Nothing is Impossible...

Sometimes as we read these philosophical texts, I get kind of down. It seems like we live in such a huge system; I can't comprehend it, let alone figure out a way to make it work well for everyone. But then I realize what amazing thinkers that are alive right now are doing to help us live better. This video is from TED Talks, and I have a dream of someday attending a real TED conference. Meanwhile, I continue to be inspired by the videos they post at their site. Watch the video of Hans, how he visualizes data to help SEE what exists now, and also how he defines "means" and "goals" and shows that we need to be clear on the distinction. And he gives us a surprise ending too!

Enjoy--and tell me what you think!

competition: what is the end goal?

I thought you might like this story that apppeared on a blog I read.
I think Ghandi and Marx would appreciate that story : )

If you get a chance, take a look at the videos these guys produce on how to use different kinds of tech tools. They call their business The Common Craft Show
and they have made a business of creating these unique short videos. It is a great wxample of how "less is more" since they use simple paper and marker techniques to explain complicated technologies in really useful ways. Be sure to watch the Zombie video : )

visual aids

Here is a blog that I like where a person with a good sense of humor makes excellent use of Venn diagrams to make her point. I am thinking that members of the group who try to create "visual aids" for us might be inspired by this.

Income distribution and effects on societyhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

Marx is saying that the gulf between burgoisie and proletariate creates tension and that the workers will unite and revolt.
This is a long video but very current and interesting. Robert Reich talks about income distribution and asks: "Will the economy 'snap'?"

If you want to shorten it, skip the first 5 minutes.

trying to visualize where we are

This short video might help us to visualize income distribution.

Marx and Property and UR

I got to hear President Ayres speak at a faculty meeting recently. I mentioned some facts and figures that I am only approximating here, but they capture the gist of his remarks. UR's tuition increase has not hurt numbers of applications. IN terms of economic deversity, a weird thing has happened. There are still wealthy folks who can pay the tuition. There are more folks from the lower economic strata who receive scholarships. UR is one of the only universities in the country with 100% Need Blind Admission and we give more more financial aid that almost any other institution. But Ayers remarked that we do seem to have a problem: we lack middle ground. Famililes that make, say 100-150 thousand a year can't afford the tuition but are not eligible for aid. He is working on that issue.
I think it is interesting how Marx would view this. For one, I think he would say "I told you so." This is the pattern that happens in the overall economy so that the middle class gets squeezed out, more people are forced down closer to poverty, but no more are added to the burgoise. Isn't this what he describes as the precursor to a class revolt? I know that at UR many of the tensions have been blamed on this economic divide.

haunted?

The more I think about it, the more that dorm life is a perfect experiment in civilization. I was surprised by the descriptions of male vs. female dorms. The dorm I lived in was co-ed by hall, and I wonder if having us in closer proximity to one another cut down on the differences. We had to "blend" more. But it got me thinking even more about the idea that civilization is our cage. Is it true that males need to be forced into civilization more than females? Is there really something about our natures that is essentially different? On an individual basis, I just don't see it, but in group settings, it seems to be more noticeable. Are we different depending on who we are around? Every time I have found myself in large groups lately, I find myself thinking about the different perspectives we have read, and wondering whihc one fits. At the marching band competition at the high school, at dinner with my sons, at the mall... And then I started thinking about the new social spaces that exist but don't exist: Facebook and email lists and the internet itself. We have seen how the same kinds of problems, "evils" errupt there (is there a "there?") I had a weird experience of only knowing someone through his blog and then meeting him in person. The in-person meeting was so much more powerful--voice and face and, I don't know how to explain it, but I guess you would say "physical presence." But I think it was all the more powerful for knowing him through his words first.
I wonder how cyberspace is changing civilization...

your next paper...

I have been spending a lot of time trying to come up with a good paper assignment. I want to give you some options and some room to say something you care about, and enough inspiration to motivate you to spend lots of time grappling with words and ideas.

Here are some thoughts I have been tossing around. I thought maybe you would like a chance to help me shape this assignment. Read my thoughts, and then post a comment. I'll write up the assignment before class on Monday, so comment soon!

Nietzsche, Rives, and Ghandi


These three authors have lots to say about the nature of human connection and society. How is individual difference related to “goodness?” Can we be “good” in a group? Does our community create a cage for us, or do they provide the human connections which give us a reason to live?
How do we create community? What is necessary for its health? Can both the community and the individual be whole at the same time? What do we give up to live in groups? What is gained?
What is the role of language in having a good life?
IS civilization a sickness? What is the cure?

Take a look at the past Core Essay Contest winners to see the kinds of theses there, and try to figure out what the assignment might have been. Please help me to shape an assignment you will like!