Links
Archives
updates for philosophy class
Saturday, September 20, 2003
On the subject of freedom....
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
"The doctors call it locked-in syndrome Bauby remembers, a condition that leaves the patient mentally alert but almost totally paralysed. Finding himself in Room 119 in the Naval Hospital in Berck, France, he realises he has escaped death thanks to the improved resuscitation techniques [that] now prolonged and refined the agony. Keeping him alive are a respirator, an intravenous drip and a gastric tube. He is only able to turn his head 90 degrees, blink, and after intensive speech therapy, grunt and occasionally hum. But he remains optimistic until the full extent of his injuries are realised. At that moment, when all chances of regaining speech and movement are dashed, his silent scream is only heard when The Diving-Bell & The Butterfly is written. Passing the hours, frozen within his body, Bauby relinquishes his hope but does not allow himself to consciously slip away.
It is the strength of his thoughts, memories and dreams that imbue this book with an astounding humanity that continually resounds in the face of desperation and fear. He recovers his voice in The Diving-Bell & The Butterfly, and what he has to say is both compelling and passionate, granting the reader entry into a visceral world that is filled with the love and loss of life. Surprising even himself, Bauby embarks on an personally profound journey, constructing his memoir in his mind to be recorded with an alphabetically coded blinking system. For three months he winks when the correct letter is pronounced. With his left eye and the devotion of Claude Mendibil - the woman who transcribes letter by letter Bauby's sentences - this astounding diary is brought to its completion.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
"The doctors call it locked-in syndrome Bauby remembers, a condition that leaves the patient mentally alert but almost totally paralysed. Finding himself in Room 119 in the Naval Hospital in Berck, France, he realises he has escaped death thanks to the improved resuscitation techniques [that] now prolonged and refined the agony. Keeping him alive are a respirator, an intravenous drip and a gastric tube. He is only able to turn his head 90 degrees, blink, and after intensive speech therapy, grunt and occasionally hum. But he remains optimistic until the full extent of his injuries are realised. At that moment, when all chances of regaining speech and movement are dashed, his silent scream is only heard when The Diving-Bell & The Butterfly is written. Passing the hours, frozen within his body, Bauby relinquishes his hope but does not allow himself to consciously slip away.
It is the strength of his thoughts, memories and dreams that imbue this book with an astounding humanity that continually resounds in the face of desperation and fear. He recovers his voice in The Diving-Bell & The Butterfly, and what he has to say is both compelling and passionate, granting the reader entry into a visceral world that is filled with the love and loss of life. Surprising even himself, Bauby embarks on an personally profound journey, constructing his memoir in his mind to be recorded with an alphabetically coded blinking system. For three months he winks when the correct letter is pronounced. With his left eye and the devotion of Claude Mendibil - the woman who transcribes letter by letter Bauby's sentences - this astounding diary is brought to its completion.
Philosopher's Magazine Online
Fun and Games
Fun and Games
Remember the class discussion about the man who regained his site after 43 years? Here is an article by/about him.
"But modern science did not emerge 400 years ago to challenge religion, the orthodoxy of the past 2,000 years. Generations of thinkers and experimenters and observers - often themselves churchmen - wanted to explain how God worked his wonders. Modern physics began with a desire to explain the clockwork of God's creation. Modern geology grew at least partly out of searches for evidence of Noah's flood. Modern biology owes much to the urge to marvel at the intricacy of Divine providence."
Read the rest of the article...
Read the rest of the article...
Click here for the Online syllabus and suggested readings.
Welcome to the collaborative weblog of the 2003/2004 intro philosophy class at Nipissing University. We have four purposes for this space. One is to continue class discussions which run out of time before they run out of steam. The second is to point each other to interesting links, useful web resources, news stories or commentary somehow related to our class concerns. Third is to share questions and answers and insights based on the class readings. But beyond that, we also want to share humour and wisdom and bits of play. Philosophy hides in plain sight everywhere. Enjoy....
