Weeknote 21/2024
Look first. Listen first. Questions after.
- At the Feet of the Sun, Victoria Goddard
Verbs
Learning: I Read The Most Misunderstood Philosopher in the World, Philosophy Tube
Abigail Thorn of Philosophy Tube has been putting out incredibly high-quality work for quite some time now and has really made a name for herself as a public educator in philosophy. This latest video on the channel I thought was powerfully done, and incredibly well executed. I’ve known the work of Judith Butler for years and even taught some of their ideas, but it’s far from an area of expertise of mine so this video helped to deepen my understanding of their work substantially. It’s challenging stuff - intellectually, politically socially - but tremendously important, too. Thorn’s personal connection to the ideas, as a trans woman, only helps to elevate and enrich the discussion, bringing a sharpness and discernment that helps to support the sophistication of Butler’s thinking.
Watching: Severance, AppleTV+
I’ve had severance on the to-watch list for a while, and it managed to be even weirder, more thought-provoking, and more extraordinary than I’d imagined. It’s hard to turn off the philosopher brain when watching films and TV, and some media is just so ripe with philosophical thinking - intentionally or not - that there’s no other way of watching. Severance could easily serve as the basis for a good term’s work for a philosophy class as it’s stuffed full of really punchy, and arresting questions about memory, identity, personhood, work, and society. What’s so good about the show, is that all of this bubbles up totally naturally from what’s happening in the storyline and it never becomes a show where it’s only the ideas that are interesting. Every moment of Severance keeps you hooked. It’s worth saying, though, that this is a weird one - like Spike Jonze, Terry Gilliam, and Michael Shur all got commissioned to write a show together for Apple. A big cliffhanger at the end of season one has set us up in real anticipation of season two later this year.
Listening: The Universe, Crash Course Pods
The inimitable and brilliant John Green has a new podcast hosted in conjunction with Dr Katie Mack and it’s wonderful. Following a smart, funny, and knowledgeable amateur and enthusiast who explores the big questions of the universe whilst in the expert hands of a genuine theoretical physicist makes for a wonderful time. I’ve been listening to these as podcasts but they are also on YouTube where they are gorgeously illustrated and animated. 20th and 21st-century physics and space exploration are big nerdy passions of mine, and even still I’ve learnt huge amounts from just these first 3 episodes. What’s so lovely, is that every single episode feels like a joy and a treat - a moment of learning and love for learning that you’re sharing with a couple of wonderful folks.
Reading: A Miscellany
My reading has slowed a little in the last few weeks as I’ve been spending hours and hours a day, every single day, reading and marking examination papers. My eyes can only take so much. So here are a few articles I’ve enjoyed over the last week:
Words
Almost all of the last week has been marking examination papers. Hours a day, every day, forever and ever and ever. Or, so it feels like. I finally got through the big (digital) pile of scripts just yesterday and could breathe the fresh air of freedom once more. Thanks to that and the days of muggy storms we’ve been having we’ve really not been up to much the past week. When I wasn’t marking I spent a lot of my time trying to coax Teddy the dog out into the rain whilst he remained deeply unconvinced that his bathroom should have to be such an unappealing place. Or I was trying to pin him into the bathtub to shower him off afterwards, an act which, going by the look on his face, will shortly be referred to the UN on the grounds of dog-rights abuses. The weather seems to be clearing now, as has the exam marking, which makes the next weeks much more exciting.