I went in this afternoon to grade and to email, and to acquire the most recent episodes of Bleach … even though I’m still back in the mid-60s (and 126 is the newest subbed one out there).
As for grading, I had to comment upon oral projects (group and individual) and send those out; I needed to collect the “newspaper” that Melissa put together (hard copy), and I needed to give Sara and Derek a final chance to turn in late (that is: not turned in) papers. This way I can turn in grade some time tomorrow (Saturday the 19th; the last day to do so is the 25th, next Friday — and I’m leaving for N.Y. on the 26th).
Johannes mentioned — though I’d need to talk to Gideon to find out — that Gideon might not be returning in the fall … not teaching in the fall or such. “Not allowed” was the word used, but I have no idea what the facts actually are. As for me, if I don’t get a TAship I’ll have to pay tuition; with a lectureship I could afford to do that, as I would get “instate” I think … I just need to figure out what the tuition would be if I get no support. But if I get the “housing situation” figured out, I can just write this summer and not worry too much about what follows … really, it’s that diss hanging over my head that makes everything else worse. Whenever I want to do something, I have to think about the diss, which isn’t done. When I think about moving or a job, I have to think about that diss. It’s all about the dissertation, the monkey on the back.
Write write write … no more researching, that’s what they all tell me, but I keep finding things and new footnotes and I feel as if I keep finding new things, even if they’re only tangential, that I haven’t done a good enough job. Today I read a bit of Robert Norton’s book on Herder’s Aesthetics (and the Enlightenment — that’s more or less the title) and found a few references to Herder’s (and Kant’s) aesthetics in general, so they’ll just be transferred to my bibliography. But I also need to set limits.
The Philosophy chapter is mostly Kant, but will include some Hamann, I think, as a counter-balance, as well as Foucault as the modern theorist with whom I can set up my discussion of 18th-century analogy. Paracelsus will get mention, as will Athanasius Kircher … both very cool figures in their own way, and both predating my period by a hundred or more years (the former 16th century, the latter 17th century). I doubt I’ll have much room or reason to talk about Wolff or Leibniz, etc. … with Wolff, I could show how analogy was not a topic for him. The big idea is that 1) most claim that by the 18th century analogy is out of (philosophical) discourse and that 2) Kant was rather anti-analogy (see: critiques of Hamann and Herder), and 3) whereas there is a known sub-current of thought (Herder, Hamann) that was pro-analogy, it’s not a major trend, but 4) I plan to show that analogy plays a larger role, particularly in Kant’s aesthetics, than is usually presumed.
To do so I need to demonstrate this with regard to the 3rd Critique. Within the 3rd Critique I need to show the role of analogy. I can do this two ways: generally and specifically. The former I do by looking at analogy as an intermediary between induction and deduction, but this might be a weak argument, for it’s not really one that Kant makes; he uses “reflecting judgment,” whereas (later) Pierce talks about “abduction,” but I think analogy provides another “solution.” Goethe’s interesting in the “specific” and analogical would play a role, but probably in a later chapter only. Specifically I use the 57th or 59th section and the argument about the beautiful as a symbol of the moral good, for the reasoning relies on a complex analogy or two. And then there is the question of the 3rd Critique as analogous to the other two, not so much in internal content but in terms of form or purpose.
But in terms of “analogous” structures or formulations, the big one to deal with is “purposefulness without purpose” and similar phrases; it appears that a ‘negative’ analog of sorts is being built in order to avoid another possibility. That is, aesthetics is like ethics, but for one element. This is actually a sort of break down of analogy; the two only seem to be the same, but whereas one has “purpose” or a “telos,” the other only has the illusion of that telos — purposefulness. That’s to say, a system is a formal whole consisting of elements and relations between those elements, but “meaning” and “purpose” are external to the system; aesthetics is a system but the formal level, in its structure and perfection, gives the illusion of meaning. This is a fascinating approach, but it takes me away from “analogy” … but I somehow find it very important.
Enough diss talk for now. I avoided talking about it this evening.
Kim was once my student and I met her in the winter/spring of 2001 when she was my student in German 204 before a case of mono caused her to drop. Fast-forward to 2005 and she took my 225 course, and I went with her and Laura and Corina to see the excellent “Kontroll.” Then we saw each other briefly in February of 2006 in Berlin. On Dec. 18 she defended, and today she walked, and afterward at her adviser’s house she had a graduation party. Next Friday she’s flying to Munich to live with her boyfriend.
At Bob’s (the adviser’s) house I met Kim’s father, Frank, her mother (whose name I’ve forgotten) and numerous Geography folks and their non-geography spouses, as well as Nadine (I think it is) from History and her husband from Library Science(s). Several hamburgers and brats were consumed, as was 4-bean salad, pasta salad, and beer, wine, and champagne. I doubt Hans would throw a similar party for me.
I’m finishing up Soundgarden … much of which is great and much of which is almost too generic, loud 90s Seattle music. There are hits and then there is filler, and I find a lot of filler.
Before heading to Kim’s party I stopped by Trader Joe’s — I hadn’t yet been to the Madison one, even though Leslie and I had coffee across the street from it in early November. They had “2 Buck Chuck” available (3 Buck Chuck here — $2.99) so I bought to bottles — one for me, and one for Kim. I also got a canvas bag … my one from Marbach is wearing out. So now I have three total. Or “tote-al” … hee hee.
