Category Archives: Philosophy

“A Place to Stop And Work”

Posted on June 25, 2012 by

Early in Stanley Cavell’s “The Availability of Wittgenstein’s Later Philosophy” the following line sits curled up, hissing angrily, waiting to strike: “Criticism is always an affront, and its only justification lies in usefulness, in making its object available to just … Continue reading →

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A (Belated) Birthday

Posted on June 23, 2012 by

It has been far too long since I posted here. It’s time to start again. I posted this on Auburn’s Philosophy Facebook earlier, but I thought it might do well on here considering the interests of some of those who … Continue reading →

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From David Foster Wallace

Posted on January 31, 2012 by

Early on in Infinite Jest: Were he now still among the living, Dr. Incandenza would now describe tennis in the paradoxical terms of what’s now called ‘Extra-Linear Dynamics.’ And Schtitt, whose knowledge of formal math is probably about equivalent to … Continue reading →

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Recreating Ourselves to Death

Posted on January 24, 2012 by

In his brilliant Amusing Ourselves To Death Neil Postman argued that the form in which an idea is conveyed is not irrelevant to its truth evaluation. In fact, Postman said, the medium in which communication takes place is itself not … Continue reading →

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Merry Christmas!

Posted on December 25, 2011 by

From A Christmas Carol:    Oh cold, cold, rigid, dreadful Death, set up thine altar here, and dress it with such terrors as thou hast at thy command: for this is thy dominion! But of the loved, revered, and honoured … Continue reading →

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The Tsunami: Watching Moore’s Law

Posted on December 20, 2011 by

In 2008, Nicholas Carr posed the following question: “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Among the many reactions to both the question and the article in which it appeared came the ominous prophetic voice of Danny Hillis: “Nicholas Carr is correct … Continue reading →

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Zero-Point for the Holidays

Posted on December 14, 2011 by

Here’s an interesting little paper from Otto Bollnow entitled Lived-Space. It’s an excellent example of Phenomenology at work, a study of interaction between the self and the world it moves in. I bring it up both for your pleasure and … Continue reading →

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Wittgenstein on Progress in Philosophy (Quotation)

Posted on December 5, 2011 by

A famous quote from Culture and Value: “Philosophy has made no progress? If somebody scratches where it itches, does that count as progress? If not, does that mean it wasn’t an authentic scratch? Not an authentic itch? Couldn’t this response … Continue reading →

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Short Note To Self:

Posted on December 3, 2011 by

Stop writing sermons, start writing philosophy. Things are getting out of hand.  

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Catching Criminals: Stopping Doing Philosophy

Posted on December 2, 2011 by

I had the great pleasure of attending Kelly Jolley’s final lecture in his intro course to philosophy today. In the last moments of the period he mentioned that the crux of the course as a whole had been the philosophical … Continue reading →

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