanity with respect to that of his or her peer. The purpose of the world cannot be to propose or impose a choice between joy for some and distress for others. This is a false and unjust choice. If, in order to be happy, it is necessary for the other not to be, the world in which we live would look more like a prison than an orchard.