josh blog

Ordinary language is all right.

One could divide humanity into two classes:
those who master a metaphor, and those who hold by a formula.
Those with a bent for both are too few, they do not comprise a class.

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12 Jan '13 05:38:43 AM

Some philosophical texts are open, some are closed. World as Will and Representation is closed, its second volume notwithstanding. Philosophical Investigations is open.

It's a prejudice to think that all questions put to closed texts must be given settled, final answers. The texts we write in response to closed texts can themselves be open.

Open texts question persistently.

11 Jan '13 02:32:37 AM

The human being, the kind of animal who wears pants and has congresses and stuff.

10 Jan '13 03:02:19 AM

Bill Callahan records from before K., Bill Callahan records from with K., and Bill Callahan records from after K.

10 Jan '13 01:00:07 AM

The working conditions of college faculty are ultimately the learning conditions for college students.

10 Jan '13 12:02:43 AM

Whenever an ethicist ends his list of theoretical options with 'virtue ethics, feminist ethics', I know I'm not dealing with a serious person.

10 Jan '13 12:01:00 AM

The difference between not knowing you're getting crumbs all over yourself and really not knowing you're getting crumbs all over yourself.

8 Jan '13 10:26:09 AM

Because of a maxim’s brevity and by its characteristic manner of formulation, it will seem compressed. It asserts or draws connections between its elements in ways which cannot falsify their possible relationships, but which are not likely to be obvious upon first thought of each of the elements in isolation or in its characteristic deployment apart from the maxim. (The aspect of defamiliarization.) Often the perception of the truth of a maxim will amount to a recognition that its elements do admit of the possibility of combination indicated in the maxim.

7 Jan '13 12:13:52 PM

Make us take your word for it.

7 Jan '13 12:11:54 PM

Don't dress it up.