David B. Calhoun’s Blog

I’m not sure if philosophy in its present state will continue. It has more or less already died off. It’s not the kind of thing that’s likely to be popular again, or even funded by universities. Given the choice between some research grant for scientists to find a cure for a disease and a research grant for philosophers to squabble with little to no theoretical output and NO practical output, what would you put your money in? I certainly would want to fund the scientist.

School ends soon, maybe it’s just that time of the year when everything is stressful and philosophy, along with everything else, looks completely useless.

This semester I’ve been in a seminar on 20th Century Analytic Philosophy, and have been participating generally poorly (as I do in most seminar classes when I’m not that familiar with the subject material). My impressions of Analytic Philosophy are somewhat varied: at times I’m DEEPLY disappointed, as if reading the piece was like slowly and bitterly swallowing down mashed sweet potatoes. Each bite is as bad as the last, and when close to finishing one feels the urge to vomit…

At other times I am truly inspired and in awe. (more…)