No post this week, but a link to an essay published elsewhere: on philosophy as a form of self-help, at The Point: Philosophy is an abstract field of argument and theory: this is true as much of ethics as it is of metaphysics. Why should reflection in this vein—ruthless, complex, conceptual—make us happier, more well-adjusted people? (If you’ve spent time with philosophers, you may doubt that it has such salutary effects.) And why should philosophers want to join the self-help movement, anyway?
Your posts always seem to pop up at a good time for me in my studies. I'm writing a paper in my philosophy of religion class where my thesis (draft) is that while going through a process of deconstruction/interrogating one's philosophy of religion is worth doing at any age, it is particularly worth doing at 60+ years of age (when have distance from the context one was born into ("thrown" ala Heidegger/Ricoeur), perhaps parents who gave you your religion are gone, kids are out of the house and maybe you're retired, so have time to attend; and many years of life exp to give you your own views..; you're closer to death than birth, etc.). In my objections, I will deal with Why 60+ vs midlife or just as one is starting to raise a family. While I think both of those times are good (esp when starting to raise a family), I'm thinking about midlife as a challenging time to do this, which I think you are saying here in this article. In my head is a contrast between H and R's "Thrownness" and a "Pulled-ness" that one feels in midlife with career, kids, aging parents, etc. etc. all pulling at you. Hard to find time then for a serious pondering of one's personal philosophy of religion.
I look forward to your book "Late-life" which I hope you write when you get to 60+ (as I am already).
Your posts always seem to pop up at a good time for me in my studies. I'm writing a paper in my philosophy of religion class where my thesis (draft) is that while going through a process of deconstruction/interrogating one's philosophy of religion is worth doing at any age, it is particularly worth doing at 60+ years of age (when have distance from the context one was born into ("thrown" ala Heidegger/Ricoeur), perhaps parents who gave you your religion are gone, kids are out of the house and maybe you're retired, so have time to attend; and many years of life exp to give you your own views..; you're closer to death than birth, etc.). In my objections, I will deal with Why 60+ vs midlife or just as one is starting to raise a family. While I think both of those times are good (esp when starting to raise a family), I'm thinking about midlife as a challenging time to do this, which I think you are saying here in this article. In my head is a contrast between H and R's "Thrownness" and a "Pulled-ness" that one feels in midlife with career, kids, aging parents, etc. etc. all pulling at you. Hard to find time then for a serious pondering of one's personal philosophy of religion.
I look forward to your book "Late-life" which I hope you write when you get to 60+ (as I am already).