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Wednesday, August 31, 2016

The Philosophy Class: Looking for Spinoza


By Gemma Cleanslate


I went over to Wainscot to register for the new year of classes at Professor Bergson’s lecture hall. I have been attending classes here for nine years. Sigh. I just can’t seem to graduate. There have been 614 lectures since the institution of the classes each year in Second Life and there have been 14 projects since the class began in 2009, September. The past lectures can all be found on line if you would like to see all the themes we have completed and talked about. http://thephilosophyclass.blogspot.com/
 I have not attended all the classes but they are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays like clockwork, with the exception of holidays . All are invited to check out the classes and join in on the lectures. Professor presents and then we discuss, sometimes vigorously and sometimes wandering off the subject but are quickly drawn back.
This year the professor, as usual, has a new and intriguing theme for us to delve into.
“In 2003 the famous neuroscientist Antonio Damasio published a book with the title: 'Looking for Spinoza - Joy, Sorrow and the Feeling Brain' The Dutch translation of the book got a rather more ambitious title:
"'Het Gelijk van Spinoza - Vreugde, Verdriet en het voelend brein' which could be translated as 'Spinoza was right - Joy, Sorrow and the Feeling Brain.'
"In this project we'll investigate what Damasio meant and how a philosopher, born in 1632, can contribute to our modern neuroscientific insights.
"But first we'll learn how the philosophical ideas of someone who lived more than 380 years ago are still controversial and closely related to our present situation. “
We will hope to see you in the lecture hall on the opening day, the first of September, Thursday at 1:00 http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Wainscot/204/195/38

Gemma Cleanslate

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