Alan Soble encounters problems in thinking about comedy. In ‘Deconstructing Faculty Doors’ (Academe 92:1, 2006), Karl Petruso, an archaeologist, recounted his study of clippings posted on the office doors of academics at the University of Texas. In particular, his research focused on the number of the ‘humorous’ compared with ‘pedagogical’ (educational) posts on the doors. …
Anja Steinbauer on who can make fun of what, when and how. “I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose,” muses Woody Allen. And he is right: Laughter is something to be grateful for. Why? Well, mainly because there isn’t all that much of it around: Gelotology, the study of …
Katie Javanaud sees a dramatic vindication of Socrates. In philosophy professor William Lyons’ new play, Socrates and His Clouds, recently premiered in London by The Meddlers’ Theatre Company, Socrates, finally, is vindicated! Lyons’ drama is loosely based on Aristophanes’ ancient play The Clouds, written in 423BC. In this comedy, Aristophanes poked fun at Socrates and …
Colin Brookes gains ethical understanding from a profound aesthetic experience. The film and stage adaptations of Michael Morpurgo’s novel War Horse have won international acclaim. One way of understanding the overwhelmingly enthusiastic audience reactions – especially to the play’s puppetry – is to reflect on the aesthetics, and then on the underlying ethics, involved. In …
by Joel Marks “So good to see you again. How long has it been?” “Well, Uncle Barry, we haven’t been back to the States since 2001, and we always visit you when we’re here; so it’s been 12 years!” “That is sinful. That is impossible to believe.” “I think we can offer you the living …
by Joel Marks On 19 January, 1999, I sent an email to one Rick Lewis, Editor of Philosophy Now, inquiring whether the magazine might be in the market for another columnist. A friend of mine had returned from vacation with a copy in hand to show me. I instantly glommed on to it, perceiving a …
Stephen Clark examines how far Aristotle’s concept of friendship might apply to animals, among themselves and between us and them. One of the stories told about Pythagoras is that he rebuked a man who was beating a dog, with the words “That’s a friend of mine – I knew him by his voice.” The story …
“I knew him by his voice”: Can Animals Be Our Friends? Read More »
Jeremy Barris enlists the help of Plato, Ortega and pragmatist philosophy to argue that love at its deepest is our connection with ultimate truth, and that this connection is found in our love for our dogs. If dogs are not our best friends, they are among them. We love them, they love us, and these …
Tim Madigan hears Pierre Bayle’s 17th century plea for religious toleration. “Comets, importing change of times and states,Brandish your crystal tresses in the sky,And with them scourge the bad revolting starsThat have consented unto Henry’s death!King Henry the Fifth, too famous to live long!England ne’er lost a king of so much worth.” – Shakespeare, Henry …
Tim Madigan on what philosophy means to him. “Food, glorious food!What wouldn’t we give forThat extra bit more –That’s all that we live forWhy should we be fated toDo nothing but broodOn food,Magical food,Wonderful food,Marvelous food,Fabulous food!”‘Food, Glorious Food’ from the musical Oliver! It has been my great fortune to write a regular column for …