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Friday, July 17, 2020

Enigmatic Evolution of Pragmatic and Interpretive Philosophies

Let's begin with a couple Normaphotos, which she titled "His and Her Groceries." During this quarantined time, she orders comestibles from our corner store, which I pick up at their loading dock. All I do is pop the trunk and let them earn their pay. Norma checks the garden first and reaps much of the "hers" part.
Then we collaborate on the "his" part and I go get it.
I built that table 40+ years ago after Norma, kids and I repeatedly dined in a Refectory. The tabletops were inset with ceramic Mexican tiles, and that looked practical to me. So we hunted around and found them at Pier One Imports. The rest is local pine with teak stain. By and by we outgrew the thing but it serves still in the back porch. There is a practical logic (set hot stuff on ceramic instead of wood) to it and an abstract principle --I liked how it looked-- which of course brought the James brothers to mind.

William James was a psychologist, paranormalist  and pragmatic philosopher. His brother, Henry James, was a writer who focused upon the mind in moral dilemma. When they were little they had an argument:
Wm.: Life is based on practical logic.
Hen.: Nuh uhh!
Wm.: What then?
Hen,: Abstract principles.
Wm: Nuh uhh!
Hen.: Yuh Huhh!

The rest is history. Other  James brothers went west to investigate more fungible philosophies, like bank and train robberies. Jesse got his brains blown out by a trusted gangster named Bob (it happens sometimes). Then Frank James quit the band to live to a ripe old age. I have no idea what all this has to do with philosophy and let that be a lesson to you.

42 comments:

  1. Okay. I have learned my lesson for today.

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    1. Dear Emma, Most kind. My lessons are often more convoluted than my reason, a principle which philosophy may someday correct.

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  2. But that dirty little coward
    That shot Mr. Howard
    Has laid poor Jesse in his grave.

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    1. Oh dear Bruce, you've doubtless heard the song. I think Woody Guthrie recorded it --My Aunt taught Guthries in Okfuskee, Ok. when the family lived there-- but the song was apparently around in the 1920s. I'd be interested in who composed it.

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  3. Practical logic makes a much better table, and grocery list. Abstract principles will usually choose you a better wine. A bit and not too much of both gets my Yah Huhh xx

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    1. Yah Huhh from me too, dear Lisa. I see you are no stranger to the finer points of philosophical discussion.

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  4. Those veggies look delicious, but I'm not a wine drinker. Now if it had been an amber ale...I like those tiles and they seem practical.

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    1. Dear Margaret, veggies and fruit are among the most naturally photogenic foods. Wine and ale are both great sources of vitamins. Win-win!

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  5. That is a lovely table and I'm glad it is still proving its usefulness to you. Nice garden haul! Delicious and nutritious and glorious!

    I'm gladder than ever that I never took a philosophy course, Geo. I'm still trying to straighten out the kinks in my brain from reading your post! hah

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    1. 0_Jenny, thank you. I never took a philosophy course either, but have collected 3 shelves of excellent philosophical works for the dining room --from Socrates To Sartre(Stumph) to Eliade's History of Religious Ideas Vol.s 1,2&3 and many others. All of which helped me to unkink to a higher level of kinks from which I have not yet unkinked myself. No rush.

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  6. Hi Geo. I notice your post isn't getting much comment. Maybe it's the title at fault --pedantic much? --Sven

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    1. Good to hear from you, Sven! Could be, as you say, the title. You got me looking at it and I must agree, it is a 20-jointed Godless serpent of a title. Minor problem. What I haven't got news about was President Trump's attempts last summer at buying your district (Greenland) of Denmark for his own purposes --which are bound to be ugly. All I can suggest is, don't say "sorry but no". It's never a good idea to respond to an insult with an apology. "No" should suffice.

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  7. Well that is the kind of dinner that I would enjoy. That is a lovely haul from the garden and a lovely red to go along with those pretty veggies. Don’t you love, “pop the trunk” shopping?

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    1. Thanks, dear Arleen. Yes, I really like phone shopping --I mean, I'm glad Norma can do it, I'm ignorant-- then I drive us 4 miles to a loading dock. Young workers swarm waiting cars and we're out of there in 5 minutes. Keeps people in jobs and makes shopping safer and easier.

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  8. Abstract thinking NOT abstract painting PLEASE!!!!.....too much like a dogs breakfast lol. That is a lovely little table and so practical.

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    1. Dear Delores, in the late 1960s I became friends with an abstract sculptor (Bob Leach) whose work was stunningly well-crafted and beautiful. I asked why he no longer painted and he answered,"Geo., too often my (mixing) pallet was more interesting than my canvas." I learned from the best.

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  9. I would happily grab those grape tomatoes by the handful.

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    1. We'd have to share, dear Squid. Those little orbs are so full of flavor, a referee might help too.

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    2. I love tomatoes as I love few things! Those peppers and cukes look nice, too. Summer is wonderful.

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    3. So far so good, Squid. We proceed into autumn!

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    4. The summer harvest isn't quite as exciting here, at least not for me.

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    5. Sorry, I meant the autumn harvest!

      We will get apples - a good thing for pie season. But the time for tomatoes is right now. Few things are more exciting than in-season tomatoes!

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    6. When I was a teenager, I liked the autumn harvest --mostly hops here-- because we got 2 or 3 weeks off school for working it. Yes, I am a hick.

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    7. Hops! Well, I can't deny that I love my beer...

      Quick aside: hops farmers were subsidized by the federal government during Prohibition. It truly only has one use. It's not a feed crop. Without that subsidy, the beer industry might not have survived.

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    8. Life without beer? What an awful idea! I'm just glad our school district superintendent understood the need to pardon our truancy.

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  10. Well, it is a good lesson. And there is history too, plus good photos.

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    1. Dear Tom, thanks --from Norma too; read your comment on photos to her.

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  11. Been hesitant to comment on this one; I'm not a Henry James fan, or his philosophy etched out in his writings.
    But, regardless, I'm here in the Seattle 'heat' (it's 77), waiting like all of us for this to be suddenly a bad dream.
    Hope you and Norma are well, we had a scare a few weeks ago when my youngest's partner got exposed at work....we all got tested, mine took 12 (!) days for results, negative.

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    1. Dear Mike, sorry to hear you had a scare but glad you're ok. Norma does video-calls with the kids. I don't know how to, but I get behind her and wave to the screen. I'll be happy when the "bad dream" is over and I can hug them again.

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  12. The tomatoes are gone in my garden. But man, am I getting okra, which is something I'm sure the descendants of those older James love. Fried okra (that's not caked in bread like you get in the store and cooked in a seasoned cast iron pan) is something I'm sure the modern James Gang (if a 70s southern rock group is modern) would enjoy.

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    1. Ah Jeff, I remember the musical James Gang (Walsh, Fox, Kriss) from the late '60s even. A very versatile and adaptive band that lasted quite a while. The earlier and less musical James Gang was also strangely adaptable, clear to the James-Younger Gang targeted in the Northfield, Minnesota Raid in the 1870s. Cole Younger got captured with eleven bullets in him, but survived 40 more years until 1916. Who knows how long he could've lasted without that annoyance.

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  13. A lesson learned, Geo!!😉
    I'm rather embarrassed to say I had never heard of the James brothers...so this has been an interesting read. Many thanks for that.😊😊
    Those tomatoes look really yummy too!

    Have a great day...and stay safe.👍

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    1. Dear Ygraine, Thank you! There may be some generalizations in my genealogy of the James Gang. Here in the Wild West we no longer settle factual errors with pistols --well sometimes, but I sure don't. I prefer philosophy and tomatoes.

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  14. I love that table top...you have much talent Geo. But what really is sweet is that summer bounty!!!!!! One of my favorite summer delights is fresh tomato sliced with mozzarella and drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette and fresh herbs. And I love me some cucumber and onion salad.

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    1. Dear Maddie, thank you! I perceive our summer culinary interests are along similar lines.

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  15. I think all bad guys are named Bob or Bill or Jack or Don...I made those up..but they are 3 xhusbands and the asshole..so makes sense.

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    1. Dear delightful Jackiesue. I have relatives named Bob, Bill, Jack and Don, and they're ok, but for all the ones named Asshole I pretend I'm not at home. Good thing too!

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    1. What a kind and happy comment. Thank you!

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  17. The his and her grocery choices might well be called “our” grocery choices, sadly we have no garden bounty without a garden now, but grocery stores and farmers markets abound in veggie bounty now. The Woodbridge brand is also one of our choices.

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    1. My greetings and thanks, Beatrice. Fresh veggies and local wines are staples of summer now. Whereas, 50,60 years ago travel and exertion were also involved. As you say, markets and vintners abound. It's time to relax and enjoy their efforts.

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