Now Reading Thread

[Justin S.]

1) "Introduction To Metaphysics" – [Heidegger]

His What is Metaphysics? is only 17 pages, but it is unbelievably good- much more energetic, and much less "academic" than the "Introduction" which was a lecture series (by that I mean it avoids lengthy systematic analyses of Greek etymology and descriptive historical accounts of metaphysics, etc.). For someone who has not read a lot of Heidegger I think What is Metaphysics? is a much more representative read, and its absolutely charged with tension- it dives right into anxiety, nihilism, and the nothing itself (which is no "thing").

In fact, I plead with everyone on this board to read it- I think it is that remarkable. It can be found in the Basic Writings compilation.

 

[derbeder]

Rereading Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations sections 143-203.

Many of Heidegger's texts for lecture courses have been published (by Indiana University Press), and reading some of the lectures from the late 20s helps one get a better understanding of some of what's going on in parts of Being and Time and Kant and the Problem of Metaphysics (which comprises of material from the unpublished parts of Being and Time). Two of the most important published lectures are The Basic Problems of Phenomenology and Phenomenological Interpretation of Kant's Critique of Pure Reason. Heidegger uses a somewhat easier language and elaborates some of the points he wants to make in a little more detail than he does elsewhere. These two books are highly recommended to anyone who wants to study Heidegger's early thought closely.

 

[charles_dexter_ward]

I find Discipline and Punish to be a great introduction to Foucault's lexicon and way of thinking. Madness and Civilization is also a good place to start.

Thanks, I'll get at least one of those over the coming days. While I'm here, I may as well ask where's best to start with Hegel as well?

I'm reading Perdido Street Station by China Mieville.

Enjoy - he's one of the most imaginative, thought-provoking science fiction writers of recent times.

 

[OldScratch]

His What is Metaphysics? is only 17 pages, but it is unbelievably good- much more energetic, and much less "academic" than the "Introduction" which was a lecture series (by that I mean it avoids lengthy systematic analyses of Greek etymology and descriptive historical accounts of metaphysics, etc.). For someone who has not read a lot of Heidegger I think What is Metaphysics? is a much more representative read, and its absolutely charged with tension- it dives right into anxiety, nihilism, and the nothing itself (which is no "thing").

In fact, I plead with everyone on this board to read it- I think it is that remarkable. It can be found in the Basic Writings compilation.

I surely will check it out, thanks. I have also picked up "What is Called Thinking" which is a lecture series as well - but haven't done more than skim through it.

 

[Justin S.]

I'm currently reading:

Writing and Difference- Derrida

Mindfulness- Heidegger (also re-reading some essays due to my discussion with Nile577 in Cythraul's art thread)

Some articles and papers by John Mearsheimer (He is a prof. at the U. of C. and published a paper this past year on the "Israel Lobby" which sparked quite a (ironic) controversy.)

Also, I'm working on my German.

 

[Cythraul]

Just finished:

Truth: A Guide by Simon Blackburn

The Logic of Scientific Discovery by Karl Popper

Symbolic Logic by Irving Copi

The Blackburn book is a really good introduction to the debate concerning anti-realism and realism about truth. It's also very accessible and the topic is interesting (and important). I recommend it highly. The Popper book is mandatory reading for anyone interested in philosophy of science. I don't know why it took me so long to get around to reading it. I'm not really reading the symbolic logic book; I'm just doing the problems and exercises. That's just a nerdy interest of mine.

 

[Pecador]

I'm reading,Digital fortress by Dan brown

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time"(O estranho caso do cachorro morto) by Mark haddon

 

[derek]

Haddon done something quite interesting with that book. I don't feel the need to laud it as much as some but the narrative takes an interesting stance.

As far as Dan Brown goes, shame on you!.

Just finished: Akunin's latest and now reading Pirsig's Lila and a collection of essays on Nazi historiography.

 

[speed]

As far as Dan Brown goes, shame on you!.

Dan Brown is like a Reagan-inspired pop military fiction writer, correct?

Finished Martin Amis' Time's Arrow, sadly the last piece of Amis fiction I had not read. Of course it was amazing. The story is essentially the backwards tale (written in like 1989, or 90; the first backwards tale I know of) of one Tod Friendly, told by his doppelganger or alter-ego who experiences time backwards. The prose is also as perfect as the form:almost Beckett-ian or Joycean with the Amis-like flourish, and constant but not obvious hints to the narrators strange situation. And of course, in this Nabokovian romp, humor abounds despite a very serious topic (escape from the Holocaust--as a Nazi Doctor at Auschwitz, and the horrors of American life), which is perhaps, the weak link of the book--this overt serious topic.

 

[Arthyron]

Kull the Atlantean -- Robert E. Howard (an anthology of all stories, drafts, and fragments of Howard's character Kull, which predates his most famous character Conan)

Miracles -- C.S. Lewis

 

[Έρεβος]

Basic Writings of Nietzsche, by guess who - Freddy Nietzsche!

 

[derbeder]

rereading
Michael Dummett - Frege: Philosophy of Langauge
Peter Simons - Parts: A Study in Ontology
Jon Barwise & Lawrence Moss - Vicious Circles: On the Mathematics of Non-Wellfounded Phenomena
Herman Cappelen & Ernie Lepore - Insensitive Semantics

 

[|ngenius]

Books I'm currently reading are Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver, (Historical fiction set in the 17th century, written by a sci-fi author) and 100 Essential Thinkers.

I bought "Quicksilver" and I simply can't dig it. I found it quite unrealistic and pretentious, not achieving to convince of these facts actually taking place.

As for readings, I'm into "Fear's Anatomy" by José Antonio Marina, very interesting dissection of the very nature of fears, and I also bought the autobiographical "Quadern Gris" ("The Grey Notebook") by catalan author Josep Pla.

More to come...

|ng.

 

[Blowtus]

Yeah, I didn't finish Quicksilver myself. The blurred lines between fiction and history was a little annoying, I found it interesting in general, but not worth the effort required. I kept finding other things to read.

 

[speed]

Ahem, calling Infoterror...


Have you perhaps read White Noise by DeLillo?

Also, considering your considerable love for Naked Lunch, I read The Blue Movie by Terry Southern. Surely you know Terry Southern? Anyway, it strikes me as a Naked Lunch lite pornographic sendup of Hollywood, rather than all of modern society.

 

[Έρεβος]

Thus Spoke Zarathustra

 

[s_a_o]

Devil in the White City.

 

[Iron Chef Sakai]

Cell, Stephen King

 

[derbeder]

David Woodruff Smith - Husserl
Christopher Peacocke - A Theory of Concepts
Paul Boghossian and Christopher Peacocke (eds.) - New Essays on the A Priori
Augustin Rayo and Gabriel Uzquiano (eds.) - Absolute Generality

 

[Blowtus]

Tolstoy's 'Anna Karenina' - At first the idea of reading a translation put me off, but I'm finding it great.
The Essential Dalai Lama - definately an interesting and valuable worldview to understand, imho.