In writing Notebooks and Tractatus, Wittgenstein is clear on two points: First, the world is made... more In writing Notebooks and Tractatus, Wittgenstein is clear on two points: First, the world is made up of facts without any ethical or aesthetic distinctions. Second, the world is unresponsive to the wishes of the willing subject-my will and your will.
Melville and the White Whale" is a richly evocative, poetic meditation on Herman Melville's "Moby... more Melville and the White Whale" is a richly evocative, poetic meditation on Herman Melville's "Moby-Dick". The submission offers an introspective journey into the symbolic and literal expanse of Melville's narrative, threading a nuanced commentary on themes of obsession, nature, and human fallibility. Written in a freeform verse with motifs tying back to the piscine leviathan itself, the piece delves into the existential undercurrents that define the human struggle with the sublime and the ineffable. The work hinges on the assumption that readers possess a familiarity with "Moby-Dick" and its multifaceted interpretations, both as a literary masterpiece and a profound philosophical inquiry. Relevant References Including a clear literature review helps reviewers quickly see what's new and why it matters, which can speed up the review and improve acceptance chances. The following references were selected because they relate closely to the topics and ideas in your submission. They may provide helpful context, illustrate similar methods, or point to recent developments that can strengthen how your work is positioned within the existing literature.
In the form of an extended poem I wonder aloud whether Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick, spli... more In the form of an extended poem I wonder aloud whether Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick, split in half his 'writing self', with one part identifying with Ahab, a character who attributes to the white whale a metaphysical evil, and whose obsessive quest ends in self-defeating failure; and the other part identifying (belatedly) with Ishmael, whose open-minded and non-committal personality helps him survive Ahab's mania; and that in the end Melville sees the act of writing as a mock-heroic activity, with the writer as someone who can shed his solipsistic self and go into the world to tell his tale to as many people as possible.
To mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, I take a look at Bob Dylan’s unapologetic suppor... more To mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, I take a look at Bob Dylan’s unapologetic support for Zionism on his 1983 album, "Infidels", in particular the song Neighborhood Bully. I do this through the lens of Baruch Spinoza’s comments on Jewish nationhood in Theological-Political Treatise and his notions of “reciprocal contact” and endeavour/virtue in Ethics. I also use Spinoza’s study of "affects" to help explain the enduring prejudice of anti-Semitism and Israelophobia.
Starting from the proposition that ethics had to be universal, Cohen outlined a Kantian (and non-... more Starting from the proposition that ethics had to be universal, Cohen outlined a Kantian (and non-Marxist) ethical socialism rooted in the prophetic vision of the Hebrew bible. Universal ethics Hermann Cohen agreed with Immanuel Kant that ethics must be directed towards the well-being of humanity. The essential feature of this is its universality. As Cohen saw it, progress was (or at least ought to be) moving towards universal suffrage and democratic socialism. Following Kant, Cohen defended the so-called categorical imperative; that we should treat humanity in other persons always as an end and never as a means only. (Kant's famous definition of the categorical imperative is to "act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law.")
Hermann Cohen made a distinction between the logic of science and the ideal of ethics, and noted ... more Hermann Cohen made a distinction between the logic of science and the ideal of ethics, and noted that the natural world and the world of ethics are perceived very differently. This is because the order of the physical world is unchangeable (e.g, the sun sets in the west, night follows day, etc), while in the ideal world ethical rules can be accepted or rejected. It seems there should be one explanation for science, which is empirically self-evident, and another for ethics, which is something that is open to debate. Cohen reasoned there must be something that allows science and ethics to coexist and interrelate.
Even if you don't know Newman's place in art history, walking into a space full of his paintings ... more Even if you don't know Newman's place in art history, walking into a space full of his paintings can inspire contemplation. They give you nothing and everything to look at, these huge canvases whose only subject is themselves, enveloping you in the moment, confronting you with seemingly pure fields of color and contrast.' 1 In an 1965 interview with art critic David Sylvester, Jewish-American artist Barnett Newman stated that his overwhelming Vir Heroicus Sublimis (painted in 1950-51) "should give man a sense of place: that he knows he's there, so he's aware of himself." The notion of place rather than space plays an
It is a popular misconception that Spinoza was a pantheist or even an atheist. He was not. Like t... more It is a popular misconception that Spinoza was a pantheist or even an atheist. He was not. Like the medieval Kabbalists, Spinoza was a panentheist.
In 1936, Jewish-Russian philosopher Lev Shestov was invited by the Histadrut to give a series of ... more In 1936, Jewish-Russian philosopher Lev Shestov was invited by the Histadrut to give a series of lectures in Eretz Israel. He was warmly received by audiences in Jerusalem, Haifa and Tel Aviv. But Shestov and his writings are now largely forgotten. Here is his story.
There is only one and unique substance in existence, a substance that is infinite, ... more There is only one and unique substance in existence, a substance that is infinite, self-caused, and eternal. This substance is the spatio-temporal world. But it is also God, says Baruch Spinoza, the Sephardi Jew from Amsterdam excommunicated by the Talmud Torah congregation.
The purpose of this essay is to make the case for a heterodox reading of Leibniz’s The Monadology... more The purpose of this essay is to make the case for a heterodox reading of Leibniz’s The Monadology (published 1720) through the lens of Professor John Wheeler’s hypothesis of the one-electron universe (proposed in 1940). My conjecture is this: That there exists in the knowable universe only one monad; that this monad traverses time in both directions, eventually criss-crossing the entire past and future history of the universe; and that this singular monad interacts with itself countless times, thereby filling the universe with simultaneous appearances of itself. In the course of this article I will consider the possibility that our solitary monad is synonymous with Leibniz’s God, or if the monad in question is rather a created substance that is alone with God, a notion that gains some traction thanks to Leibniz’s admiration for the solipsism of Saint Teresa of Avila. I will also consider whether the one-monad hypothesis is consistent with Leibniz’s own views on harmony, simplicity and perfection.
Newman’s zips act as a kind of intervention or temporal event that differentiates the canvas, pre... more Newman’s zips act as a kind of intervention or temporal event that differentiates the canvas, preventing Being from falling into the anonymous and impersonal il y a. The zip is what might be described as ecstatic temporality (ecstatic from the Ancient Greek ek “out” + histanai “to place, cause to stand out”). Time not only gives sense or meaning to Being, it marks the emergence of sensation, the physical materiality of something or someone.
Anticipating Martin Buber, Hermann Cohen said we must recognize the living, breathing individual ... more Anticipating Martin Buber, Hermann Cohen said we must recognize the living, breathing individual as a “Thou,” and not just as a generic example of humanity. As significant as the universal ethical ideal is for Cohen, he recognized that ethics is concerned with individuals only insofar as they are members of humanity as a whole. Ethics can’t always deal with individual moral feelings or with sin. In other words, it is religion -- rather than ethics -- that concerns itself with the sin of the individual.
Hermann Cohen made a distinction between the logic of science and the ideal of ethics, and noted ... more Hermann Cohen made a distinction between the logic of science and the ideal of ethics, and noted that the natural world and the world of ethics are perceived very differently. This is because the order of the physical world is unchangeable (e.g, the sun sets in the west, night follows day, etc), while in the ideal world ethical rules can be accepted or rejected. It seems there should be one explanation for science, which is empirically self-evident, and another for ethics, which is something that is open to debate. Cohen reasoned there must be something that allows science and ethics to coexist and interrelate.
Hermann Cohen agreed with Immanuel Kant that ethics must be directed towards the well-being of hu... more Hermann Cohen agreed with Immanuel Kant that ethics must be directed towards the well-being of humanity. The essential feature of this is its universality. As Cohen saw it, progress was (or at least ought to be) moving towards universal suffrage and democratic socialism. Following Kant, Cohen defended the so-called categorical imperative; that we should treat humanity in other persons always as an end and never as a means only. (Kant’s famous definition of the categorical imperative is to “act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law.”)
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