Cosmic spirit, down to earth

This is what WJ meant by philosophy resuming its rights with respect to "the earth of things"…

Kieran Fox wrote this in his spare time—in med school!

"A respect for the spiritual dimension of human existence is not a license for superstition or sloppy thinking, any more than a respect for the rules of physical reality allows us to claim that atoms and energy are somehow more real than our own subjective experiences. 

If anything, Einstein's teaching holds both science and spirituality to a higher standard than ever. Science has to humbly accept how far it still has to go, and admit that its conception of the cosmos will be incomplete until it can embrace consciousness. Spirituality has to come down from the ethereal realms where it's most comfortable, and commit to effecting actual change here on Earth."

— I Am a Part of Infinity: The Spiritual Journey of Albert Einstein by Kieran Fox
https://a.co/cM0nHE1

“no other life but this”

"However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names. It is not so bad as you think. It looks poorest when you are richest. The fault-finder will find faults even in paradise. Love your life, difficult as it is...
You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this." - Henry Thoreau

Scopes centenary

100 years ago today, Dayton, Tennessee high school teacher John Scopes was arrested for teaching evolution.

It had gone exactly according to plan: Scopes and a group of local businessmen had decided to provoke the indictment in order to challenge a new Tennessee law making it a crime to teach evolution in public schools.

https://to.pbs.org/45nhlsy

WJS Newsletter (NEW!) – William James Society

https://wjsociety.org/news/

Remembrances for John Lachs

The Pluralist

https://bsky.app/profile/illinoispress.bsky.social/post/3lnzuc76hmj2b

“cowboy individualism”

As we were discussing last night in our MALA class "Engaging American Philosophy"…

"…The rate at which America's government, health, defense, and economy is degrading shows that reality will not conform to the myth of the American cowboy. The cover of The Economist today shows a battered and heavily bandaged eagle under the caption: "Only 1,361 Days To Go."

The American people seem to be realizing that the rhetoric of cowboy individualism is a very different thing than its reality. Trump's poll numbers are dropping sharply. A Reuters poll found that just 37% of Americans approve of his handling of the economy, which was supposed to be his strong suit. An Economist/YouGov poll found Trump's approval rating was –13, with 54% of Americans disapproving of the way he is handling the presidency and only 41% approving."

HCR https://open.substack.com/pub/heathercoxrichardson/p/april-24-2025?r=35ogp&utm_medium=ios

Due process

Suddenly no one knows what due process means?
Let me help.

https://www.threads.com/@sherrilynifill/post/DI176T_R8xj?xmt=AQGzsVmc3cmQrGwuU59pIrFu1Q_4yA28XAXDbxYrncbdKA

"How did you become an American philosopher?"

...I stumbled into it while stumbling into philosophy. After earning an undergraduate degree in physiological psychology, I worked as a night watchman while exploring process philosophy by reading Teilhard de Chardin, Goethe, and evolutionary theorists. I became enamored with A. N. Whitehead but was stumped by Process and Reality. I also thought science was ruining the world, and I had to master it to save myself. I decided to pursue a doctorate in the philosophy of science and another undergraduate degree in physics. (I later realized I was mistaken about science.) Having never taken a philosophy course, Florida State accepted me provisionally... Jim Garrison

Bewilderment

Such a gorgeous, gorgeous reminder that the future is not yet written and the pen is in our hands: https://www.themarginalian.org/2023/01/05/richard-powers-thea/

MALA 6010: Engaging the Liberal Arts/American Philosophy (Spring 2025)

MALA students: this is the site I've created to support courses in American philosophy. Feel free to browse here, and comment on anything you find of interest. jpo

Engaging the Liberal Arts MALA course (my block Apr 17, 24)--

Block Title: Engaging American Philosophy

Block Description: This block introduces the classical American philosophical tradition of William James, John  Dewey, Richard Rorty and others. It is a broadly pragmatic, humanistic, melioristic, and interdisciplinary tradition, oriented to action (not merely contemplation) in the public arena. It insists that thought without action is vacuous, while action without thought is reckless. It demands relevance from philosophy and the other liberal arts disciplines, and is unwilling to sacrifice meaning or happiness in the fight for a better world. We'll investigate the philosophers' views and how they might apply to our present situation and circumstances.

Week 1 Readings/assignments: Selections from classic sources James, Dewey, Rorty... tba

Week 2 Readings/assignments: Selections from contemporary sources like Martha Nussbaum, Rebecca Solnit, Louis Menand, Doug Anderson... tba

Grade Distribution: 75 points participation (attendance, blog posts), 75 points report (classroom presentation on an assigned topic)