I doubt that it will be necessary to cancel me for much longer, which will be a relief to my cancelers. Cancer will step in to help them out.
00Colin McGinnColin McGinn2023-07-04 14:08:462023-07-04 14:08:46Cancer and Cancelation
15replies
Neil Pearse says:
All the very best Colin! You were briefly my post B.Phil. supervisor at Oxford in 1986. Not sure you thought a lot of my thesis on Wittgenstein’s ‘On Certainty’ – but I benefited a lot from your example of rigour and clarity. I’d come from John McDowell, so also benefited from seeing two different styles of philosophy, even of thinking. Thanks for your blog over the years. Your recent piece on tranquillity uncannily hit me personally right now at this point in my life. Thank you!
Was sad to read this post. Cancer and it’s treatment are a grind (and so are cancelers) – you, on the other hand, are an inspiration. I wish you strength, positivity and defiance.
Surely, there must be a philosophy of cancelation and thus, a Philosopher of Cancelation. Maybe, when they themselves are finally cancelled, they can reflect on the stellar career of that great thinker Robespierre.
I thought of an irony. Actually, isn’t “cancellation” what we need? Cancellation of climate change. Cancellation of anthropogenic warming. Cancellation of the speciesism that’s causing other species to become cancelled. Cancellation of the widespread ignorance that’s one root cause? Cancellation of refusing to accept that yeah human population is a major problem. And cancellation of . . . hey, here’s an idea, heck, why don’t we just go all out and institute a National Ignorance Day? Isn’t ignorance practically a cause for celebration already?
Yeah, I like that. That definitely sounds better! And it’s nice to see you’re working on songwriting again (your two recent blog posts). I just spent two days in my storage unit. Got a lot done. While moving boxes I noticed an op-ed I saved from the Times titled “How to Raise a Creative Child. Step One: Back Off.” One of the things I had circled was an Einstein quote: “The theory of relativity occurred to me by intuition, and music is the driving force behind this intuition.”
That’s interesting. I was wondering the same thing. Maybe Einstein was overzealous in expressing his love for music. Too bad he’s not around today. I think he’d so much prefer what’s available today, over what was available back then.
Oh, but they can try. I think I can say, given the evidence, that not one person who comments on this blog belongs to the philosophy profession in the USA. Are some of these still reading me in secret?
All the very best Colin! You were briefly my post B.Phil. supervisor at Oxford in 1986. Not sure you thought a lot of my thesis on Wittgenstein’s ‘On Certainty’ – but I benefited a lot from your example of rigour and clarity. I’d come from John McDowell, so also benefited from seeing two different styles of philosophy, even of thinking. Thanks for your blog over the years. Your recent piece on tranquillity uncannily hit me personally right now at this point in my life. Thank you!
You are right about the difference between McD and McG. Also glad that my tranquility piece was relevant.
Was sad to read this post. Cancer and it’s treatment are a grind (and so are cancelers) – you, on the other hand, are an inspiration. I wish you strength, positivity and defiance.
Mark
(Remember the possessive is “its” not “it’s”.) Aren’t the cancelers ashamed of themselves? Thanks for your kind words.
can’t believe I just did that again
Surely, there must be a philosophy of cancelation and thus, a Philosopher of Cancelation. Maybe, when they themselves are finally cancelled, they can reflect on the stellar career of that great thinker Robespierre.
There is no philosophy of cancelation–it is a violent mindless act. Very American. Very murderous.
I thought of an irony. Actually, isn’t “cancellation” what we need? Cancellation of climate change. Cancellation of anthropogenic warming. Cancellation of the speciesism that’s causing other species to become cancelled. Cancellation of the widespread ignorance that’s one root cause? Cancellation of refusing to accept that yeah human population is a major problem. And cancellation of . . . hey, here’s an idea, heck, why don’t we just go all out and institute a National Ignorance Day? Isn’t ignorance practically a cause for celebration already?
All good causes. Maybe we should call it a National Anti-Ignorance Day, just in case we are misunderstood.
Yeah, I like that. That definitely sounds better! And it’s nice to see you’re working on songwriting again (your two recent blog posts). I just spent two days in my storage unit. Got a lot done. While moving boxes I noticed an op-ed I saved from the Times titled “How to Raise a Creative Child. Step One: Back Off.” One of the things I had circled was an Einstein quote: “The theory of relativity occurred to me by intuition, and music is the driving force behind this intuition.”
I’ve written some other songs recently but these two seemed worth airing. One wonders how music could lead to STR (which I have never accepted).
That’s interesting. I was wondering the same thing. Maybe Einstein was overzealous in expressing his love for music. Too bad he’s not around today. I think he’d so much prefer what’s available today, over what was available back then.
Being inspired by music does not increase my confidence in STR: how can music lead to physical truth?
Extremely sorry to read this. Insights, like many of yours, can’t be cancelled.
Oh, but they can try. I think I can say, given the evidence, that not one person who comments on this blog belongs to the philosophy profession in the USA. Are some of these still reading me in secret?