Monday, January 30, 2006
Pooh and the Philosophers
by John Tyerman Williams
Williams intends to show that all philosophy before Pooh was pointing in his direction, and all philosophic work since then merely a series of footnotes to Milne's great stories.
With his tongue so firmly planted in his cheek it's little wonder he's sometimes hard to understand. Or perhaps that's just how Heidegger wrote.
From Milne to Mills, Kanga to Kant and -- one should not forget, Plato to Pooh -- we are taken on a whirlwind tour of childhood memories and introductory philosophy. The author has chosen his subjects well, illustrating names often heard but seldom understood. Grounding the theory in Pooh's interactions gives a good handle on the ideas.
Serious philosophy scholars may find some problems -- and literary scholars will certainly argue his exegesis! -- but with my philosophy days four or five years behind me, I'm happy for this fun and energetic refresher course beautifully illustrated by the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Woods.
Williams intends to show that all philosophy before Pooh was pointing in his direction, and all philosophic work since then merely a series of footnotes to Milne's great stories.With his tongue so firmly planted in his cheek it's little wonder he's sometimes hard to understand. Or perhaps that's just how Heidegger wrote.
From Milne to Mills, Kanga to Kant and -- one should not forget, Plato to Pooh -- we are taken on a whirlwind tour of childhood memories and introductory philosophy. The author has chosen his subjects well, illustrating names often heard but seldom understood. Grounding the theory in Pooh's interactions gives a good handle on the ideas.
Serious philosophy scholars may find some problems -- and literary scholars will certainly argue his exegesis! -- but with my philosophy days four or five years behind me, I'm happy for this fun and energetic refresher course beautifully illustrated by the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Woods.
Craig (mars-hill) Monday, January 30, 2006
