Bram’s Reviews > The History of Western Philosophy > Status Update

Never read this but I've heard from seasoned philosophy folk that it's highly overrated. I read the section on Nietzsche once and as a big Nietzsche buff found it to mostly be full of shit. It made me wonder if Russell had actually read Nietzsche or just skimmed the cliffnotes.

And if the section on the Pre-Socratics wasn't interesting I suspect he did it wrong, because I think those guys are pretty fascinating, mainly in a historical sense. They were the world's first scientists, really.

I love the Pre-Socratics! Esp. the Epicureans - those cats knew how to party responsibly. (I'm being glib, but I really do love them.)

Cross-post! Yeah, any book that makes those old schools sound boring is making a mistake. Philosophy makes me break out in a rash all over my body - seriously, I have an ointment from my doctor and everything - but I totally love reading about those weird, early philosophers.

Epicurus and Lucretius (especially Lucretius) are the coolest ancient Greeks/Romans in my opinion. Lucretius' On The Nature of the Universe is one of the most beautiful pieces of writing I've ever laid my eyes on. Poetic, philosophical, prescient in its knowledge of the natural world. So good.

My intro to philosophy (proper) was through this book (written by a Continental philosopher/Nietzsche scholar of the best sort):

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31...

MFSO wrote: Epicurus and Lucretius (especially Lucretius) are the coolest ancient Greeks/Romans in my opinion.

Amen, brother.

Ceridwen wrote: "I love the Pre-Socratics! Esp. the Epicureans - those cats knew how to party responsibly. (I'm being glib, but I really do love them.)"

This was my intro to those old weirdos:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13...

Yeah, Russell's bias is nakedly abundant, which has its downside (no objective analysis) and upside (at least I know to take everything with a grain of salt up front...so I'm not being unconsciously biased).

I'm going ahead with this anyway (for now) due to my utter lack of philosophy knowledge and experience. If nothing else, this seems to be a good way to get interested in checking out the works of individual philosophers (I'm beginning with Plato) and to see how some ideas evolved (or didn't) over time.

A few months ago I was looking into various possibilities for a philosophy crash-course and this seemed to be the best bet, flaws and all. (If you guys have better ideas, let me know!).

If you give up on it, take a look at the Robert Solomon book I linked in Message 6. It's shorter and covers the same ground and covers it very well.

It is downside. This is why I need to educated myself.

Re 10: Yeah, I've got a real soft spot for Solomon which started with Waking Life (though I'd read the book beforehand but didn't make the connection 'till years later). I was eyeing the graduate program while down in Austin (where he taught) and found out he'd just died unexpectedly in Zurich. I've listened to his lectures on existentialism and literature as well. He was a wonderful Nietzsche scholar. What Nietzsche Really Said was great (because I agreed with it).

The weirdest thing happened to me a few days ago: I suddenly have no interest in fiction. I haven't touched the novels I'm reading since Friday.

Bram wrote: "The weirdest thing happened to me a few days ago: I suddenly have no interest in fiction. I haven't touched the novels I'm reading since Friday."

I think we're having a Freaky Friday thing, Bram. Because very recently I've stopped reading nonfiction and have really been enjoying fiction. Just yesterday I was telling a friend that I've been really enjoying fiction again. Spoooooooky!

Relieving to hear that. I've been on a fiction-dominated diet for quite some time.

MyFleshSingsOut wrote: "Bram wrote: "The weirdest thing happened to me a few days ago: I suddenly have no interest in fiction. I haven't touched the novels I'm reading since Friday."

I think we're having a Freaky Friday..."

Whoa, that is weird. And now that you mention it, I have noticed your sudden increase in fiction interest. Very nice Carver review, by the way.

David wrote: "I read part of this book. It just felt like Russell has an ax to grind with all non-analytic philosophers. And of course he probably does. (Not being a fan of Anglo-American analytic philosophy, I ..."

I feel I should mention that the seasoned philosophy folk I mention above who don't like this book are highly partisan analytic philosopher types who have no interest in anything non-analytic. I don't know what this means, I just feel like pointing it out.

Bram wrote: "The weirdest thing happened to me a few days ago: I suddenly have no interest in fiction. I haven't touched the novels I'm reading since Friday. "

That happens to me about twice a year, Bram. It gives you a chance to catch up on the non fiction list.

Re 20: Thanks, Bram.

(I feel really, uh, like uncultured, by the fact that I can't stop hearing your name in my mind's ear pronounced as if it rhymes with "ham" instead of being pronounced as if it's the singular version of "Brahms." I'm trying to overcome this...)

I can't stop hearing your name in my mind's ear pronounced as if it rhymes with "ham"

Oof, this was how I was pronouncing Bram. Will now correct.

Or am I wrong? I thought I saw him correct someone in a thread about the pronunciation...?

For some reason it's impossible for me to say my name that way (rhyming with ham) without affecting a harsh, exaggerated Southern accent.

Bram wrote: "For some reason it's impossible for me to say my name that way (rhyming with ham) without affecting a harsh, exaggerated Southern accent. "

For some reason I can hear it perfectly well in a thick Boston, New Jersey or New York accent.

David can also perfectly pronounce my last name. This gives me stomach butterflies--a feeling I'd rather not dwell upon too much.

MyFleshSingsOut wrote: "Bram wrote: "For some reason it's impossible for me to say my name that way (rhyming with ham) without affecting a harsh, exaggerated Southern accent. "

For some reason I can hear it perfectly we..."

I had a basketball coach from Jersey who claimed he couldn't say my name as anything other than Bram (rhymes with ham) because of his accent. (I'm not sure that I believe him).

You can probably find pictures of Brohm/Bram in Town and Country Magazine.

I'm serious by the way, page 275, latest issue.

I hope I'm decent.

Bram is the second-coolest/unusual first name I've encountered. First place has to go to my best friend since childhood: Hupp.

Bram wrote: "I hope I'm decent. "

If you, you were resplendent. I'll have to go to library to make certain.

Hupp is a very cool name. I think it's always kind of surprising to find unusual, one-syllable names. You'd think they'd all be used up.

I like the fact that his last name is a completely plain name, too: Smith. It's a great balance. Smith is like the John Doe of last names. Although he also has an unusual middle name which throws off the balance in a good way: Purnell.

Whis-pell-way?

Close! In practice, it's usually said Whis-puhl-way (probably because it's quicker--you'll notice that saying "pell" doesn't allow for rapid pronunciation). I think it's maybe more like that upside-down 'e' (schwa?) than the 'e' in "pell".

Co-WALL-skee

Whiz-pull-away.

You'd be surprised how often I hear Whipple-swee as a serious pronunciation attempt.

Bram wrote: "Close! In practice, it's usually said Whis-puhl-way (probably because it's quicker--you'll notice that saying "pell" doesn't allow for rapid pronunciation). I think it's maybe more like that upsi..."

The American tongue is quite lazy. Or as DFW would have it, efficient.

Ha, exactly. You actually got me thinking about whether the "correct" pronunciation of my name has only become "correct" due to laziness. Maybe I'm saying it wrong.

Bram wrote: "Maybe I'm saying it wrong."

Ha! This is the philosophical position known as epistemic (Pyrrhonian) skepticism.

Haha, awesome--I haven't gotten there yet.

Pyrrhonian Skepticism = skepticism that eats itself. Or does it...??

I am absolutely against Bram eating himself.