Jamesian Philosophy Refreshed

I mentioned here earlier this week that, in college, I was taught a Straussian version of Thomas Hobbes.  That is: the typical Straussian position in interpreting a wide range of early modern political thinkers is that X was secretly an atheist but was pretending to believe in God because of the whole fear-of-persecution thing.  The political philosophy can be understood only once one penetrates beneath the veneer of winking conformism about religion. Just a quick further note along those lines today.   That is (despite contrary views such as the one I discussed here Tuesday)  a fairly easy sell as to Hobbes. And Hume.  A little more difficult (IMHO) with regard to Spinoza, and much more difficult with regard to Montesquieu and Locke. And it is almost impossible to look at Maimonides in the manner that the Straussians want.   The founder of the Straussian view was, as one might imagine, Leo Strauss (1899 -1973), and the grand name for his characte...

"The crowbar is all inside your head" she said to me, "And we can demonstrate it mathematically, "I'd like to help you here in Alexanderee, There must be fifty ways to use your lever." She said, "It's really not 'Eureka' I exude, Furthermore if one should break it's not me who will be sued You built a Death Ray pal so you'll live if I am crude, There must be fifty ways to use your lever." You just find a firm place, Ace Fulcrum's the plan, Stan Don't fear the big weight, Fate Just make the Earth move. Hop on the horse, course You don't need dialectic Chariot'll do, Lou Just make the Earth move.... 

  Still waiting for my "real ID" as I write these words.  I had all the information and documentation in the hands of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles more than a month ago -- and aced an eye test to boot, and was told I would get the new supercharged form of a drivers license, the real ID form, the get-me onto-airplanes version, in two weeks   Hasn't happened.  Have to call to complain now.  Just venting....

The Notre Dame Philosophy Review   tells us of a new book on Thomas Hobbes' philosophy of religion, reviewed by Arish Abizadeh of McGill University.   If I recall the relevant undergrad course properly, Hobbes' view on religion was straightforward. He was willing to worship in any manner his sovereign tells him to worship -- to worship a thousand gods, or one, and that one conceived as three persons, or as simply One.  "Any law has reason enough for my obedience."  At another level, Hobbes was suspicious of religious fervor, precisely because fervor in the worship of a Leviathan in the heavens, distinct from the Leviathan on earth, is always in danger of spilling over into opposition or insubordination with regard to the latter. "I'm looking at you, Oliver Cromwell!" The first-level view may be said to be delivered with a wink: "You're the boss, so I'll go along with Trinity-talk Sire." The second-level view was heartfelt. Between thos...

A few days ago, on November 15, we passed a rather random unobserved anniversary. That was the 158th anniversary of the debut of the first stock ticker machine. It was unveiled, appropriately, in New York City, by its inventor Edward A. Calahan.   Calahan was building upon the now ubiquitous telegraph, combining it with a printer so that institutions that chose to get one could receive a steam of stock prices, transaction by transaction, from a particular exchange whose action they were following.  The transactions would print out on a tape. The machine with its click click clickity click became quite familiar very rapidly, and lasted a long time. I seem to remember that the father in the old Addams Family sitcom had one in the family abode. Also, the tape generated by such machines could then be cut up and thrown out of windows on festive occasions like so many streamers.  Hence the expression "ticker tape parade".    So: congratulations Mr. Calahan for gi...

  The following is from QUORA. Why do some people believe that the concept of God preceded philosophy, even though influential philosophers like Kant, Hegel, and Kierkegaard were atheists who believed in God before them? Huh?   This was an AI-generated question, and it illustrates how absurd AI can get. I'm not sure what it means to say that the "concept of God" preceded philosophy. Let us make things easier by speaking of "worship".  The worship of gods certainly preceded philosophy.  Heck, the worship of a single supreme capital-G God may be said to go back to around 1350 BCE, a long time before Thales. So it happens to be the case that our earliest record of worship of God precedes what we generally call philosophy. What sense does it make to ask why people believe such a plain truth?   But then the AI generated question takes a  really weird turn. The evidence that shows that the "concept of God" is not so old is attributed to a trio of philosopher...

 Of course, your cash will be delivered in a sealed paper bag. And of course it will only happen if you are at home -- no baiting porch pirates. WSJ headline, Nov. 14 print edition "Robinhood offers cash deliveries -- for a fee".   The virtual brokerage Robinhood has alied itself with  delivery app Gopuff to allow customers to withdraw cash from their Robinhood bank accounts and have it brought right to their door. For at most a $6.99 delivery fee you can avoid having to go out to the ATM and have money delivered in a sealed paper bag while they are at home. You don't have to be a weatherman to know whatnow?