“Hope is a precondition of what matters”

Kieran Setiya, like Oliver Burkeman, calls for "acknowledgment and close reading of the lives we have" as the prerequisite of genuine and not merely delusional hope--the sort of hope that, as Rebecca Solnit points out, needs to act and not just lazily wish for a winning lottery ticket. I highly recommend Setiya's Life is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help...

"…It is much easier to say why despair is bad than why hope is good. We despair when things are hopeless, but we remain attached to them. "The relationship is over; she is gone forever," cries the jilted lover. The terminal patient weeps: "There is no cure." What they feel is grief or something like it. The pain of passion for a possibility that has died...

Hope coexists with quiescence. If there's courage in hoping, it's the courage to face the fear of disappointment that hope creates. When things turn out badly, hope is more harrowing than despair.

So Hesiod has a point. Hope can be deceptive, docile, daunting. Why celebrate its role in life? In a book she wrote in the wake of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the writer and activist Rebecca Solnit rose to hope's defense: "Hope is not like a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky," she wrote. Instead,

hope should shove you out the door, because it will take everything you have to steer the future away from endless war, from the annihilation of the earth's treasures and the grinding down of the poor and marginal. Hope just means another world might be possible, not promised, not guaranteed. Hope calls for action; action is impossible without hope.

The problem is that hope can be like clutching a lottery ticket and it needn't shove you out the door: as I know too well, you can hope intently as you stretch out on the sofa watching the news. The call for action comes from somewhere else.

Solnit may be right that action is impossible without hope: you cannot strive for what you care about, when success is not assured, without hoping to succeed or at least make progress. This is where the myth of hope's value starts. Hope is a precondition of what matters: the pursuit of meaningful change…"

...

This is how we should approach life’s hardships, finding possibility where we can: the possibility of flourishing with disability or disease, of finding one’s way through loneliness, failure, grief. The question, then, is not whether to hope but what we should hope for. In the spirit of this book, the answer’s not an ideal life. What we need is acknowledgment and close reading of the lives we have… For who are we? Not just the living but humankind, and there is hope for humanity, and so for us… Other concepts we should leave behind: the concept of the best life as a guideline or a goal, of being happy as the human good, of self-interest divorced from the good of others… Human life is not inevitably absurd; there is room for hope.

— Life Is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way by Kieran Setiya

“Life Is Hard” pushes back against many platitudes of contemporary American self-improvement culture. Setiya is no friend to positive thinking — at best, it requires self-deception, and at worst, such glass-half-full optimism can be cruel to those whose pain we refuse to recognize. He describes a situation many of us have experienced: We tell someone about an illness or a fight we had; they try to convince us not to worry so much, or to focus on the bright side. Worse still, they might tell us that “everything happens for a reason.” This grotesque bromide is, explains Setiya, “theodicy,” an attempt to justify suffering as part of God’s plan. The problem is not that it cannot be true — theologians can extend divine providence to anything, even childhood leukemia — but that such thinking can easily serve as an excuse to avoid compassion.

Another theory Setiya challenges is the idea that happiness should be life’s primary pursuit. Instead, he argues that we should try to live well within our limits, even if this sometimes means acknowledging difficult truths. Happiness is a matter of definition; Setiya cites Tal Ben-Shahar, the Harvard professor and psychologist who writes about not only happiness but also the importance of accepting reality. Plato, too, he reminds us, held that true happiness lies in recognizing the lies of ordinary life, famously imagined as a cave filled with shadows. If you really consider “happiness” in its everyday sense — a feeling of contentment and pleasure — its desirability is complicated; we can certainly be made to feel good by ignoring injustice, wars, climate change or the hardships of aging. But we cannot live meaningfully that way... 

And what does living well mean in practice? To Setiya, it lies in embracing one of the many possible “good-enough lives” instead of aching for a perfect one. Setiya’s liveliest writing is on the subject of infirmity, no doubt because of the chronic pain he has suffered for years...

The golden thread running through “Life Is Hard” is Setiya’s belief in the value of well-directed attention. Pain, as much as we wish to avoid it, forces us to remember that we are indelibly connected to our bodies. Ideally, it also helps us imagine what it is like to inhabit the bodies of others, imbuing us with “presumptive compassion for everyone else.” By cultivating our sensitivity to ourselves and to others, we escape another destructive modern myth: that we are separate from other people, and that we can live well without caring for them...

“Life Is Hard” is a humane consolation for challenging times. Reading it is like speaking with a thoughtful friend who never tells you to cheer up, but, by offering gentle companionship and a change of perspective, makes you feel better anyway. Irina Dumitrescu

Farewell

WJ's last published essay was inspired by his odd correspondent Benjamin Paul Blood, who was convinced that nitrous oxide and other "anaesthetic" substances provide a revelatory key to greater depths of reality. That essay concluded:

...Let my last word, then, speaking in the name of intellectual philosophy, be his word.–“There is no conclusion. What has concluded, that we might conclude in regard to it? There are no fortunes to be told, and there is no advice to be given.–Farewell!” --A Pluralistic Mystic

But of course there is advice to be given: Be not afraid, keep asking questions, pay attention, stay healthy, don't worry, be happy, enjoy the journey, don't be a stranger...

And consider taking Bioethics in the Spring.

"A happy and virtuous consciousness..."

 The AI farewell below is okay, but I want to leave you with WJ's near-terminal remarks to the gloomy historian and presidential scion Henry Adams. These words, delivered practically from his deathbed, capture a commitment to lifelong happiness I think we'd all do well to emulate. 

"...I can stand it no longer."

To the journey

As our journey through the Philosophy of Happiness course at MTSU comes to a close, I encourage you to reflect on the diverse perspectives we've explored. From Daniel Haybron's insights in "Happiness: A Very Short Introduction" to the timeless wisdom of Epicurus and the poignant observations in Robert Waldinger's "The Good Life," we've delved into the multifaceted nature of happiness.

Owen Flanagan's "Against Happiness" challenged preconceptions, reminding us that the pursuit of meaning may sometimes diverge from conventional notions of happiness. "4000 Weeks" by Oliver Burkeman urged us to reconsider the scarcity of time, emphasizing the importance of embracing life's uncertainties.

In the words of William James, who asserted that the pursuit of happiness is intrinsic to human existence, our shared exploration has uncovered the intricate tapestry of human motives. As you navigate the vast landscape of life, may the wisdom from these texts accompany you, guiding your quest for happiness and the good life. Farewell, and may your journey be enriched by the profound insights gained in our philosophical exploration.

-ChatGPT

Parting thoughts from the chatbot

 Last semester I asked ChatGPT to draft some parting thoughts for my Intro course. Here's what it came up with. It's pretty good... and who knew AI had a sense of humor? "Overlords"-! Impressive, even if merely simulated. Think I'll see what it "knows" about happiness...

Dear students, 

As we come to the end of this introductory philosophy course, I want to reflect on the journey we have taken together and the importance of asking questions in our lives. 

Throughout the course, we have explored the works of many great thinkers, including Aristotle, William James, and Albert Einstein. Aristotle is known for his contributions to metaphysics, ethics, and logic. He believed that our ultimate goal in life is to achieve happiness, which he called eudaimonia. He also emphasized the importance of virtue and living a life of excellence. 

James, on the other hand, focused on the importance of subjective experience and the role of emotion in our lives. He believed that our beliefs and ideas are shaped by our experiences and that we have the power to choose our own beliefs. 

Finally, Einstein's work revolutionized our understanding of space, time, and the nature of reality. He challenged our assumptions about the world and encouraged us to think outside the box. What these thinkers all have in common is their willingness to ask questions and challenge established beliefs. 

Aristotle questioned the nature of reality, James challenged traditional views of knowledge, and Einstein questioned our understanding of space and time. They all recognized the importance of questioning our assumptions and being open to new perspectives. This is a crucial lesson that we can take with us beyond the classroom. 

In our personal and professional lives, we are constantly faced with challenges and uncertainties. It is only by asking questions and challenging our assumptions that we can find new solutions and make progress. 

Whether it is in science, politics, or our own personal lives, asking questions and seeking answers is essential to growth and development. In addition to asking questions, it is also important to be open to new perspectives and ideas. In philosophy, we have encountered many different views and perspectives, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. 

By being open to these different perspectives, we can broaden our understanding of the world and gain new insights into the human experience. At the same time, it is important to approach these perspectives critically, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses and considering their implications. This critical thinking is essential to making informed decisions and taking responsible action in our lives. 

Finally, I want to emphasize the importance of continuing to ask questions and engage with philosophy beyond this course. Philosophy is not just an academic pursuit, but a way of life. By continuing to explore the big questions and engage with different perspectives, we can deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. 

As we conclude this course, I want to thank each of you for your participation and engagement. Your perspectives and insights have enriched our discussions and helped to create a dynamic and supportive learning environment. I also want to thank the great thinkers who have inspired us, and who continue to challenge us to think more deeply and critically about the world around us. 

In closing, I want to encourage each of you to continue asking questions and exploring the big ideas that underlie our lives. By doing so, we can all work towards a more thoughtful, informed, and fulfilling existence. 

Sincerely, 

One of your friendly AI overlords

"These then are my last words to you. Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact."

--"Is Life Worth Living?" in The Will to Believe and other essays in popular philosophy

Nightmare

 Just kidding...

What’s gloriously possible: Burkeman’s meliorism

What Oliver Burkeman calls "hope," in his Afterword, I would call wishful or delusional thinking. Whatever you call it, he's right: give it up. Giving up delusions of personal infinitude, he concludes,

"kills the fear-driven, control-chasing, ego-dominated version of you—the one who cares intensely about what others think of you, about not disappointing anyone or stepping too far out of line, in case the people in charge find some way to punish you for it later… the "you" that remains is more alive than before. More ready for action, but also more joyful, because it turns out that when you're open enough to confront how things really are, you're open enough to let all the good things in more fully, too, on their own terms, instead of trying to use them to bolster your need to know that everything will turn out fine. You get to appreciate life in the droll spirit of George Orwell, on a stroll through a war-dazed London in early 1946, watching kestrels darting above the grim shadows of the gasworks, and tadpoles dancing in roadside streams, and later writing of the experience: "Spring is here, even in London N1, and they can't stop you enjoying it."

The average human lifespan is absurdly, terrifyingly, insultingly short. But that isn't a reason for unremitting despair, or for living in an anxiety-fueled panic about making the most of your limited time. It's a cause for relief. You get to give up on something that was always impossible—the quest to become the optimized, infinitely capable, emotionally invincible, fully independent person you're officially supposed to be. Then you get to roll up your sleeves and start work on what's gloriously possible instead."

— Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
https://a.co/aV7pMQz

Questions Nov 28

Concluding 4,000 Weeks... See audio review link for Dec.5 exam below... Final draft of final report blogpost due Dec.10. Don't forget to add links etc.*

1. Have you found Burkeman's message of life's finitude, brevity, and imperfectability helpful, in thinking about what it might mean to live a happy, purposeful, meaningful, good life? How would you summarize that message and its practical application to your life? 
2. Looking back over all our texts (Happiness: A Very Short Introduction, Epicurus, The Good Life, Against Happiness, 4,000 Weeks) what total message do you take away from the course? And what other texts would you recommend we read next time this course is offered?
3. What does it mean to "enter space and time completely"? 218 Have you? Will you?
4. How would you answer any of Burkeman's Five Questions? 220-27
5. What do you think of Jung's advice to Frau V.? 227-8
6. Do you agree with Burkeman's definition of hope? 230 Does it sound to much like resignation? Or do you define hope as I do: modest confidence that our efforts to ameliorate the human condition may not be wholly futile? Or do you propose a different definition?
7. Will you commit to Orwell's perspective? Do you resolve to enjoy your life, come what may? 234
8. What's your answer to Cousin Mary's question at the end of The Summer Day? 
9. Which of Burkeman's Ten Tools do you, or will you, use?v 235-45. Do you have any better ones?

==

*How to add links, embed videos etc. in final report posts (post early drafts at will, final draft due Dec.10)--

To insert links:
1. Highlight a word or phrase in your text
2. Click on the link icon
3. Paste the URL address of the site or passage you want to link to
==
Videos: in Blogger, after clicking on "New Post"--
1. Copy the URL of the video you want to share.
2. Click on "More options" on the far right of the toolbar above, then Insert Video icon (3d from left)
3. Select YouTube
4. Select Search 5. Paste the URL & Select it
==
To insert graphics, either just copy-&-paste... OR, click on the "insert image" icon (to the right of the link icon, to the left of the "insert video" icon) and select the appropriate option
==
To embed Google Books pages:
1. Find the book you want to embed.
2. Select Preview
3. Select (click on) the page you want to embed.
4. Click More Actions (the three vertical dots in the upper right)
5. Select Embed (unless you just want to link the page)
6. Copy the code
7. In edit mode on blogger, select the pen icon in the upper left and click on HTML view
8. Paste the code
==
Familiarize yourself with the edit icons in the drop-down menu (link, insert image, insert video, etc.) Always make sure, after you Publish, that the formatting is correct on the blogsite. If not, click More options (the three horizontal dots in the upper right) and then Clear Formatting on the far right (the T with a diagonal slash).

“After a nice long weekend…”

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0HbNFiPCAN/

Oliver Burkeman on transforming the mundane

Heard the start of this on the radio in the car yesterday, en route to a mundane walk in the Warner Park woods that became personally meaningful...

NSE Thanksgiving Special: Conversation and Gratitude
No Small Endeavor with Lee C. Camp

Happy Thanksgiving! How can one be grateful during difficult times? And how do we talk to one another in a polarized world? In this episode, we bring you four conversations to tee you up for a successful and meaningful time with family and friends. First, we hear from six-time Grammy-winner Amy Grant on her newfound gratitude in the wake of a traumatic bike accident. Then, Heather Holleman gives us all practical tips on having great bonding conversations that make people feel seen and heard, transcending the things that divide us. Third, community organizer and activist Diane Latiker shares how she opened up her home and changed the trajectory of a neighborhood through hospitality. Lastly, author Oliver Burkeman reveals the key to living in the moment and transforming the mundane into something meaningful. Altogether, it's the perfect toolkit for getting in the right frame of mind and heading into the holidays with gratitude and conversation.

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-small-endeavor-with-lee-c-camp/id1513178238?i=1000635785163

The Importance of Community Engagement (Chloe H. Blog Post)

 Hey everyone, in my blog post, I wanted to dive deeper into the concept of social capital, a topic I touched upon during my presentation. Specifically, I want to emphasize why engaging in our communities is crucial, drawing insights from contemporary sources.

In “Bowling Alone,” Robert Putnam (1995) highlights the decline of social capital in the U.S., defining it as the features of social organization that foster coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit. Essentially, social networks enable us to shift our focus from individual interests to collective well-being. Putnam observes a troubling decrease in social trust, impacting not just politics, but also our local communities. Volunteering, a key indicator, has seen a decline, as noted by Putnam (1995). Reflecting on my internship discussions, my supervisor stressed the positive impact of active volunteerism, making tasks smoother with more participants, and conversely, the challenges when there’s a shortage of volunteers.

Another perspective comes from Russell Dalton’s 2016 work, “The Good Citizen.” Dalton explores the evolving concept of a “good citizen” (4) in contemporary times. He introduces the idea of “engaged citizenship,” (6) where Americans feel connected to society beyond traditional norms in voting (6). The rise of the Internet has transformed organizations from formal structures to spontaneous communities (17). This shift extends to our local communities, where engaged citizens challenge the political status quo by empathy and awareness of others around them (29).

The way we see being a good citizen is changing, with more focus on engaged citizenship and less on traditional duties like voting, paying taxes, and jury service, known as “duty-based citizenship” (5). The shift is linked to the changing society we live in, influenced by factors like higher education levels and generational changes. How we define being a good citizen is evolving, and it’s less about just fulfilling certain duties and more about actively participating and engaging with the community. This change is shaped by our education and the different perspectives that each generation bring (34).

Now, let’s look at the significance of social life, building on what we’ve discussed earlier. In Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management For Mortals, Oliver Burkeman sheds light on how the bumpy, unsmooth parts of life are the ones that actually help ourselves and our communities grow (52). Burkeman emphasizes that by fostering relationships, we not only boost our mental and physical well-being but also contribute to the resilience of our communities. Connecting with others not only makes us stronger individually but also plays a vital role in making our communities more robust and able to overcome challenges. So, being socially engaged isn’t just good for us; it’s a key ingredient in building a resilient and thriving community (52).

In essence, these sources highlight the significance of active community engagement, not only for personal well-being but also for the broader social and political landscape. As we navigate the complexities of modern society, being involved in our communities becomes a powerful tool to build social capital and address the challenges we face together.

   

 FOOD          FOR          THOUGHT 

1.     How do you think the decline in social trust, as mentioned in “Bowling Alone,” might affect local communities? Can you share any personal experiences in relation to this point?

2.    In “The Good Citizen” Russell Dalton talks about the shift from “duty-based citizenship” (5) to “engaged citizenship” (6). How has this change affected the way you perceive being a good citizen in today’s society?

3.    Oliver Burkeman highlights the importance of “unsmooth textures of life” (52) in promoting individual and collective growth. How do you interpret this idea and can you share examples in your own life where facing challenges has contributed to personal or community resilience?

                                                        Bibliography

Burkeman, Oliver. Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. Picador, 2023. 

Dalton, Russell J. The Good Citizen: How a Younger Generation Is Reshaping American Politics. CQ Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc., 2021. 

Putnam, Robert D. “Bowling Alone: America’s declining social capital.” Journal of Democracy, vol. 6, no. 1, Jan. 1995, pp. 65–78, https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.1995.0002. 

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Walk at your own pace

       When I was your age, Taylor, I had a poster of this quote on my wall. It still speaks to me: "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away." —Henry David Thoreau

The Pale Blue Dot: A Timeless Valentine to the Cosmos – The Marginalian

Thanks for your rendition of Carl Sagan's "timeless Valentine" yesterday, Sneh. It always gives me hope (but not in Burkeman's sense of resignation), as a bit of "starstuff contemplating the stars," that it is still possible to "boldly go"…

On February 14, 1990, the Voyager 1 spacecraft — which carried The Golden Record, Carl Sagan's love letter to Annie Druyan — turned its revolutionary camera around and took the iconic "Pale Blue Dot"photograph that later inspired the famous Sagan monologue of the same title. The image, composed of 640,000 individual pixels, depicts Earth, a mere 12% of a single pixel, at the center of a scattered ray of light resulting from taking an image this close to the Sun. It endures, even in an age when the future of space exploration hangs in precarious balance, as a timeless Valentine to the cosmos...

https://www.themarginalian.org/2013/02/14/happy-birthday-pale-blue-dot/

Questions Nov 21

Burkeman 10-13 -p.213 -- Presentations CHLOE, TAYLOR, SNEH. If you're not yet an author on this site, please sign up in class today.

1. What does research show about impatient driving? Does this also apply to those of us who are impatient with drivers who go too recklessly and fast? Do you experience frustration (or rage) behind the wheel? How do you manage it? 162
2. Have you experienced, or worried about falling prey to, a vicious addictive spiral? 168 Do you have any advice for those who have or who do? (Ask me about This Naked Mind...)
3. What was Jennifer Roberts' initial art history assignment? 174 Would you do it? Have you ever done anything comparable? What did that teach you?
4. What's Peck's insight? Is there anything in your life to which it might apply? 179
5. What does it mean to "stay on the bus," creatively and otherwise? 183 
6. What is "Super Mario's" misunderstanding about the value of time? What sort of good is it, in Burkeman's view? 186-7
7. Have you been, or are you tempted to become, a digital nomad? What are you risking, if you do? 189
8. What's a fika? Do you ever take one, or need one? 191-2
9. "That's no holiday, if you have to celebrate it by yourself." 193 Agree? (And do you have Thanksgiving plans this year?) 
10. Do you regularly engage in any form of collective ritual or coordinated action? Have you experienced "the sacred place where the boundaries of the self grow fuzzy"? 196
11. Was Hannah Arendt right, and prophetic? 200
12. Did the pandemic offer a silver lining of "bittersweet gratitude" or a "possibility shock" for you, in any respect? 205-7  How can we lock in such lessons before reverting back to the old normal? 
13. Do you think the cosmos itself has a significance? If so, don't we share in that? Does it matter, for this, that our lives transpire in the relative blink of an eye? 208-9
14. Are you okay with the likelihood that you probably won't be another Mozart or Einstein? 212 (After all, Mozart and Einstein weren't an earlier you.)

==

How to add links, embed videos etc. in final report posts (post early drafts at will, final draft due Dec.10)--

To insert links:
1. Highlight a word or phrase in your text
2. Click on the link icon
3. Paste the URL address of the site or passage you want to link to
==
Videos: in Blogger, after clicking on "New Post"--
1. Copy the URL of the video you want to share.
2. Click on "More options" on the far right of the toolbar above, then Insert Video icon (3d from left)
3. Select YouTube
4. Select Search 5. Paste the URL & Select it
==
To insert graphics, either just copy-&-paste... OR, click on the "insert image" icon (to the right of the link icon, to the left of the "insert video" icon) and select the appropriate option
==
To embed Google Books pages:
1. Find the book you want to embed.
2. Select Preview
3. Select (click on) the page you want to embed.
4. Click More Actions (the three vertical dots in the upper right)
5. Select Embed (unless you just want to link the page)
6. Copy the code
7. In edit mode on blogger, select the pen icon in the upper left and click on HTML view
8. Paste the code
==
Familiarize yourself with the edit icons in the drop-down menu (link, insert image, insert video, etc.) Always make sure, after you Publish, that the formatting is correct on the blogsite. If not, click More options (the three horizontal dots in the upper right) and then Clear Formatting on the far right (the T with a diagonal slash).

A crucial inner shift

Oliver Burkeman says the thought that more of life should feel exceptional and engrossing, rather than routine and boring, indicates a crucial and positive inner shift of attitude towards living in the only time we ever truly possess. "It's deeply unsettling to find yourself doubting the point of what you're doing with your life." But it's good to "face the reality that you can't depend on fulfillment arriving at some distant point in the future... the matter needs addressing now." Four Thousand Weeks ch13 p204

That reminds me of something John Lachs said in his first book, Intermediate Man. "Once attention is shifted from the future and we begin to enjoy activities at the time we do them and for what they are, we have transcended the mentality that views life as a process of mediation toward distant ends." The future is now. Of course we must care about the future, and how our choices in the present will impact it. We must allow our vision of a better future to inform those choices. But experience won't wait. Use it or lose it. Our weeks pass so swiftly by. Now's the time.

Schopenhauer also said…

https://www.threads.net/@espritcultive/post/Cz3Mb_pN0zX/?igshid=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

The Morality of Having Kids in a Burning, Drowning World

"…Your happy childhood is no guarantee of the same for your kid, especially if they will grow up on a planet that will be warmer by nearly three degrees Fahrenheit. But you can reflect on the contributions that your parents made to that happiness and seek to emulate them. You can feel reasonably confident that the secure attachments you formed and the gentle guidance you received in childhood will be passed on like family heirlooms.

An unhappy childhood provides a trickier data set..."

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/11/27/the-quickening-elizabeth-rush-book-review-the-parenthood-dilemma-gina-rushton

Schopenhauer (?!!?) on gratitude

https://www.threads.net/@philosophybreak/post/Cz068rYMtZu/?igshid=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

Eric Weber says thanks

He found his Lyceum experience energizing…

https://www.instagram.com/p/CzxdNeONEjs/?igshid=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

Lyceum today

 ‘Freedom in Education’ topic of public philosophy lecture set for Nov. 17 at MTSU

• by NANCY DEGENNARO
 
• 13 NOVEMBER 2023
 
• TOP STORIES

The importance and limitations of attending to parental wishes in public schools will be the focus of the 2023 Applied Philosophy Lyceum at Middle Tennessee State University.
Dr. Eric Thomas Weber

Author Eric Thomas Weber, associate professor of educational policy studies and evaluation at the University of Kentucky, will give a free public lecture on “Freedom in Education: A Philosophical Critique of Current Conflicts in Educational Policy” at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, in Room 164 at the College of Education Building.

In the talk, Weber will defend the importance of students’ and teachers’ freedom to challenge the overreach of parental views that seek to silence the lived experiences of marginalized groups.

“In effect, I will argue that parents’ rights are indeed important, but must be understood to be limited,” said Weber, whose essay on the topic will appear in Transactions of the Charles S. Pierce Society American philosophy journal.

Weber’s lecture ispresented by the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies in the MTSU College of Liberal Arts.

The topic for the lyceum was prompted by recent aggressive movements by a small minority of parents involving themselves in protests against decisions of professional educators regarding materials deemed appropriate for classrooms.


“That movement has been quite visible in Middle Tennessee lately, with parents attending school board meetings and creating hostility that sometimes has spilled even into the threat of violence,” explained Phil Oliver, associate professor of philosophy and religious studies at MTSU.

In July, Tennessee state law went into effect that puts book publishers, sellers and distributors at risk of prosecution for providing what is deemed “obscene materials” to public schools.
Dr. Phil Oliver

“A free society cannot endure when a vocal but ill-informed and anti-intellectual minority is allowed to suppress the best pedagogical practice and judgment of trained educators,” Oliver said.

Oliver said parents and guardians are naturally concerned about what their children are taught in schools. Some lament what they feel is a lack of control over curricula and what are thought to be forces or agendas they believe are not in kids’ best interests.

But there are issues with blanket decisions based on a small minority in opposition, Weber said.

“Because public schools are a shared endeavor, such that imposition on others must be taken into account,” Weber said. “And secondly, because students and teachers have interests and rights as well, morally and educationally, such that we must understand there to be a balance to strike.”

Following Weber’s talk, the floor will open for a Q&A session regarding the topic. There will also be a post-event reception.

The Applied Philosophy Lyceum, which was conceived with Aristotle’s Lyceum in mind, was created in 1992. The public lecture aims to stimulate private reflection and public reasoning. Over the years, topics have ranged from environmental ethics to theories of love and friendship.

The College of Education Building is located at 1756 MTSU Blvd. For off-campus visitors attending the event, a searchable campus parking map is at http://bit.ly/MTSUParkingMap.

For more information, contact the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at 615-898-2907.

— Nancy DeGennaro (Nancy.DeGennaro@mtsu.edu)


==
POSTSCRIPT--

 Eric Weber says thanks

He found his Lyceum experience energizing…

https://www.instagram.com/p/CzxdNeONEjs/?igshid=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

POSTSCRIPT. Fall '23 MTSU Applied Philosophy Lyceum with Dr. Eric T. Weber, now on YouTube--

https://youtube.com/watch?v=mDhuxrOJpwU&si=70Yam8XLBc90qMKs

Post What You Love/DnD Rant From A Madman

Since we're finally heading into the week of Thanksgiving, I figured it would be an appropriate time to finally make the post where we can all share things we love/things that make us happy/things that we appreciate. I want this to be a post where we can just go off about our particular hyperfixations or what have you! Please share all of the intricate nerdy details. I wanna hear about your passions and why you love what you do! Feel free to participate! Give as little or as much as you want to. I'll start us off.

Although I've played and DM'd in the past, this year, my main hobby and one of my most important springs of joy has been DnD (Dungeons and Dragons). DnD is a tabletop role playing game. Essentially what this means is that one person (called the Dungeon Master, or DM) creates a world and a story, and other people (known as players, or collectively known as a party) create characters to play in that world. When everyone really gets into character and everything hits just right, there is truly nothing like it. It is such an expressive game with infinite possibilities, lightly guided by rules found in the Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide.

This semester, I started a campaign with 3 of my friends. The basis for our campaign is an adventure module/source book called Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos. In this game, I am the DM, and my players have all made characters who are attending the most well known mage school in the multiverse: Strixhaven! I've been running this adventure as more of slice of life adventure with a bit of action here and there. What this essentially means is that this campaign is heavily focused on the day-to-day happenings of each of my players and what goes on in their classes, jobs, and extracurriculars. There are tons of NPCs (Non Player Characters) that the party gets to interact with, befriend, love, hate, and even date! (That's right, Strixhaven has a whole dating simulator built in, and although it's not for everyone, my party loves it!). 

Of course, there is a Big Bad Evil Guy (or BBEG) that is secretly pulling some strings and causing some chaos on campus. My party has to focus on trying to make it through their first semester of magical classes, maintain relationships, get enough money to pay for their extracurriculars, take tests on Owlbears, and so much more! I've been absolutely in love with it and it's such a fun creative space for me to write and roleplay in. 

Strixhaven as a source book doesn't give you a whole lot to work with in terms of an actual adventure. However, it lays a lot of really good groundwork with which to build off of! Ultimately, DnD is a cooperative story telling game, and some amazing things have come from having to fill the gaps that the book has left for me. For instance, my party has discovered there's something weird going on with the various cogwork automatons that keep Strixhaven function: every night their memories are wiped, as each individual day progresses, they become more existential and emotional. This whole plot point came from a one off joke that one of my party members made and, although they don't know it yet, is going to one of the bigger plot points in their second year at Strixhaven. Additionally, they've met a secretive group of underground nerds who called themselves The Endless Nameless, who are also interested in the mysterious happenings at Strixhaven.

There's an endless amount of possibilities and I'm having so much fun with it. In our most recent sessions, one of my party members accidentally set up a date with someone and that is going to be absolutely hilarious to roleplay. Additionally, they're going to be challenged to a freshman initiation challenge where they have to sneak into one of the campus buildings at night and steal a well guarded artifact. I'm so excited!!

Here's a few of the NPCs they've been interacting with. 

Pictured first is Grayson, the rich kid who almost definitely got accepted to Strixhaven through nepotism alone. He's become the party's rival, and one of my party members is scheduled to have a mage duel with him soon. The second picture is Melwythorne, a Dryad with an unbelievably flat demeanor who is so tired of everyone asking him what it's like to be a tree. Third is Rosimyffenbip “Rosie” Wuzfeddlims (and yes, she does want to be addressed by her full name every time), the small, excitable, fast-talking gnome who talks circles arounds everyone she meets. She's the one that one of my players accidentally set up a date with! Finally, there's Javenesh Stoutclaw, the 2nd year who will be challenging my party to infiltrate a building as a Freshman challenge. He works at the local pub, The Bow's End Tavern, and thinks the way that first years act is hilarious

The first picture here is Plargg, Dean of Chaos, one of my favorite professors the party has had so far. He is an orc who was blinded in a war. He's known for his eccentric behavior, love for chaos, and for belittling his fellow dean Augusta Tullus, Dean of Order. Also pictured is Augusta. They work together in the college of Lorehold, for better or for worse. The third picture is Verelda Lang, Arcano-Biologist for the Witherbloom college. She teaches the students about the various creatures and critters that inhabit the multiverse (and sometimes Strixhaven)

Finally, I'll share Tulk "The Bulk" Tusktooth, head chef and manager of the Bow's End Tavern. His classic dish "just a whole chicken" is a one of the most popular orders. Paralleling him is Ellina Tanglewood, who runs the Firejolt Cafe, where she personally heats every cup of coffee using her fire magic. She has a New Jersey accent and somehow fails to see how desperately her little shop needs more workers, despite the pleas of her employees!

OKAY FINE I'LL ALSO POST THE MASCOTS FROM EACH OF THE COLLEGES, BUT THAT'S IT!!
In order, these are the mascots from each college:
The Lorehold Spirit Statue, The Prismari Art Elemental, The Quandrix Fractal, The Silverquill Inkling, and the Witherbloom Pest (my personal favorite)

Alright, that's my huge overshare. I could write about this all day so I truly have to force myself to stop. I hope you guys find time to post about whatever it is that makes you feel the way that DnD does for me. Writing this was so much fun, and I really hope it's not so bloated that it's just annoying lol have a good break this week guys!!