h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Kat -

But Epistemology can be so exciting - it's a shame. It's the root (with Logic) of everything - arguably, aesthetics and ethics included. What (if anything) can we know? How can we know it?

Were you aware that Einstein - and the Quantum crowd - were very interested in and influenced by the logical positivist philosophy of the day - (and I mean original texts of course e.g. Ernst Mach) - as well as, in the latter case for some, Eastern philosophy?

Please feel free to try other things on me when you have time - and if you don't want 'the treatment' just say. I wouldn't want to miss the interesting stuff about you as a person and as a friend.You're so interesting. In fact I hereby promote you to 'fascinating'

Like - what and who interest you in philosophy? Who is there at Warwick? I've lost touch so quickly.

Regards,


Jabs

(It was London U. of course - no prevaricating or equivocating here - I'd be diggin' me own grave - Hamlet - I also went on later to the O.U. full time, and I wouldn't have missed it for worlds -I'm a converted OU fan, at least from a teaching point of view)

[Kat never stuck, but I'm happy being called it ]

It is a shame. The core modules at Warwick are all taught "analytically", which seems to mean non-linearly, and with little or no background to the issues. I'm sure people like Davidson and Sosa have a wealth of interesting an important things to say, but I just can't see why it's relevant, nor can I ask that question without causing offence.

I was quite aware of the positivist crowd! One of the reasons I picked warwick is because David Miller taught there, but sadly he retired in my first year I got to attend his introduction to scientific method lectures, though, for which I was very grateful. Was always more of a fan of Kuhn and Lakatos if I'm being honest, though. But nobody could ever doubt the might of Popper.

I'm very interested in Sartre and a lot of contemporary french philosophy. My dissertation is working on Deleuze, Freud and Lacan. [I'm looking at taking some training in Psychoanalysis for that reason before I - hopefully- go on to a phD. It seems the best way of really finding out what's at stake] It's the people associated with that crowd that I tend to find myself reading. Anyone who has interesting things to say about collective ontology is also pretty neat, particularly Andy Clark's writings on the extended mind [ http://www.philosophy.ed.ac.uk/staff/clark/pubs/TheExtendedMind.pdf ]. Both ancient and eastern philosophy are also of great interest, but sadly my eastern philosophy is very much buried in the realms of the ancient, and I don't have much of a handle on any contemporary eastern philosophy.

It's good to hear that you're a lecturer yourself though! I'm chair of the UG philosophy society at warwick, and really trying to kick it into shape. If you happen to know anyone who's a good talker that you could recommend [or if you wouldn't mind a captive audience yourself] then please drop a line on my academic email [ t.k.osborne [at] warwick.ac.uk ]. As for our department, it's hard to know who would be known, per se. I'm aware that Keith Ansell-Pierson is widely regarded [though always, it seems, on some kind of sabbatical] along with the quite lovely Angie Hobbs. We've had a newer appointee, David Smith [not a terribly unique name] who is quite a great lecturer.

Sorry to go all business! I should offer you some while you're here

I think you slightly misunderstood my meaning, Non-Kat, when I thoughtlessly asked who was at Warwick. I was talking like tutors talk/gossip to one another, in terms of who (with a reputation) was there, like Empson was at Sheffield (English) or Blackburn was at Pembroke, Oxford or Ayer was at New College, Wittgenstein was at Trinity, Cambridge, though scarcely attainable, etc etc . It was entirely my own careless fault.

And I'm retired, as I told you earlier, and not really in touch with things any more, as I also said.

David Miller had an excellent reputation - a very wise but unlucky choice. I 'm trying to think whether I met him or not. Don't think so. My first wife had a very long discussion with Lakatos's wife once...

I don't know your lesser luminaries but thanks, I'll look out for them.

Nice try about your u/g society. Sorry I can't help.

Jabs

Ah, I see! I'm afraid there's little in terms of gossip like that I would have access to. Staff arguments I hear plenty about, but given they're not likely to be between anyone of great importance

It's still more likely you'd know where to start than me I'm in at the deep end.

I'm glad I at least got to see some of his [Miller's] lectures, and that he sat in one one of my seminars and pretty much ended up taking it! It's really a pity that we don't have anyone in our department to fill his shoes

Have a really Ethical Christmas EE!

Jabs