Rather disturbing if you think about it.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Feel free to comment on this...
Is Aquinan scholarship dualist or strangely materialist? Alvin Plantinga, now 30 years famous at Notre Dame University, asks the question,
~Alvin Plantinga's article Materialism and Christianity in Persons: Human and Divine, 2007
...there is also the important but obscure view of Thomas Aquinas and his followers. Is this a form of dualism? The question is vexed. According to Aquinas, a human person is a material substance with an immaterial part, the soul. Aquinas says, of this immaterial part, that it itself is a substance. Furthermore the soul, this immaterial part, has the property of possibly thinking (believing, desiring, hoping, deciding, etc.), and after death, does think. But Aquinas also says that the soul is the form of the body. A form, however, at least as far as I can see is or is like a property; and a property, presumably, can't think. If the soul is a form, therefore, how can it be capable of thinking?
~Alvin Plantinga's article Materialism and Christianity in Persons: Human and Divine, 2007
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Quotables with Jerry Fodor, Heraclitus
Two years ago, in an interview conducted by Anglican-priest-turned-agnostic Mark Vernon, Rutgers philosopher of mind Jerry Fodor had this to say,
I rather doubt that life has a meaning. If I thought perhaps it did, and I wanted to find out what its meaning is, I don't imagine I'd ask someone whose credentials consist of a Ph. d. in philosophy.Frenchman Pierre Hadot recently published a new translation of Heraclitus' aphorism which I believe bears consideration; the Greeks always had the most poetic philosophies,
What is born tends to disappear.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Questions in the Imperative, or A Recent Return to Borges
I was about a year back and twenty miles north of Boston when I realized my final paper for a class needed some extra citations and I took to the college's library in order to add a few sources. After an hour I found myself off track, merely flipping through books for pleasure rather than task. It was during this idleness that I discovered a particularly interesting book titled The Heretical Imperative. The book itself would be difficult to find even by reference; in the library's basement, fallen behind a small stack of fictions. I would not have cared to open the book had I not remembered that a professor of mine then abroad in Italy had once before given me an excerpt of it.
The Heretical Imperative was written by a certain Peter L. Berger, and most printings range around 200 pages in length. The particular book I held in my hands happened to be the tool of a sleight of tongue. Beside the front flap is a brief note,
The Heretical Imperative was written by a certain Peter L. Berger, and most printings range around 200 pages in length. The particular book I held in my hands happened to be the tool of a sleight of tongue. Beside the front flap is a brief note,
Gift of Mary Frances Nagley
Dec. 16, 1979
on the occasion of the
Ordination to the Priesthood
of
Mary Jane Nestler
Dec. 16, 1979
on the occasion of the
Ordination to the Priesthood
of
Mary Jane Nestler
The sense of humor of this Mary Nagley intrigued me, and I copied her dedication onto a piece of paper and read the rest of the book that day. The theme of the book, if I understood Berger correctly, was this: As our culture increasingly becomes more and more scientific, more cutting, more splicing, a belief in God will continue to become less normative and more arabesque - fanciful but ridiculous. Any belief in God (or any rejection of modernity), therefore, is heretical; a definition of heresy as any choice away from the standard. In other words, heresy is the only route left.
I rather enjoyed the book. The prose was tight and connected, and Berger drew upon a wealth of sources from many cultures, languages, and histories. Subsequent searches for Berger revealed him to be a sociologist from Boston University, still employed, living about thirty minutes south of me. Publisher records and third party informations on The Heretical Imperative are conflicting. A first edition copy from Doubleday can still be acquired at a reasonable price, and information from them says the earliest date of publication was 1980. But curiously, the dedicatory note by Ms Nagley was dated exactly 24 days prior to this. Other sources confirm Nagley's date, including an open letter I found written by Berger dated April 1980, to the journal Theology Today, which mentioned the book's publication year as 1979.
The two in the dedicatory note proved more difficult to track down. I found nothing about Mary Frances Nagley, the writer of the note, though a deeper investigation could prove more telling given more time and energy. Research on her friend, priestess Mary Jane Nestler, was turning dour as well until I uncovered a press release from the Episcopalian news archives dated August 5, 2003. The release addressed Nestler as Deputy Mary Jane Nestler and not as a priest, the title of deputy in certain circles - including Anglican - indicates the status of laity and not cleric. A strange twist indeed, if Deputy Nestler was once a priestess but now is not. The press release itself was uninteresting, Nestler and other deputies wrote to encourage priests to study foreign cultures and languages in an effort of cross-anthropological appeal. At this point I decided to end the search to learn more about the curious note; further investigation would be unnecessary and probably uninteresting. Even as I write this I yawn with anticipating a long and restful sleep.
I rather enjoyed the book. The prose was tight and connected, and Berger drew upon a wealth of sources from many cultures, languages, and histories. Subsequent searches for Berger revealed him to be a sociologist from Boston University, still employed, living about thirty minutes south of me. Publisher records and third party informations on The Heretical Imperative are conflicting. A first edition copy from Doubleday can still be acquired at a reasonable price, and information from them says the earliest date of publication was 1980. But curiously, the dedicatory note by Ms Nagley was dated exactly 24 days prior to this. Other sources confirm Nagley's date, including an open letter I found written by Berger dated April 1980, to the journal Theology Today, which mentioned the book's publication year as 1979.
The two in the dedicatory note proved more difficult to track down. I found nothing about Mary Frances Nagley, the writer of the note, though a deeper investigation could prove more telling given more time and energy. Research on her friend, priestess Mary Jane Nestler, was turning dour as well until I uncovered a press release from the Episcopalian news archives dated August 5, 2003. The release addressed Nestler as Deputy Mary Jane Nestler and not as a priest, the title of deputy in certain circles - including Anglican - indicates the status of laity and not cleric. A strange twist indeed, if Deputy Nestler was once a priestess but now is not. The press release itself was uninteresting, Nestler and other deputies wrote to encourage priests to study foreign cultures and languages in an effort of cross-anthropological appeal. At this point I decided to end the search to learn more about the curious note; further investigation would be unnecessary and probably uninteresting. Even as I write this I yawn with anticipating a long and restful sleep.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Intention (not Intentionality)
Before this blog became the face of my venture into Chile, this was a philosophical blog. To a handful of people's delight (and to the overwhelming majority's boredom) this blog is returning to that purpose.
Anyways, here is my reading list for the rest of the summer.
The reading list for the rest of the Summer!:
Mind, by Searle 50% done (I think it's boring and that I wish Searle mentioned more cognitive studies)
The Veil of Isis: an Essay on the Idea of Nature, by Hadot 15% done (So far, second best book of the summer)
Memory, History, Forgiveness, by Ricoeur 1% done (I have rarely felt so stupid, except when reading Deleuze or Derrida)
The Unbearable Lightness of Being, by Kundera 2%done (So far, this book is AWESOME.)
Why is There Something Rather Than Nothing?, by Kolakowski 90% done (It's a pretty-good treatment of philosophy's fundamental question(s). Read it for its summary of Parmenides.)
God and the Philosophers, edited by Norris 95% done (Great talk by 10 philosophers over the subject of God, religion and reality.)
The Best in Science and Nature Writing 2003, edited by Richard Dawkins 15% done
The Best in Science and Nature Writing 2004, edited by Stephen Pinker 100% done
Anyways, here is my reading list for the rest of the summer.
The reading list for the rest of the Summer!:
Mind, by Searle 50% done (I think it's boring and that I wish Searle mentioned more cognitive studies)
The Veil of Isis: an Essay on the Idea of Nature, by Hadot 15% done (So far, second best book of the summer)
Memory, History, Forgiveness, by Ricoeur 1% done (I have rarely felt so stupid, except when reading Deleuze or Derrida)
The Unbearable Lightness of Being, by Kundera 2%done (So far, this book is AWESOME.)
Why is There Something Rather Than Nothing?, by Kolakowski 90% done (It's a pretty-good treatment of philosophy's fundamental question(s). Read it for its summary of Parmenides.)
God and the Philosophers, edited by Norris 95% done (Great talk by 10 philosophers over the subject of God, religion and reality.)
The Best in Science and Nature Writing 2003, edited by Richard Dawkins 15% done
The Best in Science and Nature Writing 2004, edited by Stephen Pinker 100% done
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
One bus, one plane and two cars later...
For the last two days I have been residing blissfully in the United States. The weather is gorgeous: Santiago taught me that if there is at least warm weather, cloudy days aren't so bad. Even as soon as stepping into the Dallas airport on layover I have been scouring magazines, interrogating friends and devouring the Web to see what great music I have missed. In the span of two American, Summer months I have missed quite a bit.
Here are some of the goods. The boldface goes band then song title.
Wild Sweet Orange - Ten Dead Dogs
Mates of State - My Only Offer
Goldfrapp - Satin Chic
Cansei de Ser Sexy - Music is My Hot, Hot Sex
Here are some of the goods. The boldface goes band then song title.
Wild Sweet Orange - Ten Dead Dogs
Mates of State - My Only Offer
Goldfrapp - Satin Chic
Cansei de Ser Sexy - Music is My Hot, Hot Sex
Friday, August 8, 2008
Chile as an island.
Granted, I haven't been here for very long. A whole life in a country can barely be enough to attest to its qualities, much less two months; although what I have experienced attests to the idea that Chile is an island. Though on a map its borders speak otherwise, Chile is quite removed from its neighbors.
Seperated by vast desert, enveloped by the Andes, and host to one of the most inhospitable sailing waters, Chile is an island alone.
Seperated by vast desert, enveloped by the Andes, and host to one of the most inhospitable sailing waters, Chile is an island alone.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
The difference between houses and homes...
There are a number of different ways to spend a night in Chile.
The first two are Hotels and Hospedajes. The difference between an average hotel and an average hospedaje is negligible, though hotels might actually be very high quality (and high cost) but a hospedaje is always average.
Next is a Residencial. A residencial has the amount of rooms like a hotel, but the price of a hostel. You get your own room instead of sharing in a hostel, and even a TV, but the quality is generally the lowest of all of these here. A residencial's atomosphere is generally decided by the atitude of the owner.
Fourth is the Hostería. I have never been to a hostería, so, as Wittgenstein once put it, where our world ends there we must be silent. I cannot comment.
Fifth is the Hostel. Like a hostel anywhere else in the world, it is a large commune with a bunch of travelers from around the world. This is a prefered way to travel if you are going solo, with friends, or on a budget.
Things I miss about home:
1. Music. That means picking out the music I want to listen to. Besides, I bought a CD here of Los Bunkers (a great band, by the way, so check them out) and I have nothing to play it on!
2. More travel companions. Traveling solo means I have no one to enjoy this place with. Friends don't let friends travel alone.
Things I don't miss about home:
1. Liquor law.
2.
The first two are Hotels and Hospedajes. The difference between an average hotel and an average hospedaje is negligible, though hotels might actually be very high quality (and high cost) but a hospedaje is always average.
Next is a Residencial. A residencial has the amount of rooms like a hotel, but the price of a hostel. You get your own room instead of sharing in a hostel, and even a TV, but the quality is generally the lowest of all of these here. A residencial's atomosphere is generally decided by the atitude of the owner.
Fourth is the Hostería. I have never been to a hostería, so, as Wittgenstein once put it, where our world ends there we must be silent. I cannot comment.
Fifth is the Hostel. Like a hostel anywhere else in the world, it is a large commune with a bunch of travelers from around the world. This is a prefered way to travel if you are going solo, with friends, or on a budget.
Things I miss about home:
1. Music. That means picking out the music I want to listen to. Besides, I bought a CD here of Los Bunkers (a great band, by the way, so check them out) and I have nothing to play it on!
2. More travel companions. Traveling solo means I have no one to enjoy this place with. Friends don't let friends travel alone.
Things I don't miss about home:
1. Liquor law.
2.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
The second day of Copiapó
Yesterday I arrived by bus into Copiapó, a dusty, boring desert town built in the same layout as Santiago but without the people or the glitz to make it interesting. There is one dominant color here, brown, which starts from the coffee-colored dirt roads (they're actually paved, but have about an inch of dirt above them), to the brown buildings, to the peaks of giant mountains made of sand. Like many deserts, the days art hot but the nights are very cold.
To the east lies Salar de Maricunga (Salt Lake of Maricunga), a place I very badly wish to see but budget constraints are saying otherwise. I have $100 in US cash and $30,000 in pesos. I really want that $100 to be for emergencies, meaning the pesos are going to have to go towards my last meals and a busride back to Santiago.
To the west is Bahia Inglésa (English Bay), which I visted today. I took to the coastal town, more like a village - its population is probably around 300. The streets are quiet, maybe one othere tourist was there, and the people are leisurely seated on their doorsteps or can be heard inside their homes. The beach is fantastic - pearl white sand, warm, azure waters, fishing boats docked lazily, not another person in sight. Actually, it got kinda lonely, haha. And it was so remote that I had to ask a guy leaving his driveway to drop me off in Caldera to the north cause no taxi or bus would go out there to pick me up.
In Caldera there is a giant, wooden cathedral. Its large pillars, skyward steeple and tan walls were entirely of wood, except for its tin roof. Caldera is certainly more populated than Bahia Inglésa, but much less than Copiapó. At least in Caldera there was a bus service back to Copiapó, which was late by 2 hours. Other than the wooden cathedral, Caldera does not boast very much. My way back home I played Chess with some Frenchmen going to Santiago from Peru. They weren't very good, I beat all of them by the time I reached the terminal of Copiapó. And now here I am, in an internet terminal.
Alright, even though it's 7.45 I am tired. Goodnight.
To the east lies Salar de Maricunga (Salt Lake of Maricunga), a place I very badly wish to see but budget constraints are saying otherwise. I have $100 in US cash and $30,000 in pesos. I really want that $100 to be for emergencies, meaning the pesos are going to have to go towards my last meals and a busride back to Santiago.
To the west is Bahia Inglésa (English Bay), which I visted today. I took to the coastal town, more like a village - its population is probably around 300. The streets are quiet, maybe one othere tourist was there, and the people are leisurely seated on their doorsteps or can be heard inside their homes. The beach is fantastic - pearl white sand, warm, azure waters, fishing boats docked lazily, not another person in sight. Actually, it got kinda lonely, haha. And it was so remote that I had to ask a guy leaving his driveway to drop me off in Caldera to the north cause no taxi or bus would go out there to pick me up.
In Caldera there is a giant, wooden cathedral. Its large pillars, skyward steeple and tan walls were entirely of wood, except for its tin roof. Caldera is certainly more populated than Bahia Inglésa, but much less than Copiapó. At least in Caldera there was a bus service back to Copiapó, which was late by 2 hours. Other than the wooden cathedral, Caldera does not boast very much. My way back home I played Chess with some Frenchmen going to Santiago from Peru. They weren't very good, I beat all of them by the time I reached the terminal of Copiapó. And now here I am, in an internet terminal.
Alright, even though it's 7.45 I am tired. Goodnight.
Monday, August 4, 2008
La Serena, day 3
La Serena is a little boring, I won't lie. But I would love living here - it's quiet and beautiful and the weather is perfect year round. It's kind of like an American suburb had been plopped down and became its own city.
Today I awoke and planned on going to Valle de Elqui, but had last minute second thoughts and decided against it. Not because of money, but because of time and transportation. I worried that with the few hours I would have there, I wouldn't be able to see very much on foot. Perhaps if I had a car.
The reason my friends are staying in La Serena is that they are apartment shopping. That's right, they are moving to La Serena. So today I decided to go apartment shopping with them instead of Valle de Elqui. It was an interesting experience - and they found what I think is a nice place, and very affordable.
To close this post, I will give another update on Chilean slang (swearing this time):
Fome - Boring
Besadora - Asshole
Wea - Shit
Gringolandia - United States of America
Ropa vieja - lit. old cloths, it means leftovers
Dando Jugo - lit. giving juice, it means someone who talks a lot but says nothing
Me carga... - I hate...
Chatear - To chat
Poncear - To make out
Lancear - To steal
Carretear - To party, comes from the word for highway
Cacho (caxo) - I understand
Bacán - Cool
No caxo esa wea - I don't get this shit
Palolo(a) - Boyfriend, girlfriend
Bruja - Wife
Today I awoke and planned on going to Valle de Elqui, but had last minute second thoughts and decided against it. Not because of money, but because of time and transportation. I worried that with the few hours I would have there, I wouldn't be able to see very much on foot. Perhaps if I had a car.
The reason my friends are staying in La Serena is that they are apartment shopping. That's right, they are moving to La Serena. So today I decided to go apartment shopping with them instead of Valle de Elqui. It was an interesting experience - and they found what I think is a nice place, and very affordable.
To close this post, I will give another update on Chilean slang (swearing this time):
Fome - Boring
Besadora - Asshole
Wea - Shit
Gringolandia - United States of America
Ropa vieja - lit. old cloths, it means leftovers
Dando Jugo - lit. giving juice, it means someone who talks a lot but says nothing
Me carga... - I hate...
Chatear - To chat
Poncear - To make out
Lancear - To steal
Carretear - To party, comes from the word for highway
Cacho (caxo) - I understand
Bacán - Cool
No caxo esa wea - I don't get this shit
Palolo(a) - Boyfriend, girlfriend
Bruja - Wife
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Quick change of plans...
After a good talk with the family who runs the hostel, I am changing my plans. Here is the updated syllabus... Also, I have severly trimmed my plans because my friends, for various reasons, are staying in La Serena. I decided to stay here another day, venture to San Pedro solo. Fortunatley I have friends in San Pedro. Also, to keep dad's heart problems at bay, I have included the hostel phone numbers and addresses that I am staying at in case of emergency or what have you. I chose these two hostels as they are the highest rated in the areas.
Tomorrow (Monday): Visit Valle de Elqui (what I was supposed to go to today)
Tomorrow night: Overnight bus to San Pedro de Atacama
Tuesday: The city of San Pedro
Wednesday: Valle de la Luna, Salar de Atacama, Laguna Verde
Thursday: The geysers of El Tatia, as well as many other things.
Thursday night: Overnight back to Santiago where I return to the family
Monday: the hostel Maria's Casa
Las Rojas 18
La Serena, Chile
Phone: (56)(51) 229282
Website: www.hostalmariacasa.cl
Tuesday through Thursday: Sumaj Jallpa
Volcan el tatio 703
Licanabur, San Pedro de Atacam, Chile
Phone: (56) (55) 851416
Tomorrow (Monday): Visit Valle de Elqui (what I was supposed to go to today)
Tomorrow night: Overnight bus to San Pedro de Atacama
Tuesday: The city of San Pedro
Wednesday: Valle de la Luna, Salar de Atacama, Laguna Verde
Thursday: The geysers of El Tatia, as well as many other things.
Thursday night: Overnight back to Santiago where I return to the family
Monday: the hostel Maria's Casa
Las Rojas 18
La Serena, Chile
Phone: (56)(51) 229282
Website: www.hostalmariacasa.cl
Tuesday through Thursday: Sumaj Jallpa
Volcan el tatio 703
Licanabur, San Pedro de Atacam, Chile
Phone: (56) (55) 851416
Still in La Serena
I made plans to visit the pisco and wine vineyards in the Valle de Elqui today but the batteries in my alarm decided to die in the middle of the night and I missed the bus. Instead me and mis amigos took to caminando the streets of La Serena. In the Summer, supposedly the city is all hustle and bustle, but during Winter, especially on fomingo, the town is... serene? The town is, as described by one of my teachers, extremely boring. There are a few cool buildings, and I bought a bottle and food and picniced the sunset on the beach. That was fun too. I just returned from there.
Also, my English skills have dropped to disastrously low levels. I have to keep checking my grammar and vocabulary. For instance, today I wanted to say 'I don't care' in English. The way to say that in Spanish is 'No me importa', or in it's lengthier way, 'A mi no me importa'. When directly translated that means 'To me it is not important', which is exactly what I said.
I am planning out my busride now to Copiapo - a city not worth noting except is where I am staying to visit Bahia Inglesa. Here's to pleasant travels. Chau.
Also, my English skills have dropped to disastrously low levels. I have to keep checking my grammar and vocabulary. For instance, today I wanted to say 'I don't care' in English. The way to say that in Spanish is 'No me importa', or in it's lengthier way, 'A mi no me importa'. When directly translated that means 'To me it is not important', which is exactly what I said.
I am planning out my busride now to Copiapo - a city not worth noting except is where I am staying to visit Bahia Inglesa. Here's to pleasant travels. Chau.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
In La Serena...
Well, the bus I took took longer to arrive here than I expected. La Serena is wonderful - I can choose to wear a sweater at night! It feels so long since then. I also wished I hadn't packed my camera on the busride up because there were some crazy geographical sights.
Anyways, I have a choice for tomorrow - visit a tiny rainforest in the middle of the desert, visit the beach and hopefully see penguins, or go to Parque National Fray Jorge. We'll see what I choose when you read tomorrow's post.
Right now I am at a hostel owned by a very nice family. My room is a quaint double that I share with a guy from somewhere in South America.
Anyways, I have a choice for tomorrow - visit a tiny rainforest in the middle of the desert, visit the beach and hopefully see penguins, or go to Parque National Fray Jorge. We'll see what I choose when you read tomorrow's post.
Right now I am at a hostel owned by a very nice family. My room is a quaint double that I share with a guy from somewhere in South America.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
