What does it mean to be an intellectual? What is it like to feel oneself an intellectual? Is it a public role or a more private, secluded vocation, a contemplative and quiet way of life? While 100 years ago the Dominican preacher and philosopher Antonin-Gilbert Sertillanges emphasized the need for solitude (although, not isolation) if … Continue reading Spreading the Word: What Is an Intellectual?
Sertillanges on Intellectual Life
One hundred years ago (in 1921), Dominican preacher and philosopher Antonin-Gilbert Sertillanges wrote a book that is still read today. Its title, The Intellectual Life: Its Spirit, Conditions, Methods, reveals its focus on practical guidance to anyone wishing to pursue the intellectual vocation. Here is a short passage from the book: "One is not dazzled, … Continue reading Sertillanges on Intellectual Life
Spreading the Word: Longest Art Gallery
Are we ready to prioritise cultural heritage over commercial interest? It is a question of values. More specifically - it is a matter of deciding how to resolve a clash between an intrinsic and instrumental value. Pondering this may reveal the values we live by, perhaps without fully recognising them. In today's post, I share … Continue reading Spreading the Word: Longest Art Gallery
Frantz Fanon on Identity Drama
Our identities are shaped and exist in relation to others. The way others relate to me and the way I can relate to them is fundamental to my sense of self, of who I am. When relationships play such a crucial role, some amount of drama is inevitable. However, we can become the prisoners of … Continue reading Frantz Fanon on Identity Drama
Spreading the Word: Healing Inherited Traumas
A family tree is an interesting metaphor. Each new generation inherits something from its ancestors through genetic connections, just like every new branch grows out of the one before it. While each branch is different from the rest, just like any family member is unique, all are linked through the tree trunk to their shared … Continue reading Spreading the Word: Healing Inherited Traumas
Knowing Yourself As The Colonised
How does one become ‘the colonised’? Not in terms of a historical fact or political status, although they are certainly important elements, but in terms of an experience. If we think of being ‘the colonised’ as a way of experiencing one’s life, how does one become it? In his book, “Black Skin, White Masks”, Frantz Fanon explores … Continue reading Knowing Yourself As The Colonised
Spreading the Word: Philosophy of Art
What can we learn about art from philosophy? What does the concept of 'aesthetics' mean? How can we evaluate art, compare different artworks to each other, and should we do it at all? Philosophers have engaged with the question of beauty for centuries. Earlier this week, I posted a selection of beautiful lines from some … Continue reading Spreading the Word: Philosophy of Art
“Proper Study of Mankind is Man”
This famous line from the 18th-century English poet Alexander Pope's poem "An Essay on Man" is as captivating today as it was 300 years ago (especially if we mentally substitute 'man' with 'human'). Sometimes, when we fail to express our confused thoughts and feelings, we do what people have done for thousands of years - … Continue reading “Proper Study of Mankind is Man”
Spreading the Word: Art of Close Looking
What is visual literacy? What is the value of close looking? In her recent article for Psyche, writer and art historian Grace Linden explores the idea of visual literacy as a skill that needs to be learned (and taught). We do not just see what is out there, fully and objectively. We see what we … Continue reading Spreading the Word: Art of Close Looking
Buried Giant and Forgotten Memories
What is the value of memories? They are our personal histories. Often, memories extend beyond our individual stories. So to ask about the value of memories is to ask about the value of history. Awareness of the importance of history is one of the frequently stated critical differences between the continental and analytic philosophy traditions. … Continue reading Buried Giant and Forgotten Memories
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