Monthly Archives: January 2020

How to Begin (Notes on the Introduction to Hegel’s Phenomenology)

Posted on January 28, 2020 by Lee

It’s no use starting with the assumption that thought and being are identical. For one thing, no one will know what you’re talking about. Hegel started by looking at the philosophical thinking of his day and showing how it was … Continue reading →

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Hegel’s Democratic Spirit

Posted on January 23, 2020 by Lee

The Preface to the Phenomenology of Spirit is a good place to begin with Hegel. The key question he’s asking in these pages is: What is philosophy? And his answer tells us a lot about what kind of philosopher he … Continue reading →

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Notes on Ursula Le Guin’s “The Dispossessed”

Posted on January 20, 2020 by Lee

Stepping off a train onto a crowded platform. Anxious glances of the passers-by. Shevek wonders at this anxiety: is it a function of the capitalist economy here? The fact that each of these people must make enough money to live? … Continue reading →

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Notes on Nabokov’s “The Seaport”

Posted on January 13, 2020 by Lee

The whole scene is bright, with sunshine everywhere. Colours: the blue of the sea, the green of the woman’s dress. These things stand out. The sunshine gives colour to everything. Each thing seems to have its own distinct colour: no … Continue reading →

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