Slog - Comments on The Point of it All http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_point_of_it_all My past obsession with Jorge Luis Borges (between 93 and 97)... ...is matched, in quality/intensity, only by my current obsession with Spinoza, particularly his short book The Ethics, and more particularly, the chapter titled "On The Mind," and even more particularly, the early passages on the memory and the body. It is to the genius of their creators that "The Aleph" and The Ethics owe their liberation from the low status of creations. Because the minds of the writers wanted to mirror the mind of creation, these works do not appear to be works, works that are mere fabrications, but,... Copyright 2008 Sun, 30 Mar 2008 12:40:39 -0800 Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:14:50 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by el I have the same birthday as Spinoza, a thought that (as a hack philosopher) always makes me pretty happy. God forbid I share a birthday with Zizek or Sartre or someone really depressing like Ayn Rand.

]]> el http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_point_of_it_all#c985804 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_point_of_it_all#c985804 Books Sun, 30 Mar 2008 11:48:05 -0800 Comment by bob There's a Spinoza statue in Den Hauge, the Netherlands. It sits a block outside the Red Light District, I wonder what he'd have to say about that?

]]> bob http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_point_of_it_all#c985810 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_point_of_it_all#c985810 Books Sun, 30 Mar 2008 12:16:55 -0800 Comment by Lesley Hazleton Thanks, Charles -- beautiful way to start the day. -- Lesley

]]> Lesley Hazleton http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_point_of_it_all#c986045 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_point_of_it_all#c986045 Books Mon, 31 Mar 2008 08:42:29 -0800 Comment by cressona To concur with Lesley @3, this was a beautiful post. And it would have been a beautiful post even if it didn't mention the great Borges. (I'd also say "the great Spinoza," but I'm not enough of a student of philosophy to attest to the greatness of Spinoza.)

]]> cressona http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_point_of_it_all#c986056 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_point_of_it_all#c986056 Books Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:04:57 -0800 Comment by el @4

just for the record, he is a Great Philosopher. in that funny way that you always respect the master's, it takes a long time sifting through to honor someone who is just genuinely good at his job (not flashy, not controversial, not cool for the kids). he's genuinely good.

]]> el http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_point_of_it_all#c986209 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/the_point_of_it_all#c986209 Books Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:14:50 -0800