Philosophy

Author: heldke

  • But it’s not rabid…

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    heldke

    Philosophy Bites. Or so claim David Edmonds and Nigel Warburton, creators of a philosophy podcast that features interviews of well-known, and not-so-well-known philosophers, talking about their particular areas of expertise. The podcasts, which range from fifteen to twenty-five minutes, explore topics ranging from “alternative hedonism” to Wittgenstein’s concept of philosophy; philosophers interviewed span a similarly-wide…

  • How do you say “rout” in Greek?

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    heldke

    The playing fields at Gustavus were busy on Saturday afternoon, April 25–so busy, in fact, that the second annual Classics-Philosophy kickball game found itself being played not on a regulation field, but on a grassy patch near Mattson Hall, using bases made out of cardboard boxes. No matter. Nor did it matter that last year’s…

  • Caught Waiting…

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    heldke

    Alex Legeros has been Waiting for Godot. Check to see who else was waiting (on April 8)….

  • Speaking of the Bodhi Tree

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    heldke

    It seems that several members of the philosophy department have had Bodhi Tree sightings…. Deane Curtin has shared two photos of the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya, a Buddhist pilgrimage site that he and students visited during his January, 2009 course Buddhist India. Thanks to Deane for these images. And Doug Huff reports that he…

  • The Bodhi Tree’s Swedish Offshoot

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    heldke

    Even the casual student of Buddhism has probably heard the story of Siddhartha Gautama’s long sit under a fig tree, during which time he reached enlightenment. That tree, now referred to as the Bodhi Tree, was  in Bodh Gaya, India; a current descendant of it, found near the Mahabhodi Temple in that city,  is today…

  • Welcome home Sara Jane

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    heldke

    The Reverend Paul Tidemann, who recently spoke at our biennial “Mom, Dad, I’m a Philosophy Major” dinner, shared with us the following remarks he wrote regarding Sara Jane Olson, who has been paroled from prison after serving a sentence for her involvement in the activities of the Symbionese Liberation Army, during the Vietnam War. Tidemann’s…

  • Philosophy alumni present

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    heldke

    The philosophy department welcomed back three wonderful alumni–Tad Marinac, Shel Silvernail and Paul Tidemann–on Wednesday, March 18, for the semi-annual dinners-and-discussions that we call “Mom, Dad…I’m a Philosophy Major.” The Rev. Paul Tidemann (’60) provided us with a written copy of his remarks. Shel Silvernal (’90) discussed the ways in which her life as a…

  • Kant attack ad….

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    heldke

    And now, just a couple months too late to inform your November vote, comes this paid political announcement about Immanuel Kant.

  • Examined Life: The Movie!

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    heldke

    Yep, you read right.  “Examined Life,” a new film by Astra Taylor, takes you into the heads of eight real, live, honest-to-gosh, dues-paying philosophers. (Okay, just kidding about the dues part.) Watch for its DVD release soon…but in the meantime, check out this trailer.

  • Calling Home: Journals From India

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    heldke

    In January Term, 2009, Deane Curtin led a group of students to India, in a course entitled “Buddhist India.” Caleb Phillips, a senior philosophy member, was a part of that course, and he kept a journal while he was there. Below are some excerpts from his journal. I don’t know if I wrote about Kolkata…