2010/09/07 Amsterdam
Arm
Alienation
Today I attended a symposium about my own work.
It was an alienating experience.
After the inaugural speech of professor Goud (his speech was about my work in relationship to Dostoevsky) a man with a moustache pinched me in my arm.
“You feel pretty honored, don’t you?”
I nodded.
He pinched harder.
I thought of the philosopher Kołakowski, who said that you have to be rather superficial in order to never think of yourself as a con man.
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15 comments 
Did the pinching of this man caused any bruises?
First a planned to go there, then i could not make it, now it looks like i missed some oakward funny scenery. It was also, or mostly, about religion as i understood it? When you do not believe you are alienated in between such a group maybe.
Dear Arnon, it was the only way to get your attention standing in the queue with my daughter and it was nice to get your attention indeed.
I attended. Talking about 'domestication of the author'. With subtle force dr Goud tried to drag you into the realm of Judeo-Christian Philosophy. He searched for underpinnings of your 'weltanschauung' only in that corner and tried to seduce you to assent.
Is this science?
Yes: science is essentially focused on reducing risk.
No: the scientific view needs a broader input than only the bird songs in your own back lawn.
Is this science?
Yes: science is essentially focused on reducing risk.
No: the scientific view needs a broader input than only the bird songs in your own back lawn.
Boeiende dag.
Voor mij was het gisteren zeer de moeite waard. Heb kort mijn ervaringen in mijn blog geschreven. Over het inzicht, de hoop (!) en toch weer de verwarring.http://www.josvanoosten.nl/2010/09/journalisten-is-de-wereld-werkelijk-zon.html
Zijn er ook leerstoelen over het thema 'schaamte'?
Arnon, bedankt.
Conning monkeys
In the end we all con ourselves about amost everything. How else could we live?Fascinating: in a few days the man on the photograph can reshape his moustache after his hairdo. Or he could reshape his hairdo the same way as his moustache. When he chooses to do the second Mieke could make a mask in the shape of his beautiful lips to be worn on his forehead.
Piet
You are very welcome.Hope vs. religion
It is of cource possible to have hope in a better future without being religious, but it does implicate that you have to take actions then, which is not true for a religious person.To Arnon
Would you advocate us , your loyal readers, the book that was the -'Anlass' for this symposium?Because I recently moved to Germany, I wasn't able to attend the symposium.
So far melancholy hasn't got the better hold of me.
Con man
Makes me think about Reve:"Ja, ik bén een acteur, ik bén een komediant, een charlatan en een clown. Maar de rol die ik speel, dat bén ik. En dat ik vanavond, en dat geloof ik in diepe ernst, niets gezegd heb wat ik eigenlijk niet heb gemeend."
Fjodor Michajlovitsj Dostojevski
Arnon,Do you by any chance mean Fjodor Michajlovitsj Dostojevski? (i by the way mention him in my first novel)
grote poppenspeler
It was a very interesting day , would have asked you the following question (but to shy): You wrote de mensheid zij geprezen 10 years ago, is your opinion about de mensheid still the same? Are we still marionets, and what about de grote poppenspeler?Pjötr
The inaugural speech of professor Goud.Robert
I guess so.[ Add comment ]
