Reading Roundup
- Posted by Andrew Bailey on Sunday, December 11, 2005 at 8:36 AM
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2 Comments |
As the end of the year approaches, I’ve reflected on the many books, articles, and short stories I read this year; and there are a lot of them. Here are three favorites from three categories (things I’d already read don’t count):
Philosophy (books):
• The Metaphysics of Theism, by Norman Kretzmann. A detailed commentary on Book I of Thomas Aquinas' Summa Contra Gentiles, an often neglected exercise in natural theology. Kretzmann was a fine philosopher in his own right, but through him, I gained a much deeper appreciation for the Thomistic project. Thomas has a vision of what natural theology can do, and it is far thicker than that espoused by any contemporary apologists. Worth reading for both historical ('what did Thomas think?') and purely philosophical reasons ('what is the truth of the matter about kinesis?').
• Fashionable Nihilism, by Bruce Wilshire. A sometimes gripping tirade against the professionalization of the oldest academic discipline (especially for the first two essays in the volume). Every once in a while (though not often), Wilshire is right on—and for these jewels of insight, the book is worth reading. In his less veridical moments, Wilshire still entertains with witty prose. The volume ends with a deeply personal and touching essay reflecting on the death of his daughter.
• Theaetetus, by Plato. I know, I know, I should have read this years ago. And I had—but never in any detail. It took me til this spring to get around to it. I’m glad I did. It’s Plato, after all—need I say more?
Fiction:
• Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë. A fascinating, complex story. Brontë’s richly detailed environments and masterful use of language and symbols reward careful study. Plays like a classic horror movie.
• Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (for the short story, "Sexy"). Evocative, elegant prose that makes you just stop and think.
• Beloved, by Toni Morrison. A multi-perspectival study of the first person effects of slavery. This is a heart-wrenching book, but worth the effort. A theme of dehumanization and loss of person identity pervades the book, and it’s recounted through a uniquely subjective lens.
Honorable mention: Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy (although I had already read these in high school). Fantasy at its finest.
Philosophy (articles):
• Fischer, John Martin. 2004. "The Transfer of Nonresponsibility." in Freedom and Determinism, Michael O’Rourke & David Shier (eds.). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Fischer skillfully reviews almost twenty years of literature on transfer principles and consequence-style arguments for incompatibilism. Out of all of this emerges a cogent skepticism about such arguments.
• Huemer, Michael: 2000. "van Inwagen's Consequence Argument," Philosophical Review 109. Huemer takes van Inwagen’s original argument and runs with it, successfully (to my mind) eliminating all major criticisms. I’m convinced. Thank God for the semi-compatibilist program, then!
• Hunt, David. 2005. "Moral Responsibility and Buffered Alternatives," Midwest Studies in Philosophy 29: 126-145. Hunt rides the cutting edge of Frankfurt-style examples in this article, defending a ‘buffer’ case against a variety of objections. This is going to be a very important and widely-discussed article, I predict.
Honorable Mention:
The Road to Serfdom, by Frederick Hayek. It was irresponsible of me to not have read this book before now. Indeed, it would be irresponsible of anyone interested in the history of ideas to so have done. But I have rectified my past sins, and for that, I am happy.
2 Comments:
at 2:11 PM said... Perhaps you could post a defense on why "music is better than poetry"? I'd be very interested to read that. Unless you weren't serious. It's hard to tell sometimes.
David Skarbek at 11:22 AM said... I'm glad to see Road to Serfdom made honorable mention. Although I don't see it as Hayek's best work, it certainly is a book rich with insights, and it raises many interesting questions, regardless of whether or not Hayek answers them correctly, and that is how I generally judge the quality of a book.
