Philosophy
Got a good one from my logic class yesterday. The word "act" is ambiguous, even as a verb. One can act on a stage -- that is represent a character distinct from the actor -- and one can simply do what one does, as in "act your age." Take the first meaning, the dramatic sense of act in which one portrays someone else. Now, if we consider a situation in which one presents a face different from what one's natural inclination would be, say, if you try to hide your fear while giving a class presentation or if you gratefully thank someone for a gift you really dislike, is that sense of acting brave and acting thankful the same or a different sense of the word "act" from what someone does on the stage?
- The Edge Of Identity
Today is the birthday of David Howell Evans, the guitarist of the band U2 better known simply as "The Edge." I've been thinking about pseudonyms lately because it was noted in a conversation recently how many fewer actors are taking stage names. It...
- Ernie Banks And Existentialism
Yesterday was the 80th birthday of one of my heroes, Ernie Banks, the Hall of Fame shortstop for the Chicago Cubs. His nickname was Mr. Sunshine and everyday he would say "It's a beautiful day for a ballgame, let's play two." He wasn't playing...
- Corpses, Titles, And Seniors
Three interesting semantic questions this go 'round. jw asks, are human corpses people?Like so many questions about meaning, the answer is contextual. Corpses are human bodies, and so in some contexts held to be more than mere objects, better than...
- The Ontological Status Of Jake Blues
In the airport, I noticed the cover of the latest issue of Cigar Aficionado magazine (not a regular read of mine) which features the Blues Brothers with Jim Belushi as Jake. Something felt odd about it and I've been trying to think through the case...
- Bad Gifts
Those who say there are no bad gifts are like those who say there are no stupid questions...they are wrong. Sure, with respect to gifts, it's the thought that counts, but sometimes you are left wondering, "what were you thinking?" In order to lift...
Philosophy
The Ambiguity of Acting
Got a good one from my logic class yesterday. The word "act" is ambiguous, even as a verb. One can act on a stage -- that is represent a character distinct from the actor -- and one can simply do what one does, as in "act your age." Take the first meaning, the dramatic sense of act in which one portrays someone else. Now, if we consider a situation in which one presents a face different from what one's natural inclination would be, say, if you try to hide your fear while giving a class presentation or if you gratefully thank someone for a gift you really dislike, is that sense of acting brave and acting thankful the same or a different sense of the word "act" from what someone does on the stage?
- The Edge Of Identity
Today is the birthday of David Howell Evans, the guitarist of the band U2 better known simply as "The Edge." I've been thinking about pseudonyms lately because it was noted in a conversation recently how many fewer actors are taking stage names. It...
- Ernie Banks And Existentialism
Yesterday was the 80th birthday of one of my heroes, Ernie Banks, the Hall of Fame shortstop for the Chicago Cubs. His nickname was Mr. Sunshine and everyday he would say "It's a beautiful day for a ballgame, let's play two." He wasn't playing...
- Corpses, Titles, And Seniors
Three interesting semantic questions this go 'round. jw asks, are human corpses people?Like so many questions about meaning, the answer is contextual. Corpses are human bodies, and so in some contexts held to be more than mere objects, better than...
- The Ontological Status Of Jake Blues
In the airport, I noticed the cover of the latest issue of Cigar Aficionado magazine (not a regular read of mine) which features the Blues Brothers with Jim Belushi as Jake. Something felt odd about it and I've been trying to think through the case...
- Bad Gifts
Those who say there are no bad gifts are like those who say there are no stupid questions...they are wrong. Sure, with respect to gifts, it's the thought that counts, but sometimes you are left wondering, "what were you thinking?" In order to lift...