Links, links, links

All of these are relevant, I think, to The Republic and/or My Dinner with Andre and/or hanging out.

Barry Schwartz on the paradox of choice:
http://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_on_the_paradox_of_choice.html

Sam Harris on morality:
http://www.ted.com/talks/sam_harris_science_can_show_what_s_right.html

Heinrich von Kleist on just about everything:
http://southerncrossreview.org/9/kleist.htm

March Circle: Date Change and Reading Update

Unless there are any serious objections, the March meeting will now be on Monday 3/29 and we will stick to reading The Republic. Let's have everyone read the selections that I suggested in my previous post, but because we are foregoing Democracy... let's try to all do a fair amount extra, as well. Does that work for everyone?

March Reading -- The Republic selections

So presumably we'll do March 22nd this month.

I have chosen what seem to me to be some of the essential parts of The Republic. Because it is an ongoing dialogue, I would recommend reading the entire book for anyone with the time. While it is a fairly quick read, I recognize that this may be difficult, as my copy is 300 pages.

Here are some selections that I believe will illuminate some of the key points. If anyone reads beyond these selections and finds something particularly interesting, please let us all know and we can add it on.

The Republic has its own page numbering system that coordinates all editions. I have listed these reference numbers, as well as the page numbers of my own edition [Allan Bloom (1968). The Republic of Plato. New York: Basic Books]. It has been awhile since I read the book and I have used online methods to figure out which parts are the best to read. The beginnings and endings may be slightly off, so if it seems to abruptly jump right into a section I recommend reading back a page or two for context.

Here are my selections:

Book II; 357-371 (p. 35-47 in my edition -- expositions on Justice)
Books V & VI; 470-502 (p. 150-182 in my edition -- discussing the "Rule of the Philosophers")
Book VII; 501-521 ( p. 180-200 in my edition -- this is the famous "Allegory of the Cave")
Book IX (entirety); 571-592 (p. 251-275 in my edition -- conclusions on Justice)

I know this may a bit more than I suggested that I would excerpt (about 88 pages), but I think it's essential. Do what you can.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

February Meeting (Tonight)

This is just a reminder about 8pm tonight at the church. Let it be known if there are any last minute time conflicts.

Also, bring your thoughts about next month's reading (or are there rumors of something beyond reading?).

Since I failed on this account last time, I would like to encourage that there is no circle without Enid's.

See you tonight.

Bertrand Russell

I chose two chapters from Bertrand Russell's History of Western Philosophy. One is on Cynicism and Skepticism, and the other is on Epicureanism. These words get used a lot -- often in response to the ills of the modern/working world -- and I thought it would be interesting to learn their true philosophical origins. We also get to read Bertrand Russell and connect our times to ancient times in the process.

Girl, Interrupted

Hi guys,

Sam and I chose an excerpt from "Girl, Interrupted," Susanna Kaysen's 1993 memoir about her stay in McLean Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, during the years 1967-68. In the chapter we selected, she discusses treating the "mind" vs. treating the "brain."



You might have seen this, but I also wanted to share this ny times essay, which touches on the mind vs. brain issue, and explores some of the ways that "mental illnesses" are conceptualized and treated in different parts of the world. The author makes a good argument that there are some dangers in exporting American ideas about mental illness to other countries.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/magazine/10psyche-t.html?scp=1&sq=crazy%20like%20us&st=cse

William James & Wendell Berry

Hey all, so here's what Lori and I gave out last week.

"The Varieties of Religious Experience" by William James - the book in general is an edited series of lectures that James gave in Scotland in 1901-02. I included the first lecture. James was a psychologist and philosopher (and brother of Henry James), who was interested in the psychology of religion and mysticism. He also said he that he was only able to understand Hegel under the influence of nitrous oxide.

"The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture" by Wendell Berry (1977) - I included three chapters early in the book where Berry looks at the problems of our culture as problems of agriculture. Berry was born and still lives in Kentucky where he farms and writes--fiction and nonfiction.

And I'm down to read Big Red Son.