It's Columbus Day, which led to the following thought. 1) I suppose we can all agree that the European settlers committed immorality on a massive scale--the word 'genocide,' which is not used lightly, is often used to sum up the European program with respect to Native Americans. 2) Now if we agree that the European … Continue reading A Secular Version of Original Sin?
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Suicide and Moral Blame
Suppose that you hear about two cases in which a physically healthy 30-year-old man is killed. All you know about the two cases is that in Case 1, the killing was a suicide, and that in Case 2, the killing was a homicide. If you're like me, it will seem natural to think that, absent … Continue reading Suicide and Moral Blame
Singer and Slote on Famine Relief
Check it out. http://www.philostv.com/peter-singer-and-michael-slote/
A Puzzle
Today in my Metaphysics seminar we discussed Derek Parfit's "Non-Identity Problem." It's a neat problem--here's what I hope is a faithful version of that problem. A 14-year-old girl is told by medical professionals that if she has a child before her 18th birthday, the child will have a 75% chance of being born with a … Continue reading A Puzzle
The Crocodile
It struck me as strange that the author of Notes from Underground would next write "The Crocodile," an allegorical, theater-of-the-absurd type story to have been published in D's dying periodical Epoch. After all, Notes from Underground was an innovative exercise in narrative technique, with all sorts of interestingly problematic aspects. "The Crocodile", by contrast, is … Continue reading The Crocodile
Christopher Hitchens
I don't know what other OPers think of Hitchen's work, if they think of it at all, but I recently picked up his memoir, Hitch-22. The prologue alone makes it clear that he's a brilliant writer, very funny, and has led a very interesting life, qualities which, if you're lucky enough to possess all … Continue reading Christopher Hitchens
Notes from Underground
“… my apartment was my mansion, my shell, my case, in which I hid from all mankind…” (Notes from Underground, trans. Pevear and Volokhonsky, 113) That is just one of the many expostulations I felt compelled to underline while re-reading Notes from Underground. And while I know this is one of those “great works of … Continue reading Notes from Underground
Winter Notes on Summer Impressions
In 1862, D. took his first trip to Europe. He had, however, dreamed of this day for many years, apparently since childhood, when he was enthralled with British and French novels, especially the Gothic tales of Anne Radcliffe. He had apparently planned and planned for this opportunity, probably to such an extent than his actual … Continue reading Winter Notes on Summer Impressions
The House of the Dead
My thoughts about D's prison/exile memoir, The House of the Dead, are somewhat vague and disjointed. This is mostly because while I'm working I just never seem to get around to reading anything. I started this book more than a month ago, and whenever things are spread over that wide a timeframe, I just lose … Continue reading The House of the Dead
Some Firsts
Some absent-minded link-hopping on Wikipedia last night led me to some interesting first human achievements in photography. I thought you might enjoy them as well. So, here's the very first photograph, from 1826! The photo is by a Frenchman, with the wonderful name of Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. It's an amazing image, capturing the view outside … Continue reading Some Firsts
