JRR Tolkien versus CS Lewis

TVO's Big Ideas recently (August 13) reran a lecture from 2004, which, with some provisos is worth mentioning. (feed)

Ralph Wood delivered a comparative talk about JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis. The lecture gives a great insight in the way both authors worked and what their creative standards were. Wood also makes an attempt into summing up their qualities and measuring their influence. By all means, both are very influential and well known especially as fantasy writers.

Does it hurt to be aware both were Christian authors? I would argue to say no, even if Lewis had a certain evangelizing streak about him. For Wood, however, the authors' faith is the whole reason he wants to lecture about them, present them as influential writers and evaluate their strengths and qualities. In my opinion it makes for a few awkward phrases in the lecture. Worse still, is that Wood makes the whole comparison take on the character of a competition in which he pits the authors against each other and make them score points creating a superfluous suspense who is going to be found to be the winner. Eventually, the lecture is good enough to compensate for these putting off traits. Anyone interested in these authors will have a lot to enjoy.

More Big Ideas:
Malcolm Gladwell,
The Age of Inequality,
Disappearing cultures,
Waiting for Godot,
Religion as culture - Camille Paglia.

The 1910 Paris flood - NBIH

I never knew Paris had been flooded in 1910. It seems most French and even Parisians have forgotten about it, yet, as we learn from New Books in History this flood has been the last and the worst that hit the modern city of Paris and its scenario still counts as the defining flood, its high points still serve as the marker that measures against flooding have to meet.

Host Marshall Poe spoke with Jeffrey Jackson who wrote the book Paris under water about the flood of 1910. They go through the causes of the flood. As usual with floods it was caused by a combination of factors each of which come with high waters. In addition, the then new and modern sewer system added to the flood; the system actually connected all the parts of the city and allowed for the rising water to reach everywhere.

A major point of interest for Poe and Jackson was how the city and its inhabitants pulled together and dealt with the flood as a cohesive society. While this is indeed a very interesting historic and sociological point, I myself was wondering about the technicalities of flood prevention. Why are they still using the 1910 high points as a standard? Hasn't the environment entirely changed? Aren't there more floodings in modernized countries these days, because of more canals, because of climate change and such? I fear Paris may be flooded despite the 1910 markers in the 21st century.

More NBIH:
Stasi agents and informants,
War in Human Civilization,
Always recommended: New Books in History,
The best varied history podcast,
The Caucasus.

Hidden Heritage: National Heritage Week Podcast Series

Here is a new podcast series that just started and probably is not going to go on for very long since it is connected to one event: the Irish National Heritage Week. The maker of the podcast is Fin Dwyer, the same historian who brings us the Irish History Podcast. Fin apparently thought that while celebrating Irish heritage, it would be a good idea to highlight what has remained hidden, hence: Hidden Heritage: National Heritage Week Podcast Series. (feed)

Until yesterday there was only one issue still in the series, but this one issue gives a taste for more. It tells about those ships from the Spanish Armada that were caught on the coasts of Ireland and either went down there or got stranded or made a dangerous landing facing the not so friendly Irish.

The crews were already in a bad situation and as not many survived their fate in Ireland, Fin tells one story of a couple of ships that landed and how the survivors got on the one remotely sailable ship to flee the island and try to make it for Scotland. They were 1300, too many for this boat that normally could carry only 800 or so.

Listen in, to find out how the history of the Spanish Armada is part of Irish Heritage.

More Irish History:
Irish history in podcasts,
Irish history podcast.

Warburton about Hume

Philosopher and podcaster Nigel Warburton, whom we know first and foremost from the podcast Philosophy Bites (see post yesterday), has written a book Philosophy, The Classics. This book gives an entry point to philosophy by means of an introduction to a series of classical works in philosophy. From Plato's Republic to Kierkegaard's either/or.

True to his calling Warburton has made a promotional podcast for this book: Philosophy: The Classics. (feed) Among others there are two episodes about David Hume and I enjoyed those greatly. One is about the Dialogues by Hume, the other about the book Enquiry. The two podcasts have some overlap, just as Hume's works overlapped, but that will only enhance recognition and understanding.

I knew Hume and his version of Skepticism as it addressed the problem of induction - we make induction all the time, assuming that what he have seen repeatedly will also be repeated in the future. But Hume shows that there is strictly no rational reason to make such an inductive assumption. Warburton introduces to us a couple of other (related) issues Hume discusses in these works. Proof of God's existence and proof for miracles for example. Here I learned how Hume's Skepticism played a role in theological matter and how Hume was assumed to be an atheist although he may not have wanted to identify himself as such.

More:
Philosophy, The Classics - Nigel Warburton

What is exploitation - Philosophy Bites

For those who are reluctant to engage in philosophy, I would still recommend to listen to Philosophy Bites. Although philosophy by its essence tends to the abstract and therefore can be so lengthy, vague, boring and seemingly pointless, the podcast does everything to stay concise, clear and to the point. In addition, by looking at the titles as they pop up in the feed one can freely pick and choose. Select the subject that you connect to and Philosophy Bites will not disappoint.
(feed)

An example of such a very concrete and clear issue, in my opinion, is the recent chapter in which Nigel Warburton and David Edmonds spoke with Hillel Steiner about exploitation. Here we also see the virtue of philosophy: Steiner makes a very convincing attempt to narrow down and define exploitation in abstract terms. Such a definition then allows for easy identification of exploitation cases in spite of their differences. In addition it serves to explain why exploitation is morally wrong. And eventually it opens up for the theoretic possibilities such as a rich person being exploited.

Maybe it is because I was trained a a legal professional and taught law myself, I am charmed by such an analysis as the one offered by Steiner. I would assume this speaks to everybody as issues of morals touch us all, but even if I am wrong about that point, the point of the first paragraph remains. When you have a subject you are passionate about or have spent some time pondering about, an issue of Philosophy Bites about any relevant point will be a real treat.

More Philosophy Bites:
Morality,
The genocide and the trial,
Dirty Hands,
Understanding decisions,
Nietzsche repossessed.

Witness - BBC

I have taken up listening to a daily BBC podcast: Witness (feed). Every workday it delivers a short (9 minutes) program about a historic event that occurred around the same date. The event is briefly recounted and the elaboration is done by letting a witness talk about it. Hence the title.

Almost invariably the result is very impressive. The whole atmosphere of the episode is also greatly determined by the kind of event that is told. The issue about Hiroshima as a consequence is very austere and stylized, the issue about the Battle of Britain very narrative and so on. The partition of India was deemed to large to tackle in one program and last week saw one part and this week a second is expected. Part one was very impressive - a great recommendation.

Also recommended is the issue about the Kursk disaster. Obviously, no sailors from aboard the submarine could be interviewed, as there were no survivors. However, one of the British members of the rescue mission spoke and brought home the experience of the poor men trapped in the sunken ship as he had survived a similar fate several years previously.