In Amy's Apartment



Amy and I had a lovely, if somewhat rushed, visit. I got to see her apartment, meet some of her friends, and watch her deliver her response paper at the conference (she did a very creditable job and was much-complimented). But the best part of the visit was definitely sneaking out of the conference and having some good 'real talk.'

I'm now back at IU, looking ahead at my two-day week. I have LOTS of work to do on my Kierkegaard and Hume papers, and I don't want to be stuck working on my papers while I could be having jolly times with Elissa and Adelle. I will have to do some work over Thanksgiving break, but I'm hoping that with diligence I can keep it to a minimum.

So I'm off to spend the rest of the day studying. But before I go, here's a fun fact for those who are interested: Apparently Charles Williams was quite influential in publishing the first English translations of Kierkegaard's work. I don't have more information than that at present, but I'll be on the look out for more on the Williams-Kierkegaard connection.

Term Paper Topics and Travel

The semester just keeps getting busier, but today I took my last Greek exam before the final, so that's one thing less to worry about. Also, I now have my term paper topics, and thus I am that much closer to writing them!

--Hume Wearing a Turban--

My Hume paper will be on the role of good manners in Hume's ethics. Hume has a good deal to say about delicacy of taste and how desirable a thing it is. Since it seems that good manners promote the cultivation of delicate taste, his account, it would seem, ought to place a good deal of importance on the merit of good manners. Does it? Does an emphasis on good manners imply encouraging people to pretend they are more virtuous than they actually are? If it does, is this a problem? Most importantly, shouldn't true delicacy of taste tell us not to wear funny-looking turbans?

--Kierkegaard--

My Kierkegaard paper will be on humor and the religious life. This is not 'humor in the religious life' because the way Kierkegaard thinks of humor it is itself a way of life (one of his 'spheres of existence'). But he talks both about humor as 'religion incognito' and as the closest as you can get to Christianity without actually being a Christian. It's rather confusing: how do these two things relate? I don't have a specific thesis yet because I am still reading the relevant parts of Concluding Unscientific Postscript, but I hope to have one soon.

Given the all work I have to do you might be surprised to hear that I'm going away for the weekend. But going away I am! Northern Illinois University is holding a philosophy conference, which wouldn't interest me much, except that my very dear friend Amy is there. One of my fellow IU grads is presenting a paper, so I'll ride up with him, spend some time with Amy, cheer loudly as Amy presents her response paper, and ride down again in time to work hard during that last half-week before Thanksgiving. Oi vey, what a schedule!

End Approaching--

We have reached that ominous point in the semester at which the rapid approach of the term's end becomes impossible to ignore. Oh, it isn't the end of term yet; it isn't even that close. But it is close enough that at any moment you may find yourself at the beginning of the end in good earnest—and unless you have made the necessary preparations, the discovery will be a most unpleasant one.

Accordingly, I spent a good part of this weekend in reviewing my situation. Take down the calendar, flip through the syllabi: How many days have I left? How many assignments? 20 full school days; 4 weekends; 5 major assignments; 2 exams. Oh my!

You might have thought the shock of these statistics would have motivated me to begin outlining and researching at once. And indeed the motivation I had in abundance, however my leisure was a rarer commodity. The class I am TA-ing for just had an exam, so my time and energy went into grading instead. Rather unfortunate, but at least the grading is finished.

But lest you think my weekend was all grading and planning, I'll give you a few pictures more interesting weekend activities.

On Saturday Emily returned from the Farmer's Market with tales of free soup. Those who know my passion for soup will readily imagine my excitement. I raced down to the market and received with relish samples of 'Hot and Sour Beet Soup,' 'Butternut Squash Soup,' 'Russian Peasant-Style Vegetable Stew,' and many others. Apparently the local restaurants put on the event as a way of advertising.

--At the Farmer's Market (not the soup stands)--

The weather has been chilly but not wet. On Monday the maintenance man will turn on our heating, but until then it is socks and sweaters for me and Emily. Spartan as we are, we bear the hardship with nary a complaint (and of course it really isn't that cold).

--The Courthouse (with beautiful blue sky)--

Today First Presbyterian had its annual fundraiser, the Heifer Market. I walked into church and found the fellowship hall full of animals: pigs, goats, lamas, sheep, rabbits, chickens, and even a cow. People buy 'shares' in the animal of their choice and all the money goes to buy farm animals for families in third world countries. It's a good event, and an especially exciting one for the kids!

--Goats (and a child's hand)--

--Cow and Children--