Skip to main content

meh

What is Philosophy today?

  • "As for what motivated me, it is quite simple; I would hope that in the eyes of some people it might be sufficient in itself. It was curiosity-the only kind of curiosity, in any case, that is worth acting upon with a degree of obstinacy: not the curiosity that seeks to assimilate what is proper for one to know, but that which enables one to get free of oneself. After all, what would be the value of the passion for knowledge if it resulted only in a certain amount of knowledgeableness and not, in one way or another and to the extent possible, in the knower's straying afield of himself? There are time in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks, and perceive differently than one sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go on looking and reflecting at all. People will say, perhaps, that these games with oneself would better be left backstage; or, at best, that they might properly form part of those preliminary exercise that are forgotten once they have served their purpose. But, then, what is philosophy today-philosophical activity, I mean-if it is not the critical work that thought brings to bear on itself? In what does it consists, if not in the endeavour to know how and to what extent it might be possible to think differently, instead of legitimating what is already known?" Michel Foucault: The Use of Pleasure, pp. 8-9.

    • Comments

    1. Anonymous11:13 AM

      Well if I wasn't busy enough with trying to figure out math and science-now I've got to go and figure me out too. Crap just when I thought I had all the ducks in a row. Damn you Michel Foucault.

      ReplyDelete

    Post a Comment

    Popular posts from this blog

    : . : ::. . . . ........::;. : ; ; .........................

    Hmm.... I'm considering applying for the Honors Thesis program. It's a year long (2 semester) program for seniors. It's basically just another class in one's schedule, except you meet with your faculty advisor (of whom you choose), read a lot, and write a lot. Requirements: 3.7 major gpa, 3.5 career gpa and all pre-requisites finished. Surprisingly, I'm elligible. (I just have to *stay* elligible at this point). However, this would mean foregoing Japan. I won't know about my Japan app for a while, but the more I bury myself in the work of two highly esteemed professors, the more I'd like to attempt an honors thesis with either of them. (And, i'd be done with my major, giving me the time to devote to such a feat). If I don't get into the Japanese Program (40-50% chance) I will definitely apply for the Honors. Other than that, I'm trying to adjust to 6 hour class days, and the 3 hours of reading that follows class. Thank god I have monday and...
    5 comments
    Read more

    The Start of Summer

    And the start of many goals: #1: Hike all 150 miles of the Lassen National Park trails (and log all the geocaches!) #2: Finish CLU certification (even if it means bringing textbooks hiking) #3: Perfect baking skills #4: Be the board
    1 comment
    Read more

    Summing the Year Up

    My contribution to the annual, office newsletter, cross-posted from my financial/work interpretation-of-the-world blog : Ordinary Lang uage Finance . Even in America, the land of the second chance, and of transcendentalist redeemers, the paradox inevitably arises: you cannot change the world (for example, a state of marriage [or conversely: an economy]) until the people in it change, and the people cannot change until the world changes. - Stanley Cavell I hadn't seen this passage since the middle-years of college (if you remember those days too, it was a different time back then--long before I personally came to an inkling's understanding of the power of tragedy, and the subsequent flow of change). During those shattering years, I questioned the purpose of many practices and sites of genius. I wondered why so many studied the tragic Greek plays, the tragic writings of Kafka, or the tragic films; I wondered why people didn't focus solely on the works of those who burned br...
    1 comment
    Read more