The Boundaries of Experience

[_Simon Belmont]

It was?

No.

Then how come you said, in your OP, that you read it as a "book"? And the pub. date is 1997. Did they have Wordpress blogs back in 1997, when you were in college?

It was a joke.

[_Doctor Scratch]

It was?

No.

Then how come you said, in your OP, that you read it as a "book"? And the pub. date is 1997. Did they have Wordpress blogs back in 1997, when you were in college?

It was a joke.

What was a joke? That you "were in college"? And am I correct to assume that the author himself assigned this book to your class?

[_Simon Belmont]

What was a joke? That you "were in college"? And am I correct to assume that the author himself assigned this book to your class?

How grimly humorless you've become.

Here is what I said:

It was published on a Wordpress blog.

But seriously ...

That means it was a joke. Do you know of any other jokes which are published on a Wordpress blog?

[_sock puppet]

Simon, did they also have you read at BYU Blahnik's Sense, Sex and Sin? Just wondering what you thought of that?

[_Blixa]

Uh, wait what?

I took a long time composing a reply, I admit. I left the computer and did some things and came back. But, still, I'm confused.

You were just making a joke by saying you read it on a Wordpress blog, Simon? Why would that be a joke?

I don't get it.

My response was about, among other things, how such a thing was integrated into the class. I wanted to know because I use similar media in my courses.

So..is it worth asking more questions, Simon, or not?

For what it's worth, the following is my original response however dated it is now. I'm still curious about the book, Simon, and wish you would talk more about it:

__________

Interesting! The issue of "academic vanity presses" is vexed. I hope you didn't think I immediately dismissed the book because of that; in fact it may be a very useful way for teachers to get material into the hands of students. What you say about it's use on a blog is even more interesting, though, because I use the same media to give my students access to materials. I'd really like to know more about how the instructor used this in class.

And I'd really like to hear more about its impact on you. It would help revive this thread, which I think did begin as an honest attempt to explore the way this text opened up important questions for you. I think the direction the thread took was partly because not enough was given/explained to make those issues interesting/important for everyone. After skimming through the text via Google Books, it strikes me as assuming not only some background in phenomenology, and eventually existentialism, but also that these things are on their own useful and interesting. That is not only an argument it should make, but that you should make in offering it up for consideration here. Unless you argue how essential or important such insights are, it is easy for a more commonsensical crowd to dismiss as mere abstract rambling.

In that spirit, then, why did these ideas make such a difference to you? Do they still have that impact, or was it an effect of encountering them for the first time? Do you think that their importance was relative to the time of your life you encountered them? Or to the conditions you encountered them under (for example, the particular teacher)? And, what is there connection to your current spiritual beliefs? To Mormonism in general?

[_Doctor Scratch]

Simon, did they also have you read at BYU Blahnik's Sense, Sex and Sin? Just wondering what you thought of that?

Didn't Simon say that he went to a school that's "better" than BYU?

[_zeezrom]

Hello,

I think when you have to resort to the realm of metaphysical reasoning in order to make sense of spirituality then you have a tough sell, especially so when you belong to an organization that claims to reveal plain and precious truths. If God, as it were, is so nuanced and mysterious then Mormonism gets it wrong. God is defined by the Mormon church, over and over again as something real, tangbile, and with a body of flesh and bone. Wondering if his atomic makeup qualifies him as existential or not is an exercise in foolishness, aside from claiming his existence itself.

V/R
Dr. Cam

Simon,

Might I ask why you did not address this comment?
Might I also ask what you have to say in response to it?

[_Simon Belmont]

Uh, wait what?

I took a long time composing a reply, I admit. I left the computer and did some things and came back. But, still, I'm confused.

You were just making a joke by saying you read it on a Wordpress blog, Simon? Why would that be a joke?

Blixa,

I did not read it on a Wordpress blog. Scratch was setting a trap for me, asking if it was published via vanity press. I did not walk into that trap, instead I implied that it was not actually a book, but a Wordpress blog post. In the same post, I said "but seriously" and then added links to Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I seriously did not think anyone would think I was serious about a Wordpress blog, but I suppose many things can get lost in translation on a message board.

My response was about, among other things, how such a thing was integrated into the class. I wanted to know because I use similar media in my courses.

It was a supplemental textbook. I believe we had to read it and write a term paper.

So..is it worth asking more questions, Simon, or not?

Of course it is.

For what it's worth, the following is my original response however dated it is now. I'm still curious about the book, Simon, and wish you would talk more about it:

Blixa,

I wanted to talk more about it, but it is very difficult when other members like CamNC4Me and Scratch either threadcrap or attack me. Surely you can understand.

With that being said, I invite you to continue this discussion with me on this thread.

Interesting! The issue of "academic vanity presses" is vexed. I hope you didn't think I immediately dismissed the book because of that; in fact it may be a very useful way for teachers to get material into the hands of students. What you say about it's use on a blog is even more interesting, though, because I use the same media to give my students access to materials. I'd really like to know more about how the instructor used this in class.

I am glad you didn't immediately dismiss it. I don't want to say too much about my real life, but you are correct in assuming that the author of the book was the instructor of the class. One of my favorite classes, instructors, and books for sure.

In that spirit, then, why did these ideas make such a difference to you? Do they still have that impact, or was it an effect of encountering them for the first time? Do you think that their importance was relative to the time of your life you encountered them? Or to the conditions you encountered them under (for example, the particular teacher)? And, what is there connection to your current spiritual beliefs? To Mormonism in general?

I'm going to get back to you on these questions, Blixa. My time is short at the moment, and I do want to talk about it and answer these questions.

[_Simon Belmont]

Didn't Simon say that he went to a school that's "better" than BYU?

Are you going to:

1. Contribute to the thread, or
2. Attack me and set obvious traps for me to walk into?


If (1), please start doing it. If (2) I invite you to post elsewhere.

I can predict your response now: "but where did I set traps for you Simon?" And I am not going to explain it.

[_Doctor Scratch]

Didn't Simon say that he went to a school that's "better" than BYU?

Are you going to:

1. Contribute to the thread, or
2. Attack me and set obvious traps for me to walk into?


If (1), please start doing it. If (2) I invite you to post elsewhere.

I can predict your response now: "but where did I set traps for you Simon?" And I am not going to explain it.

Simon, I was just curious, that's all. Throughout your tenure here you've been saying things that have struck me as being quite inconsistent and strange. I'm simply trying to determine whether you've been truthful or not. If you've been telling lies, then I think people need to know.

On a sidenote: Who's your favorite good guy from The X-Men?