Tim's Light Reading (10/5/2009)

1. Historical Counterfactuals. Via the Matters of Substance weblog, I learned that University of Nottingham Professor Daniel Nolan is seeking input on a paper of his titled "Why Historians (And Everyone Else) Should Care About Counterfactuals." From his home institution's website, I learned the following: "Daniel Nolan is Professor of Philosophy in the Philosophy Department at The University of Nottingham. He works on a range of topics: primarily metaphysics, but also philosophy of science, philosophy of language, meta-ethics, philosophical logic." Here is his personal website.

2. Comedy As Cultural Criticism. As an inveterate Monty Python fan, I can't resist passing on this NYT television review of the upcoming documentary hosted by the Independent Film Channel, titled “Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer’s Cut).". Thanks to Michael Kramer for making me aware of the article. My favorite part of the write-up, and your obligatory great books reference of the day, was this:

"To find the equivalent of the Pythons’ kind of wordplay and punning (verbal and visual) you have to turn to written humor, which may be where some of the Pythons’ inspiration came from in the first place. You could make a case, for example, that “Tristram Shandy” is the most pythonesque book in all of English literature."

Everyone should know that Robert M. Hutchins was the prime advocate for including Laurence Sterne's Tristram Shandy in Britannica's 1952 set of the Great Books of the Western World (volume 36).

3. More Job Market Considerations? InsideHigherEd published another article related to graduate students in philosophy and potential dos-and-don'ts related to job seeking. Productive or not, the first one created quite a stir. Yet again, I wonder how history search committees view the same matter---meaning publications? In the same kind of mixed way? Is the lack of publications viewed negatively? On the other hand, are too many viewed negatively? Do search committees attend to the quality of the publication for junior scholar/grad student applicants? Or is initiative a plus, regardless of early career quality? I ask because I don't recall seeing this issue discussed by AHA, either through the org's weblog or Perspectives in History, within the past few years.

4. They Might Be Giants and the Philosophy of Science. Matthew Yglesias takes issue with philosophy of science forwarded by the musical group They Might Be Giants in a recent song, titled "Science Is Real" from a new CD/DVD release, "Here Comes Science." The group relies on a definition from Rudolf Carnap, and apparently Yglesias doesn't appreciate Carnap's definition of the subject: "Science is a system of statements based on direct experience and controlled by experimental verification.” Yglesias beef, in essence, is that Carnap's definition isn't instrumental enough in the Deweyian tradition---that Carnap's line is too bright between the researcher and the object researched. Yeglesias further laments:

I think it’s unfortunate that people trying to enhance the social prestige of science and scientists (which is basically what the TMBG song is about) have this tendency to want to fall back on this kind of naive realism and positivism as their means for doing so.

This is true in terms of the philosophy of science, but I think he's suffering from a case of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Based on the visible tradition of anti-intellectualism in this country, particularly the hostile-toward-science variety (e.g. think global warming, evolution), it would seem that we can live with some subtle promotion of science by a band that sings primarily to our youth. - TL

Tim's Light Reading (10/5/2009)

1. Historical Counterfactuals. Via the Matters of Substance weblog, I learned that University of Nottingham Professor Daniel Nolan is seeking input on a paper of his titled "Why Historians (And Everyone Else) Should Care About Counterfactuals." From his home institution's website, I learned the following: "Daniel Nolan is Professor of Philosophy in the Philosophy Department at The University of Nottingham. He works on a range of topics: primarily metaphysics, but also philosophy of science, philosophy of language, meta-ethics, philosophical logic." Here is his personal website.

2. Comedy As Cultural Criticism. As an inveterate Monty Python fan, I can't resist passing on this NYT television review of the upcoming documentary hosted by the Independent Film Channel, titled “Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer’s Cut).". Thanks to Michael Kramer for making me aware of the article. My favorite part of the write-up, and your obligatory great books reference of the day, was this:

"To find the equivalent of the Pythons’ kind of wordplay and punning (verbal and visual) you have to turn to written humor, which may be where some of the Pythons’ inspiration came from in the first place. You could make a case, for example, that “Tristram Shandy” is the most pythonesque book in all of English literature."

Everyone should know that Robert M. Hutchins was the prime advocate for including Laurence Sterne's Tristram Shandy in Britannica's 1952 set of the Great Books of the Western World (volume 36).

3. More Job Market Considerations? InsideHigherEd published another article related to graduate students in philosophy and potential dos-and-don'ts related to job seeking. Productive or not, the first one created quite a stir. Yet again, I wonder how history search committees view the same matter---meaning publications? In the same kind of mixed way? Is the lack of publications viewed negatively? On the other hand, are too many viewed negatively? Do search committees attend to the quality of the publication for junior scholar/grad student applicants? Or is initiative a plus, regardless of early career quality? I ask because I don't recall seeing this issue discussed by AHA, either through the org's weblog or Perspectives in History, within the past few years.

4. They Might Be Giants and the Philosophy of Science. Matthew Yglesias takes issue with philosophy of science forwarded by the musical group They Might Be Giants in a recent song, titled "Science Is Real" from a new CD/DVD release, "Here Comes Science." The group relies on a definition from Rudolf Carnap, and apparently Yglesias doesn't appreciate Carnap's definition of the subject: "Science is a system of statements based on direct experience and controlled by experimental verification.” Yglesias beef, in essence, is that Carnap's definition isn't instrumental enough in the Deweyian tradition---that Carnap's line is too bright between the researcher and the object researched. Yeglesias further laments:

I think it’s unfortunate that people trying to enhance the social prestige of science and scientists (which is basically what the TMBG song is about) have this tendency to want to fall back on this kind of naive realism and positivism as their means for doing so.

This is true in terms of the philosophy of science, but I think he's suffering from a case of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Based on the visible tradition of anti-intellectualism in this country, particularly the hostile-toward-science variety (e.g. think global warming, evolution), it would seem that we can live with some subtle promotion of science by a band that sings primarily to our youth. - TL

A Registration Note For USIH Conference Attendees (Non-panelists)

Conference registration consists of paying a $35 fee---which goes entirely towards catering (drinks, snacks, labor of caterers). Make your payment (check or money order) payable to "The Graduate Center Foundation" and send it to:

The Center for the Humanities
c/o Michael Washburn, Assistant Director
The Graduate Center
City University of New York
365 Fifth Avenue
Room 5103
New York, NY 10016

If you have questions about payment please contact Michael Washburn at or 212-817-2007.

PS: Per Lauren's comment below, panelists should pay too. But they were already told this in their invitation-acceptance e-mails. - TL

- TL

A Registration Note For USIH Conference Attendees (Non-panelists)

Conference registration consists of paying a $35 fee---which goes entirely towards catering (drinks, snacks, labor of caterers). Make your payment (check or money order) payable to "The Graduate Center Foundation" and send it to:

The Center for the Humanities
c/o Michael Washburn, Assistant Director
The Graduate Center
City University of New York
365 Fifth Avenue
Room 5103
New York, NY 10016

If you have questions about payment please contact Michael Washburn at or 212-817-2007.

PS: Per Lauren's comment below, panelists should pay too. But they were already told this in their invitation-acceptance e-mails. - TL

- TL

Conference Announcement: C. Wright Mills

C. Wright Mills: "Taking It Big"
A conference in honor of the Fiftieth anniversary of C. Wright Mills’ The Sociological Imagination
October 16th-17th 2009
CUNY Graduate Center Recital Hall

Plenary (Oct 16):
5:30: Reception (Recital Hall Lobby)
6:30 to 8:00: Patricia Hill Collins, Stanley Aronowitz and Craig Calhoun

Program
Friday October 16th

10:00 to 12:00: On Class and Power
Presenter: Jerry Watts
Respondent: TBA

1:00 to 3:00: Mills’ Social Psychology
Presenter: Lynn Chancer
Respondent: Eli Zaretsky


3:15 to 5:15: On Intellectuals
Presenter: Russell Jacoby
Respondent: John Summers

Saturday Oct 17th

10:00 to 12:00: On Culture
Presenter: Marshall Berman
Respondent: Harvey Molotch

1:00 to 3:00: Social and Political Theory
Presenter: Stephen Bronner
Respondent: David Harvey


3:15 to 5:15: Politics and Political Writings
Presenter: Stanley Aronowitz
Respondent: Andy Greenberg

SPONSORS: CUNY Center for the Study of Culture, Technology and Work Institute for Public Knowledge

For more information or to register please contact:
Center for the Study of Culture, Technology and Work
The Graduate Center, The City University of New York
365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4309
Phone: 212-817-2001
Email: greenbergandrew@gmail.com

Conference Announcement: C. Wright Mills

C. Wright Mills: "Taking It Big"
A conference in honor of the Fiftieth anniversary of C. Wright Mills’ The Sociological Imagination
October 16th-17th 2009
CUNY Graduate Center Recital Hall

Plenary (Oct 16):
5:30: Reception (Recital Hall Lobby)
6:30 to 8:00: Patricia Hill Collins, Stanley Aronowitz and Craig Calhoun

Program
Friday October 16th

10:00 to 12:00: On Class and Power
Presenter: Jerry Watts
Respondent: TBA

1:00 to 3:00: Mills’ Social Psychology
Presenter: Lynn Chancer
Respondent: Eli Zaretsky


3:15 to 5:15: On Intellectuals
Presenter: Russell Jacoby
Respondent: John Summers

Saturday Oct 17th

10:00 to 12:00: On Culture
Presenter: Marshall Berman
Respondent: Harvey Molotch

1:00 to 3:00: Social and Political Theory
Presenter: Stephen Bronner
Respondent: David Harvey


3:15 to 5:15: Politics and Political Writings
Presenter: Stanley Aronowitz
Respondent: Andy Greenberg

SPONSORS: CUNY Center for the Study of Culture, Technology and Work Institute for Public Knowledge

For more information or to register please contact:
Center for the Study of Culture, Technology and Work
The Graduate Center, The City University of New York
365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4309
Phone: 212-817-2001
Email: greenbergandrew@gmail.com

Delightfully interesting

I love archives. I am forever finding amazing things I never would have thought of in them. Sometimes it's a slog, but never without rewards. I thought I would share one of the rewards with you--my favorite definition of an intellectual ever.

Maxwell Bodenheim in the Dallas Texas News, July 20, 1924, in a symposium edited by Walter Holbrook on "Who are the Young Intellectuals?"

Editors note: We have been writing a number of authors, liberal and conservative to ask what they mean by the term “Young Intellectuals” and whom they consider representative of the school. This week we print Maxwell Bodenheim’s reply, which he himself characterizes as ‘at least……….a straightforward, ironical and vicious departure from the cut-and-dried statements of limited prejudice and elated misconceptions which you have been publishing in your symposium (the fault is not yours, of course)” Mr. Bodenheim is a poet and novelist of highly modern tendencies.

[...]

Intellect is a half-logical, half-imaginative struggle against false exteriors, surface semblances, decrepit plausibilities, emotional uproars, and outworn idols accepted and worshiped by large groups of people. It is thought and poetry refusing to be hoodwinked by the realistic pretenses and clamors of life, and forever setting up newer and more daring explanations of the motives, meanings, and essences concealed by life. It is the exquisite, skillful, and at times almost venomous attack on the mental inertia, and emotional complacency which appeals to a majority of human beings, whether they are Socialists or Monarchists. It has little respect for inflexible solutions and ecstatic prohibitions, and it ignores them in favor of an endlessly searching forward motion. It has therefore been disliked in all ages and by hosts of critics, from the early Greek rhapsodists down to H.L. Mencken.

A few different reasons I like this document so much. First of all, this symposium was taking place in a Texas newspaper. It's hard to imagine a similar dialogue today. Perhaps this is a tiny moment when "intellectual" was not a bad word in the States? More importantly, I like Bodenheim's definition because it does not automatically make "intellect" and "emotions" utter enemies. It also explains why intellectuals tend toward that impulse labeled disparagingly as "elitist." Thoughts?