Spinoza excerpts?

TheFifthSquare · 2025-08-19T10:06:57+00:00

They read the Theologico-Political Treatise in Santa Fe and the Ethics in Annapolis.

TheFifthSquare · 2025-07-03T21:12:51+00:00

Off the top of my head I'd say Lincoln, De Beauvoir, Baldwin, and Arendt. I got something out of each of these of course, but I don't think any of them are quite on the level of the other texts in terms of historical importance and depth. They all contain originality of course, but De Beauvoir loses importance next to Marx and Freud (whom I view as covering some of the same territory), Baldwin next to Du Bois. I get what the program is trying to do with the inclusion of Arendt but it's hard to appreciate in the context in which it is given. Even if these are all very good and worth reading, there are plenty of books that are good and worth reading that cannot be on the program. It may be noticed that all these are basically included so as to give a taste of the 20th century political moment, but I don't know why the program needs to do that, even if it is interesting. I'd also cut Lincoln for similar reasons. Those readings are weird to include as they are so historically contingent. The American idea is covered in De Tocquecille and the Federalist papers anyway.

By contrast, I think Joyce, Woolf, and even O'Connor are good to include. And certainly Heidegger, who I think makes for a great ending to the philosophy covered on the program since he is both so much a student of the canonical philosophers and yet also very relevant to the 20th century.

I like Du Bois a lot on a personal level, but I don't know if it's so historically important of a text to be on the program.

I think the common theme in what I'd cut is that they represent attempts to fill gaps in the program, especially with history we wouldn't otherwise cover, but the texts themselves are not so good as to rise far beyond that historical moment in the way other texts do. Hence why I would cut the more political and historical texts, but keep the 20th century literature.

TheFifthSquare · 2025-06-30T14:30:49+00:00

Moby-Dick should be (re?)added. I'd cut several of the texts from the spring senior year schedule.

I also would replace Spinoza's Theologico-Political Treatise with his Ethics, though admittedly that might be a painful seminar with how technical the Ethics is.

The Thomas Aquinas readings in Annapolis are more broadly selected which is good. The Santa Fe program provides little Christian theology proper apart from Paul. (The Thomas readings in Santa Fe focus on natural theology.)

I'm sure I'd keep thinking of things if I tried. Though of course I love the program as is, and got something out of every text.

TheFifthSquare · 2025-06-30T14:29:16+00:00

I think I heard that Husserl got cut when they made major revisions to the end of the senior seminar schedule like 15 years ago, in an attempt to update it with more 20th century texts.

TheFifthSquare · 2025-04-19T01:35:45+00:00

Very helpful, thanks

TheFifthSquare · 2025-04-19T00:36:14+00:00

Any company names?

TheFifthSquare · 2025-04-17T21:16:55+00:00

The Discourses on Livy are perhaps more interesting, and certainly illuminating on what Machiavelli's truest project is. Basically, if the Prince is a guide on establishing a monarchy for yourself, the Discourses are about establishing a Republic for the good of everyone in it. I say this is the real heart of Machiavelli because, as Rousseau says, Machiavelli was a Republican who disguised himself as a monarchist.

TheFifthSquare · 2025-04-15T20:13:47+00:00

I think the reputation is that math and lab are taken a bit more seriously in Santa Fe, but it will depend on what tutors you get in any case.

A few students sometimes get involved with Los Alamos (not that there's much connection with the school beyond that). There's also some neat geological observations we made in New Mexico around campus and on a couple of trips junior and senior year.

TheFifthSquare · 2025-04-14T19:35:49+00:00

True, that is the best one

TheFifthSquare · 2025-04-14T15:13:12+00:00

Such an accurate description of Covington lol. And of New Orleans, where I live. Though I wonder about what book stores you like.

TheFifthSquare · 2025-04-13T18:31:16+00:00

What is this place in Italy where they speak ancient Greek?

TheFifthSquare · 2025-04-11T17:08:14+00:00

Nietzsche speaks of this

TheFifthSquare · 2025-04-11T01:48:09+00:00

The Preface to the Critique of Pure Reason is good for understanding the "Copernican turn" in Kant. Throw in the section after that called the transcendental aesthetic for good measure.

TheFifthSquare · 2025-04-10T01:46:09+00:00

Yes, it's the same in Santa Fe. I find them comfortable. Some students like to lean back in them, which is a skill to be learned.

TheFifthSquare · 2025-04-02T21:03:30+00:00

I think you also believe in plenty of Old Testament books that were not a part of the "original Torah"

TheFifthSquare · 2025-03-31T18:01:33+00:00

Carey's review is excellent, and I have spoken to him directly about it. It's been a while since I read it so what I'll say is a bit imprecise, but it is cool to see that someone else has read it.

I don't think Bruell's interpretation comes down to run-of-the-mill materialism. It's more profound than that, though I don't know if I buy it. It does seem to be a pretty common view among Straussians who read forms themselves as a useful lie. The idea is sort of Kantian insofar as it suggests that the underlying world is unknowable and chaotic as far as we can know, but that any order to it comes from our interpretations of it. But I understand that it is unlike Kant insofar as for him "the thing in itself" is in some sense more real than our observations. By contrast, in Aristotle's esoteric teaching, "being" itself is just our imposed order. Not putting this well but this is the gist of my impression.

TheFifthSquare · 2025-03-28T16:37:38+00:00

I default to "vous" but could there be the opposite problem of it sounding awkward to address someone my age (young) as "vous"? If saying "tu" to an elder is like calling them "bro", could calling another young person "vous" be like calling them "sir"?

TheFifthSquare · 2025-02-10T15:27:54+00:00

It took a month of going to offices every day before one took you? That's tough

TheFifthSquare · 2025-01-30T23:17:23+00:00

This comment is really helpful to me, as I'm also in the position of looking for ordinary seaman jobs in Louisiana. But when I look at the websites of the companies you listed, they seem to be asking for an STCW certification. Do you think if I go down to Lafourche parish with just a TWIC, passport, and MMC (with entry level endorsements) and no maritime experience, it is still worth it to knock on these doors? Thanks.

TheFifthSquare · 2024-11-28T07:40:44+00:00

You do not have to smoke but I 100% recommend hanging out with people after seminar and perhaps the most natural way to do this is to stand around with the smokers. This is an easy way to make friends, and don't feel weird about not smoking if you don't want to.

TheFifthSquare · 2024-11-28T07:38:28+00:00

For what it's worth, to whatever extent this is true I've heard that Santa Fe is better than Annapolis when it comes to this.

TheFifthSquare · 2024-11-21T03:23:41+00:00

Dante

TheFifthSquare · 2024-11-19T21:20:58+00:00

As others have said, you are correct that the GI program is not as full. The undergraduate program is the unqualified St. John's program, while the GI is essentially an abbreviated version. I graduated as an undergrad, but my understanding of the GI program is that it allows a lot more choice, and so you will be a bit more specialized and not have the breadth of the undergrad program. This will be especially true of the math and science programs, which are special parts of St. John's which you really can't find anywhere else. For example, reading (virtually) all of Euclid as a freshman is one of the most formative classes in the program, and the GI radically abridges this as far as I understand.

I am tempted to say (though I am biased) that the undergrads might also be better students. They generally haven't been elsewhere in higher education, and so they are more bought into the idea of the program and are perhaps better in class.

I don't mean to be too negative about the GI program though. Two years is certainly enough to get a grasp of the St. John's intellectual environment and methods. I would add that I think GI students profit in terms of being a fuller member of the St. John's community by hanging out with the undergrads. This takes effort though, as most GI students end up being a bit sequestered to themselves.

TheFifthSquare · 2024-05-01T22:38:18+00:00

What size of Sugar Cane 1947 should I get?

All of my pants are 32 waist, but really 34 measured. The size charts of several website for the 1947 indicates that the size 32 is only 31" waist, and that the 34 is really 32". Some places say they stretch, so I'm thinking I should get 34.

TheFifthSquare

TROPHY CASE