Dear colleagues-in-courses-
without-borders-series.
What IS Dialectic, Sam?
(You talk about it over and
but you
The 18th c. (as opposed to the 17th & before)
is considered
the ENLIGHTENMENT
in Western Thought.
(The Age of Reason)
Philip Freneau’s definition of the God of Nature
as an all-pervading presence is, say, an ANTI-
THESIS to Jonathan Edwards’ God dangling
man on a thread over hell.
(We call that notion KARMA, now, but it’s
the same deal. Need we argue?).
Ben Franklin (with Jonathan Edwards) were
considered the 2 GENIUS’s of the AGE and
they are LIKE
THESIS & ANTI-THESIS
You can decided which is which.
the spiritual/the practical
& can’t they Just Get Along?
Stephen suggested I show HOW the dialectic
works—rather than just be talking about it all
the time.
Sort of like asking me to demonstrate PING
PONG by myself.
other wise it’s just running back & forth covering
both sides of the table:—sound of one hand clapping.
Edwards' God Haunting Universe on the one hand.
Do those two notions just get along? Which dominates?
Can they be put in play?
The next couple weeks: Emerson & Thoreau the
transcendental & “romantic” American world view.
I know you’ve read these folks before.
Read 3 pages of “Self Reliance” as if you were
a cerebral martial artist—as if you were working
out in some “affective” Gold’s Gym.
Kick ass & be ass-kicked, damnit!
You’ll see what I mean by dialectic. I bet you 5 dollars.
It’s a Fight Club.
Otherwise, forget about it.
IT, I said. Do I always got to be spelling IT out? I need
help for crying out loud. Should be obvious.
Or what’s a colleague for? Or what’s a college for?
100,000 dollars & counting.
GYMNASIUM: “naked training”
SCHOLA: “leisure time”
“STUDENT,” “STUDY”: from I.E. steu: “to push,
stick, knock, beat”-- struck by a stick: “stunned”
“stupid: —all in the family & pre-requisite for
liberal art. Stunning, yes?
xxxooo, Sam
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