Philosophers bring discussion down to earth
By: Laurie Vordtreide/Contributing Writer
Issue date: 9/23/04 Section: Culture
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McKenna also said the beef eaten in the United States causes the same problems. The cows live in terrible conditions before being slaughtered. Meat is often contaminated in the slaughter and transfer. She said about 5 million Americans a year die of E. coli poisoning, partly because most inspections are only visual.
Vincent Colapietro of Pennsylvania State University, discussed the complications of human experience due to the complex psyche. He argued that the convoluted human spirit is not in itself evidence of a social problem, but "the inevitable outcome of the complex shape assumed by the human psyche in the ongoing course of its experiential career, or its transactions with natural and social conditions."
Colapietro said that society's failure to appreciate the significance of its own misunderstood spirit is connected to many of today's social problems.
Shannon Sullivan of Pennsylvania State University, cited French psychoanalyst Jean Laplanche to explain how race and racism can act unconsciously. She said Laplanche's theory can be used pragmatically to examine the ways a "racialized white psyche that is ignorant of its own racialized knowledge is formed and might be reformed differently."
During the panel discussion that followed, the professors were asked what could philosophy do to contribute to today's troubled society.
"People are waking up to the fact that philosophy is working in their lives. It's why they think the way they think," McKenna said.
Colapietro preferred to call philosophy "cultural therapy" instead.
"I think philosophy might be mistaken as merely institutionalized discourse," Colapietro said.
Morse said the intent of the conference was to focus on universal human issues and not just rare idiosyncrasies suffered by a handful of people.
"Philosophy is a discipline that unfortunately too often remains abstract and aloof from everyday life," he said. "In this conference, as in the Webster Philosophy Department in general, we can see another kind of philosophy at work-philosophy that responds to the kinds of troubles we face in everyday life and that offers itself as a powerful resource for dealing with these troubles."
Vincent Colapietro of Pennsylvania State University, discussed the complications of human experience due to the complex psyche. He argued that the convoluted human spirit is not in itself evidence of a social problem, but "the inevitable outcome of the complex shape assumed by the human psyche in the ongoing course of its experiential career, or its transactions with natural and social conditions."
Colapietro said that society's failure to appreciate the significance of its own misunderstood spirit is connected to many of today's social problems.
Shannon Sullivan of Pennsylvania State University, cited French psychoanalyst Jean Laplanche to explain how race and racism can act unconsciously. She said Laplanche's theory can be used pragmatically to examine the ways a "racialized white psyche that is ignorant of its own racialized knowledge is formed and might be reformed differently."
During the panel discussion that followed, the professors were asked what could philosophy do to contribute to today's troubled society.
"People are waking up to the fact that philosophy is working in their lives. It's why they think the way they think," McKenna said.
Colapietro preferred to call philosophy "cultural therapy" instead.
"I think philosophy might be mistaken as merely institutionalized discourse," Colapietro said.
Morse said the intent of the conference was to focus on universal human issues and not just rare idiosyncrasies suffered by a handful of people.
"Philosophy is a discipline that unfortunately too often remains abstract and aloof from everyday life," he said. "In this conference, as in the Webster Philosophy Department in general, we can see another kind of philosophy at work-philosophy that responds to the kinds of troubles we face in everyday life and that offers itself as a powerful resource for dealing with these troubles."
