List, In an off-list note Fernando Zalamea, Philosopher and Historian of Mathematics at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogata wrote (omitting just the personal part of the message):
Hi Gary, [. . .] Very important text that you sent to the List. On my side, responding a little to your query, I will be participating in a beautiful initiative of a mathematical colleague (Mirna Dzamonja). See her page of a “Solidarity” conference: https://mdzamonja.wixsite.com/solidarityconference The schedule is not yet finished (22-26 June). Abstract of my Peircean presentation in image attached. Take much care, Fernando. The conference as a whole sounds most interesting. Here's Fernando's Abstract of the talk he'll be giving: Abstract: We will apply Peirce's Pragmatic(ist) Maxim and some tools of Category Theory to offer a differential/integral, local/global understanding of the "Solidarity" problem. "Time is not a renewable resource." gnox *Gary Richmond* *Philosophy and Critical Thinking* *Communication Studies* *LaGuardia College of the City University of New York* <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail> Virus-free. www.avg.com <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail> <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2> On Sat, Jun 13, 2020 at 4:03 PM Gary Richmond <gary.richm...@gmail.com> wrote: > List, > > In a recent op-ed piece titled "The End of College as We Knew It" ( > https://tinyurl.com/ybha8mhb), Frank Bruni reflects on something I've > been informally discussing with friends and colleagues now for years; > namely, that "A society without a grounding in ethics, self-reflection, > empathy and beauty is one that has lost its way” (Brian Rosenberg, recently > president > of Macalester College). It seems to me that this has happened in the > United States. > > It has long seemed to me that America today has largely abandoned what > might be called the normative trivium of aesthetics, ethics, and logic -- > Peirce's three Normative Sciences, *not* the classical trivium (for which > see Sister Miriam Joseph > <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sister_Miriam_Joseph>'s 2002 book, *The > Trivium: The Liberal Arts of Logic, Grammar, and Rhetoric*) that he > generalized to serve as the three branches of Logic as Semeiotic. > > This philosophical trivium points to the possible *application *of > Peirce's three Normative Sciences -- not their theoretical forms, but > rather their ordinary and potentially pragmatic guises as they appear in > life practice, including reflection and action upon what is beautiful in > art and nature, what is ethical in our behavior in the world, and how we > can apply 'critical commonsenseism' in our quotidian lives. Bruni writes: > "We need writers, philosophers, historians. They’ll be the ones to chart > the social, cultural and political challenges of this pandemic -- and of > all the other dynamics that have pushed the United States so harrowingly > close to the edge. In terms of restoring faith in the American project and > reseeding common ground, they’re beyond essential." > > Bruni's op-ed reflection came in part in response to a recent article by > Rosenberg in *The Chronicle of Higher Education*; see "How Should > Colleges Prepare for a Post-Pandemic World" ( > https://www.chronicle.com/article/How-Should-Colleges-Prepare/248507). > Rosenberg writes: “If one were to invent a crisis uniquely and > diabolically designed to undermine the foundations of traditional colleges > and universities, it might look very much like the current global > pandemic.” In a similar vein, Professor Andrew Belbanco, president of the > Teagle Foundation which gives as its purpose promoting the liberal arts, > writes: “This is not only a public health crisis and an economic crisis, > though Lord knows it’s both of those. It’s also a values crisis. It > raises all kinds of deep human questions: What are our responsibilities to > other people? Does representative democracy work? How do we get to a place > where something like bipartisanship could emerge again?” > > Commenting on the economic divide of the American university, Bruni notes > that "the already pronounced divide between richly endowed, largely > residential schools and more socioeconomically diverse ones that depend on > public funding grows wider as state and local governments face > unprecedented financial distress. A shrinking minority of students get a > boutique college experience. Then there’s everybody else." Gail Mellow, > former president of LaGuardia College of the City University of New York > (where I taught for decades before my retirement) is quoted as saying, “We > always knew that America was moving more and more toward very different > groups of people," to which Bruni adds, "that movement is only > accelerating." > > Confronting all this will undoubtedly be one of the great challenges that > America -- and for that matter, the world -- will have in the years and > decades to come. The question I pose is: Can Peirce's version of pragmatism > (or pragmaticism) -- which he also calls 'critical commonsenseism' -- > creatively contribute to these enormous challenges? And, if so, how? And > are there ways in which Peirce's philosophical trivium might help inform > the aesthetics, ethics, and critical thinking of the world as it emerges > from the coronavirus pandemic? If so, how? > > [Note: I have Bcc'd this post to several former members of this forum, a > few members who rarely if ever post but who have stayed in contact with me > offlist, and a few friends and colleagues who have not been members but who > may have an interest in this topic. Those who are not current members of > the forum may send your thoughts on the topic off-list to me letting me > know if I have your permission to post them.] > > Best, > > Gary > > "Time is not a renewable resource." gnox > > *Gary Richmond* > *Philosophy and Critical Thinking* > *Communication Studies* > *LaGuardia College of the City University of New York* > > > > > > > > <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail> > Virus-free. > www.avg.com > <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail> > <#m_-4378356152168921039_m_-6505866903895105155_m_-9081927209968332918_m_5630141949723053887_m_6790727069061782857_m_4445668067849967623_DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2> >
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