Philosophy
Playground regulars know of my holiday hypothesis. "Holiday" comes from "holy day" and while we claim that our holidays commemorate virtue, actually they function as controlled outlets for vice. Thanksgiving is not about gratitude, it is about gluttony. Christmas is not about peace on Earth or goodwill towards men, it is about greed. Valentine's day is not about love, it's about lust. So, when Fat Tuesday arrives, I am especially grateful because it is the one honest holiday where we let it all hang out without pretense.
The question for today is whether these usually disguised outlets are necessary in and of themselves or necessary because of what our culture does to us. Is Nietzsche right that society has imposed order on us and damaged our nature, that these regular dionysian outbursts are required to blow off steam because culture harmfully restricts us? Would it be possible to have a society where these urges were satisfied in the course of things, or would such a culture itself degenerate (and cause us to be degenerates)? Are holidays necessary to maintain a healthy society or only necessary because society is unnaturally repressive?
Either way, needs me some 'Fess. Laissez les bon temps rouler, mes amis.
- Is There Progress In Art? Society?
I'm working through Max Weber's methodological essays and one of the points he argues is that social progress is a myth. Across the ideological spectrum of founding fathers of sociology, from Marx's communist view to Spenser's free...
- Grammar Curmudeons
Had a student ask yesterday about grammatical pet peeves. His was "irregardless." My big three are: 1) "Quote" used for "quotation." Quote is a verb. You quote someone. What you write down is not a quote, but a quotation. ...
- Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulet
Happy Fat Tuesday everyone. This is the one and only honest holiday we have. Longtime Playground regulars will recall my holiday theory -- "holiday" comes from "holy day" and we use our holidays to pretend that we are honoring that which is sacred, virtuous....
- New Holidays
The observation of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday as a national holiday is our most recent calendar addition. It was added in 1983, although it was fought for a decade to follow in New Hampshire, South Carolina, and, of course, Arizona. It leads...
- Holidays Are Hypocrisy
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists everywhere, New bit I'm working on: Yes, Christmas comes but once a year. Kinda like being married... You know, I have a theory about the holidays. Holidays are hypocrisy. The term "holiday" comes from...
Philosophy
Fat Tuesday: The Honest Holiday
Playground regulars know of my holiday hypothesis. "Holiday" comes from "holy day" and while we claim that our holidays commemorate virtue, actually they function as controlled outlets for vice. Thanksgiving is not about gratitude, it is about gluttony. Christmas is not about peace on Earth or goodwill towards men, it is about greed. Valentine's day is not about love, it's about lust. So, when Fat Tuesday arrives, I am especially grateful because it is the one honest holiday where we let it all hang out without pretense.
The question for today is whether these usually disguised outlets are necessary in and of themselves or necessary because of what our culture does to us. Is Nietzsche right that society has imposed order on us and damaged our nature, that these regular dionysian outbursts are required to blow off steam because culture harmfully restricts us? Would it be possible to have a society where these urges were satisfied in the course of things, or would such a culture itself degenerate (and cause us to be degenerates)? Are holidays necessary to maintain a healthy society or only necessary because society is unnaturally repressive?
Either way, needs me some 'Fess. Laissez les bon temps rouler, mes amis.
- Is There Progress In Art? Society?
I'm working through Max Weber's methodological essays and one of the points he argues is that social progress is a myth. Across the ideological spectrum of founding fathers of sociology, from Marx's communist view to Spenser's free...
- Grammar Curmudeons
Had a student ask yesterday about grammatical pet peeves. His was "irregardless." My big three are: 1) "Quote" used for "quotation." Quote is a verb. You quote someone. What you write down is not a quote, but a quotation. ...
- Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulet
Happy Fat Tuesday everyone. This is the one and only honest holiday we have. Longtime Playground regulars will recall my holiday theory -- "holiday" comes from "holy day" and we use our holidays to pretend that we are honoring that which is sacred, virtuous....
- New Holidays
The observation of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday as a national holiday is our most recent calendar addition. It was added in 1983, although it was fought for a decade to follow in New Hampshire, South Carolina, and, of course, Arizona. It leads...
- Holidays Are Hypocrisy
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists everywhere, New bit I'm working on: Yes, Christmas comes but once a year. Kinda like being married... You know, I have a theory about the holidays. Holidays are hypocrisy. The term "holiday" comes from...