- The Man of Destiny by George Bernard Shaw (GGB Vol. 4, pp. 300-338)
- “A Meditation upon a Broomstick” by Jonathan Swift (GGB Vol. 7, p. 40-41)
- Plato’s Republic, Book V (GBWW Vol. 6, pp. 356-373)
- Federalist #47 (GBWW Vol. 40, pp. 153-156)
- “The Starry Messenger” by Galileo Galilei (GGB Vol. 8, pp. 330-355)
- How We Think by John Dewey, Chapter VIII (GGB Vol. 10, pp. 124-132)
Monday, July 29, 2013
GB Y1, W31 Schedule
GB Y1, W30: Justice for Butchers, Billies, and Bee-Honey Makers
Billy Budd - Herman Melville: Innocent, Christ-like sailor (Billy) comes on board new ship and the Devil (Claggart) has it in for him, though he doesn't seem to know why. He accuses him of conspiracy to mutiny before the captain. Billy doesn't know what else to do so he hits him, which kills him. Captain convenes a kangaroo court and sentences him to hang, which happens the next morning. Despite confused naval report about the incident, he becomes famous and lives on in naval poetry. Wonderful prose, though tedious at times. If this is Christ, he's a bit different than the guy in the Bible.
Meditation on the Divine Will - Abraham Lincoln: Observes that both sides of "great contests" claim to act in accordance with God's will, though at least one is wrong. Could it be that God has other purposes in mind with the Civil War? I'm glad he stopped short of saying God was somehow obligated to stop such contests. This almost seems a universal assumption with people today (at least when discussing the problem of evil), but whence the justification for that?
Plato's Republic, Book IV: Happiness in the state concerns the whole, not the individual guardians. A rightly-ordered state is a happy one is a just one. A state is rightly-ordered when those in each class and vocation are doing their own thing and having what belongs to them. The four virtues of wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice are interrelated and dependent on this notion. Three principles of the soul - rational, appetitive, concupiscent - exist in the soul in microcosm to the model of the classes of the state. Justice/injustice, virtue/vice is the right-ordering of these principles or departure thereof. Brilliant stuff. But, why isn't the mind a problem? I'd say the mind (rational principle) is fallen too, not just the others.
Federalist Papers # 46 - James Madison: Don't worry, federal government won't take preference over the state. The ultimate power is with the individuals, and they'll give confidence to whomever they think deserves it. Administrators always favor local governments/concerns. Citizens carry arms and state militias will be able to call up more soldiers than the federal government. Don't know about that last one. I think he's also overlooking an ideological bent towards individuals favoring larger and larger governmental bodies. It also overlooks ambitions of the individual. I kept thinking about Hillary Clinton becoming a senator for the state of New York, when she wasn't even from New York.
A Laboratory of the Open Fields - Jean Henri Fabre: He could never travel and see the world, so his back yard had to suffice. Even then, he couldn't easily acquire his little "laboratory in the open fields" because he (apparently) didn't have enough money to purchase a plot of land until he was older. Wonderful little description of the myriad goings-on of the bees, beetles, etc. It does seem, though, that the love for one subject need not obviate the value of others (he blasts marine biology). Yet, his concern for people not studying entomology in the field has both basic and applied scientific merit. Why can't marine biologists and entomologists just get along?
The Process of Thought, Ch. VII - John Dewey: When difficult situations arise, we can: dodge it, indulge in flights of fancy, or reflect. There's 5 phases of reflective thought: 1) suggestions of a solution; 2) intellectualizing situation more thoroughly into a coherent problem; 3) developing one solution into a working hypothesis; 4) mental elaboration of the idea; 5) testing the hypothesis. I think this and things like this are harder to read because it takes a situation that is so close to people as to be overlooked, then puts it into discrete logical processes with technically-accurate descriptions and justifications. Now that in itself is hard to reflect on!
Meditation on the Divine Will - Abraham Lincoln: Observes that both sides of "great contests" claim to act in accordance with God's will, though at least one is wrong. Could it be that God has other purposes in mind with the Civil War? I'm glad he stopped short of saying God was somehow obligated to stop such contests. This almost seems a universal assumption with people today (at least when discussing the problem of evil), but whence the justification for that?
Plato's Republic, Book IV: Happiness in the state concerns the whole, not the individual guardians. A rightly-ordered state is a happy one is a just one. A state is rightly-ordered when those in each class and vocation are doing their own thing and having what belongs to them. The four virtues of wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice are interrelated and dependent on this notion. Three principles of the soul - rational, appetitive, concupiscent - exist in the soul in microcosm to the model of the classes of the state. Justice/injustice, virtue/vice is the right-ordering of these principles or departure thereof. Brilliant stuff. But, why isn't the mind a problem? I'd say the mind (rational principle) is fallen too, not just the others.
Federalist Papers # 46 - James Madison: Don't worry, federal government won't take preference over the state. The ultimate power is with the individuals, and they'll give confidence to whomever they think deserves it. Administrators always favor local governments/concerns. Citizens carry arms and state militias will be able to call up more soldiers than the federal government. Don't know about that last one. I think he's also overlooking an ideological bent towards individuals favoring larger and larger governmental bodies. It also overlooks ambitions of the individual. I kept thinking about Hillary Clinton becoming a senator for the state of New York, when she wasn't even from New York.
A Laboratory of the Open Fields - Jean Henri Fabre: He could never travel and see the world, so his back yard had to suffice. Even then, he couldn't easily acquire his little "laboratory in the open fields" because he (apparently) didn't have enough money to purchase a plot of land until he was older. Wonderful little description of the myriad goings-on of the bees, beetles, etc. It does seem, though, that the love for one subject need not obviate the value of others (he blasts marine biology). Yet, his concern for people not studying entomology in the field has both basic and applied scientific merit. Why can't marine biologists and entomologists just get along?
The Process of Thought, Ch. VII - John Dewey: When difficult situations arise, we can: dodge it, indulge in flights of fancy, or reflect. There's 5 phases of reflective thought: 1) suggestions of a solution; 2) intellectualizing situation more thoroughly into a coherent problem; 3) developing one solution into a working hypothesis; 4) mental elaboration of the idea; 5) testing the hypothesis. I think this and things like this are harder to read because it takes a situation that is so close to people as to be overlooked, then puts it into discrete logical processes with technically-accurate descriptions and justifications. Now that in itself is hard to reflect on!
Monday, July 22, 2013
GB Y1, W30 Schedule
- Billy Budd, Sailor (An Inside Narrative) by Herman Melville (GGB Vol. 3, pp. 31-98)
- “Meditation on the Divine Will” by Abraham Lincoln (GGB Vol. 6, p. 758)
- Plato’s Republic, Book IV (GBWW Vol. 6, pp. 342-356)
- Federalist #46 (GBWW Vol. 40, pp. 150-153)
- “A Laboratory of the Open Fields” by Jean-Henri Fabre (GGB Vol. 8, pp. 97-104)
- How We Think by John Dewey, Chapter VII (GGB Vol. 10, pp. 113-124)
GB Y1, W29: Who's my biggest enemy? Look in the mirror
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stephenson: Stunning story that takes the formula of a tragedy and follows it literally. Jekyll is tempted to pursue his secret ("hyden") temptation that thwarts common morality, discovers way to make his temptation a reality, pursues it with exhilaration, almost gets away with it, then falls inescapably into own trap, ends with sacrifice of self. Great study for understanding what a tragedy is, but also what our own evil is. How has the Christian world forgotten this story? It's been given to Marvel comics, stripped of its self-condemning moral message, and transformed into superpowers for fighting the bad guys. Not that the Hulk is all bad, it's just a convenient transformation.
Resolutions When I Come to be Old - Jonathan Swift: Nice and short. Seems like the kind of thing you'd do once but revisit every year (personal mission statement, anyone?). Would like an explanation for some of the "behaving around children/young people" ones. "Not fond of children"?
Plato's Republic, Book III: What kids believe about death, what they read, what music they listen to, how much of life is consumed by sports/exercise; surprise, surprise, these things all make a difference in what kind of person they grow up to be. Not much of a surprise there, but probably is in the particulars. Main goals: courage and temperance, not getting a job and making money. What if you're not raising a "guardian"? Is it just vocational training for them then? It seems like today we'd want something like this "guardian" education (minus any "royal/noble" lies) in K-12, then vocational training after that in college or the equivalent... Revolutionary? Maybe give them like a set of "great" books to read in high school or something...
Federalist Papers #44 - James Madison: If we value the happiness of the people, we'll have a strong federal government. New Constitution isn't so much granting new powers as it is invigorating the original powers of the first one. The concern/argument for state governments appointing their own senators must have quickly waned, yet they put a lot of weight in it in the Fed. Papers. Makes me wonder what happened leading up to the 17th amendment that took this right away from the states.
The Sunless Sea - Rachel Carson: Most (not all) of our science readings in this set seem to fall into two camps: 1) original scientific works with original arguments; 2) magazine-type articles that explain the natural world. This falls into the second category and, as such, reads like a "perfect" Wikipedia article on the subject. It's the nature of the beast, though, and she does a great job explaining the details of this fascinating unseen world. Makes me wonder which of the mysteries she brought up have had more light shed on them since she wrote this (yes, pun intended).
The Process of Thought, Ch. 2 - John Dewey: We all are challenged to be honest in our quest for the truth, and there are many enchantresses that tempt us into comfortable conclusions along the way (social pressure, laziness, passions, etc.). There is no "magic method" that gets us right conclusions because our own character flaws are what thwart the journey. We work on our character flaws (be open-minded, wholehearted, intellectually responsible folks), marry that with good thinking methods, then we're on the right track. Interesting observation about the scientific establishment's tendency to support failing theories. Sounds almost like Kuhn. Scientists: take note, and don't fall under the enchantress's spells.
Resolutions When I Come to be Old - Jonathan Swift: Nice and short. Seems like the kind of thing you'd do once but revisit every year (personal mission statement, anyone?). Would like an explanation for some of the "behaving around children/young people" ones. "Not fond of children"?
Plato's Republic, Book III: What kids believe about death, what they read, what music they listen to, how much of life is consumed by sports/exercise; surprise, surprise, these things all make a difference in what kind of person they grow up to be. Not much of a surprise there, but probably is in the particulars. Main goals: courage and temperance, not getting a job and making money. What if you're not raising a "guardian"? Is it just vocational training for them then? It seems like today we'd want something like this "guardian" education (minus any "royal/noble" lies) in K-12, then vocational training after that in college or the equivalent... Revolutionary? Maybe give them like a set of "great" books to read in high school or something...
Federalist Papers #44 - James Madison: If we value the happiness of the people, we'll have a strong federal government. New Constitution isn't so much granting new powers as it is invigorating the original powers of the first one. The concern/argument for state governments appointing their own senators must have quickly waned, yet they put a lot of weight in it in the Fed. Papers. Makes me wonder what happened leading up to the 17th amendment that took this right away from the states.
The Sunless Sea - Rachel Carson: Most (not all) of our science readings in this set seem to fall into two camps: 1) original scientific works with original arguments; 2) magazine-type articles that explain the natural world. This falls into the second category and, as such, reads like a "perfect" Wikipedia article on the subject. It's the nature of the beast, though, and she does a great job explaining the details of this fascinating unseen world. Makes me wonder which of the mysteries she brought up have had more light shed on them since she wrote this (yes, pun intended).
The Process of Thought, Ch. 2 - John Dewey: We all are challenged to be honest in our quest for the truth, and there are many enchantresses that tempt us into comfortable conclusions along the way (social pressure, laziness, passions, etc.). There is no "magic method" that gets us right conclusions because our own character flaws are what thwart the journey. We work on our character flaws (be open-minded, wholehearted, intellectually responsible folks), marry that with good thinking methods, then we're on the right track. Interesting observation about the scientific establishment's tendency to support failing theories. Sounds almost like Kuhn. Scientists: take note, and don't fall under the enchantress's spells.
Monday, July 15, 2013
GB Y1, W29 Schedule
Here's this readings for the upcoming week:
- The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (GGB Vol. 2, pp. 288-341)
- “Resolutions when I Come to Be Old” by Jonathan Swift (GGB Vol. 7, p. 42)
- Plato’s Republic, Book III (GBWW Vol. 6, pp. 325-342)
- Federalist #45 (GBWW Vol. 40, pp. 147-150)
- “The Sunless Sea” by Rachel Carson (GGB Vol. 8, pp. 132-146; Chapter 4 of The Sea Around Us)
- How We Think by John Dewey, Chapter II (GGB Vol. 10, pp. 101-114)
GB Y1, W28: Justice, Jabberwockies, and Just Desserts
The Tempest - William Shakespeare: A sorcerer wants revenge, then forgives when he has the opportunity. The spirit gets to go free, the starry-eyed teenagers find true love, and the bad guys got dissed, even if they didn't get their just desserts. I guess that makes it a comedy, if an odd one.
Herodotus' Histories, Book IX: The Greeks already whipped up on the Persians...several times. Xerxes high-tailed it back to Asia and left Mardonius in charge. The Greek army then whips up on him while the fleet does the same to the Persian fleet at Mycale. So why are the Greeks always winning over the Persians? Are men defending their homes better warriors than those not? Are free men better warriors than slaves? Or (the more mundane option) are Greeks just better fighters than Persians? At the end of the day though, whatever happens it's the Oracle at Delphi that wins. Goodbye Herodotus, it's been fun.
The Republic of Plato, Book II: Old age and justice: I know that's how conversations at my house always come back to. It's easy to understand why people really didn't like Socrates and how he picked and picked at their precious theories. It's easier for me to read, but I wouldn't want my precious theories of life on his plate. I'm curious to see where the proofs for God's simplicity are going with respect to the justice question.
Federalist Papers #44: Now in Madison's 5th and 6th points about the use of powers as dictated by the Constitution: restrictions on states and powers and provisions to carry out the other powers. They keep harping on this last point, yet it seems so obvious. Looking at the details of what that required though, I could see how people might get antsy. It's interesting to see what ideas they had at the time that don't even occur to us today. Two in passing (mostly from last week's reading): Canada joining the US, insurrections at the state level. Think if Canada did join, boy that'd be a lot of land.
The Sphinx - Francis Bacon: Great little story. I do think he's taken some liberty with interpreting the author's original intent. It does work for his own uses though. It's also an interesting way to think about the sciences, their division and their ramifications.
The Process of Thought, Ch. 1 - John Dewey: Starting off, this reads like a layman's critical thinking-type book (which, maybe it was intended to be), but then it starts to make sense to view it as Dewey the philosopher of education working his way into what schooling should look like...because this is what thinking is, or at least what it should be, and schooling should do such and such to bring it about. Maybe it won't all come through in this work, but it should dovetail in with the larger body of his work, which I think has problems. Looks good so far though.
Herodotus' Histories, Book IX: The Greeks already whipped up on the Persians...several times. Xerxes high-tailed it back to Asia and left Mardonius in charge. The Greek army then whips up on him while the fleet does the same to the Persian fleet at Mycale. So why are the Greeks always winning over the Persians? Are men defending their homes better warriors than those not? Are free men better warriors than slaves? Or (the more mundane option) are Greeks just better fighters than Persians? At the end of the day though, whatever happens it's the Oracle at Delphi that wins. Goodbye Herodotus, it's been fun.
The Republic of Plato, Book II: Old age and justice: I know that's how conversations at my house always come back to. It's easy to understand why people really didn't like Socrates and how he picked and picked at their precious theories. It's easier for me to read, but I wouldn't want my precious theories of life on his plate. I'm curious to see where the proofs for God's simplicity are going with respect to the justice question.
Federalist Papers #44: Now in Madison's 5th and 6th points about the use of powers as dictated by the Constitution: restrictions on states and powers and provisions to carry out the other powers. They keep harping on this last point, yet it seems so obvious. Looking at the details of what that required though, I could see how people might get antsy. It's interesting to see what ideas they had at the time that don't even occur to us today. Two in passing (mostly from last week's reading): Canada joining the US, insurrections at the state level. Think if Canada did join, boy that'd be a lot of land.
The Sphinx - Francis Bacon: Great little story. I do think he's taken some liberty with interpreting the author's original intent. It does work for his own uses though. It's also an interesting way to think about the sciences, their division and their ramifications.
The Process of Thought, Ch. 1 - John Dewey: Starting off, this reads like a layman's critical thinking-type book (which, maybe it was intended to be), but then it starts to make sense to view it as Dewey the philosopher of education working his way into what schooling should look like...because this is what thinking is, or at least what it should be, and schooling should do such and such to bring it about. Maybe it won't all come through in this work, but it should dovetail in with the larger body of his work, which I think has problems. Looks good so far though.
Getting Started - 6 months into it...
We're starting up with our Encyclopedia Britannica Great Books of the Western World 7-year reading program. It's actually not just the 60-volume Great Books collection that we'll be reading, but also the 10-volume Gateway to the Great Books companion set as well. And it's actually not my program in the sense that I didn't design the reading schedule. It was originally put together by "Dr. J" at "Through the Great Books". His blog tracks his reading progress as he makes his way through the 7-year plan (he's already in Year 3) and gives a weekly summary for the previous week's reading and a schedule for the next. So basically I'll be doing the same thing with this blog because 1) it serves as a means of public accountability, which is a helpful motivator! 2) it helps facilitate discussion with others reading along with the same schedule (whereas it's obviously harder to find such people in real life), 3) "Dr. J" is already two years ahead and it would be helpful to discuss things with people reading concurrently.
...and yes, it's actually been 6 months since I started this reading project (January 2013). The difference is now I'll be posting weekly updates where as before I just recorded them for my own purposes.
So join me! And if you're already reading along with year 1 of this program, let me know!
...and yes, it's actually been 6 months since I started this reading project (January 2013). The difference is now I'll be posting weekly updates where as before I just recorded them for my own purposes.
So join me! And if you're already reading along with year 1 of this program, let me know!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)