Comments on: The Enemy of the Electronic Media http://okaycity.com/2007/12/17/the-enemy-of-the-electronic-media/ Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:20:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Okay City » Into Thin Air http://okaycity.com/2007/12/17/the-enemy-of-the-electronic-media/#comment-247312 Okay City » Into Thin Air Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:13:41 +0000 http://okaycity.com/2007/12/17/the-enemy-of-the-electronic-media/#comment-247312 [...] I lost it, a little. Maybe it was my recent interaction with my favorite old philosophy professor, but the idea of having something as simple an innocuous as a grocery list on the internet just [...] [...] I lost it, a little. Maybe it was my recent interaction with my favorite old philosophy professor, but the idea of having something as simple an innocuous as a grocery list on the internet just [...]

]]> By: kelly http://okaycity.com/2007/12/17/the-enemy-of-the-electronic-media/#comment-241763 kelly Wed, 19 Dec 2007 18:44:17 +0000 http://okaycity.com/2007/12/17/the-enemy-of-the-electronic-media/#comment-241763 I enjoy your blog so much and this post in particular gives me much to think about...reflects many of my own thoughts about my use (bordering on addiction) of the internet. My life has changed radically since I stepped back some and made myself join in some real-life human activities on a regular basis. I still blog but it's more pointed and feels less like a replacement of communication...more like an enhancement. But it must be watched very carefully, no? also glad to hear your lights are on! I enjoy your blog so much and this post in particular gives me much to think about…reflects many of my own thoughts about my use (bordering on addiction) of the internet. My life has changed radically since I stepped back some and made myself join in some real-life human activities on a regular basis. I still blog but it’s more pointed and feels less like a replacement of communication…more like an enhancement. But it must be watched very carefully, no?

also glad to hear your lights are on!

]]> By: Nate http://okaycity.com/2007/12/17/the-enemy-of-the-electronic-media/#comment-241319 Nate Tue, 18 Dec 2007 21:52:27 +0000 http://okaycity.com/2007/12/17/the-enemy-of-the-electronic-media/#comment-241319 Thanks, guys! And thanks especially to Jon for the link from your site. I, too, disagree largely with Dr. Lewis' complete rejection of popular culture (which, given the fact that he has a teenage daughter, I don't think is as complete as he'd like us to believe; he once made a classroom reference to Cher's plastic surgery). But I do get where it comes from, and I more than understand the passion behind it. I think the biggest thing I learned from those classes is that philosophy IS personal, and that the way we think influences the way we live, more than we even really know. That conversation made me miss him, and college, and you, Jon and Faith, a whole, whole lot. Thanks, guys! And thanks especially to Jon for the link from your site.

I, too, disagree largely with Dr. Lewis’ complete rejection of popular culture (which, given the fact that he has a teenage daughter, I don’t think is as complete as he’d like us to believe; he once made a classroom reference to Cher’s plastic surgery). But I do get where it comes from, and I more than understand the passion behind it. I think the biggest thing I learned from those classes is that philosophy IS personal, and that the way we think influences the way we live, more than we even really know.

That conversation made me miss him, and college, and you, Jon and Faith, a whole, whole lot.

]]> By: faith http://okaycity.com/2007/12/17/the-enemy-of-the-electronic-media/#comment-241286 faith Tue, 18 Dec 2007 19:29:52 +0000 http://okaycity.com/2007/12/17/the-enemy-of-the-electronic-media/#comment-241286 Thanks for this great post. I recently knocked on that door myself and introduced my family to Lewis. The conversation we had was nothing spectacular, just our usual disagreement about his cultural elitism. I picked that same old fight by telling him my husband likes Christian death metal music, which as predicted set him off. Anyways, it was wonderful to catch up with the old man (I can call him that, right? He’ll never read this). I have been thinking about Dr. Lewis a lot these last few days. I am preparing for an interview for a real live tenure track philosophy job next week. My interviewers will be asking me all sorts of questions about my pedagogy, and right now my strategy for answering those questions is to channel Dr. Lewis. Of course, I won’t be channeling those aspects of his teaching persona that only he could possibly pull off. Let’s face it, that would be an awesome way to not get a job. But now that I’ve taught a few Intro to Philosophy courses, I’ve come to appreciate just how damn hard it is to teach the way he does. And I really really want to emulate him. I can’t imagine I’d be doing what I am doing today if I’d never heard De. Lewis’ lecture on Socrates and Christ or seen the little “Jesus loves Me” lamb sticker on the inside cover of his Portable Nietzsche. That man showed me a glimpse of the beauty of a life of philosophical inquiry, and for that I am deeply indebted to him. Thanks for this great post. I recently knocked on that door myself and introduced my family to Lewis. The conversation we had was nothing spectacular, just our usual disagreement about his cultural elitism. I picked that same old fight by telling him my husband likes Christian death metal music, which as predicted set him off. Anyways, it was wonderful to catch up with the old man (I can call him that, right? He’ll never read this).
I have been thinking about Dr. Lewis a lot these last few days. I am preparing for an interview for a real live tenure track philosophy job next week. My interviewers will be asking me all sorts of questions about my pedagogy, and right now my strategy for answering those questions is to channel Dr. Lewis. Of course, I won’t be channeling those aspects of his teaching persona that only he could possibly pull off. Let’s face it, that would be an awesome way to not get a job. But now that I’ve taught a few Intro to Philosophy courses, I’ve come to appreciate just how damn hard it is to teach the way he does. And I really really want to emulate him. I can’t imagine I’d be doing what I am doing today if I’d never heard De. Lewis’ lecture on Socrates and Christ or seen the little “Jesus loves Me” lamb sticker on the inside cover of his Portable Nietzsche. That man showed me a glimpse of the beauty of a life of philosophical inquiry, and for that I am deeply indebted to him.

]]> By: Jonathan http://okaycity.com/2007/12/17/the-enemy-of-the-electronic-media/#comment-241257 Jonathan Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:59:47 +0000 http://okaycity.com/2007/12/17/the-enemy-of-the-electronic-media/#comment-241257 i sincerely miss the 'troglodyte,' even if I disagree (at least in some measure) with his complete disavowal of the benefits of technology. I wrote him a letter during my third year of law school, expressing my gratitude for the one class at WFU that ever forced me to think in a sustained and systematic way. He wrote me back and said that it was encouraging to receive letters from old students, and that he was angry at WFU's administration for changing the vision of the school away from nurturing undergrads and towards become a "big" university with a "big" graduate school with "big" donors. It was so refreshingly acerbic that I nearly cried. Maybe I'll go knock on his door when Tish and I roll through the dash in a couple of weeks. i sincerely miss the ‘troglodyte,’ even if I disagree (at least in some measure) with his complete disavowal of the benefits of technology. I wrote him a letter during my third year of law school, expressing my gratitude for the one class at WFU that ever forced me to think in a sustained and systematic way. He wrote me back and said that it was encouraging to receive letters from old students, and that he was angry at WFU’s administration for changing the vision of the school away from nurturing undergrads and towards become a “big” university with a “big” graduate school with “big” donors. It was so refreshingly acerbic that I nearly cried. Maybe I’ll go knock on his door when Tish and I roll through the dash in a couple of weeks.

]]> By: indigo bunting http://okaycity.com/2007/12/17/the-enemy-of-the-electronic-media/#comment-240787 indigo bunting Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:01:47 +0000 http://okaycity.com/2007/12/17/the-enemy-of-the-electronic-media/#comment-240787 This is a phenomenal post. I'm feeling quite nostalgic now for college, as well as for all the teachers/profs one either loved or hated and I was lucky enough to love. This is a phenomenal post. I’m feeling quite nostalgic now for college, as well as for all the teachers/profs one either loved or hated and I was lucky enough to love.

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