Electric Agora (archive)

Tag: Literature

  • Wandering thoughts about aesthetics

    by E. John Winner ___ Tits and ass A short while ago, I made a rather incongruously crude remark in reply to a comment concerning the enjoyment of paintings of nude women: “Let’s face it, art often comes down to the desires of the consuming patrons. I particularly enjoy Titian’s tits and ass.”  I thought…

  • Endgame

    E. John Winner ___ This essay is a response generally to an article Dan Kaufman posted here at EA [https://theelectricagora.com/2021/10/14/some-cranky-thoughts-on-philosophers/], and in some ways also to some implications embedded in comments on that article by Robert Gressis, which extend the problems Dan noted beyond philosophy departments to include the whole of the Humanities and even…

  • Imagination Under Threat: New Constraints on Literature and Acting

    by Miroslav Imbrišević ‘The man who has no imagination has no wings.’ –Muhammad Ali ___ A new paradigm has emerged in literature and acting. Imagination and artistic ability are suspect unless they are accompanied by personal experience. This is the latest prescription in the arts. Social justice activists demand authenticity, if the art in question…

  • Confessions of an Amateur Philosopher

    by Scott F. Parker After reading Daniel Kaufman’s essay “The Decline and Rebirth of Philosophy,” I found myself wondering what exactly philosophy offers those of us who are not professional philosophers and, specifically, what it has given me. Responding to these questions has entailed reflecting on my views and my case as one example of…

  • Theory and Practice

    by Mark English ____ Disruptions to business as usual, such as we have been experiencing in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, inevitably raise questions regarding which activities are essential or important for a good or fulfilling life, and which may be happily dispensed with. Answers to such questions will, of course, often be very…