Author Archives: leewatkins

Meaningless to Whom, Exactly?

Posted on January 25, 2021 by leewatkins

An artist is someone who sees something that others don’t. And then makes that thing visible, in their work, for others to see. What the artist sees is something that did not exist before it was observed by the artist. … Continue reading →

Posted in Beat Generation, books, Literature | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Scrooge

Posted on December 21, 2020 by leewatkins

“ … It was always said of him that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge.” Christmas would also be a serious time, for Scrooge. He would remember that night of his sudden … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Literature | Tagged , | 2 Comments

The Golden Age

Posted on November 30, 2020 by leewatkins

The ideal is always something inhuman: “These men were the so-called golden race, subjects of Cronus, who lived without cares or labour, eating only acorns, wild fruit, and honey that dripped from the trees, drinking the milk of sheep and … Continue reading →

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Religion, Magic, and Science

Posted on October 31, 2020 by leewatkins

It’s useless to try to define something like religion. James Frazer says all he’ll do is say what he means by it, and then try to be consistent in using the term throughout his work. By “religion”, Frazer means A … Continue reading →

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You must be ecstatic

Posted on September 28, 2020 by leewatkins

In The Night Manager, Madame Latulipe asks Jonathan if he is in love. “Not that I am aware, madame,” he replies. “You are unhappy? You are lonely?” “I am blissfully content.” “But to be content is not enough! You must … Continue reading →

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A Short Note on Reason’s Certainty

Posted on August 29, 2020 by leewatkins

In Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit, having “reason” means being certain that you are “all reality”, knowing that the whole of the world can be found in your “I”. This self-certainty is well-founded in a sense: idealism is true, and the … Continue reading →

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What is Philosophy?

Posted on July 30, 2020 by leewatkins

It’s a question philosophers like to ask from time to time, never arriving at a universally satisfactory answer. If you start to read Hegel, you might arrive at the notion that philosophy is the science of Spirit coming to know … Continue reading →

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Spirit is the Light of the Morning

Posted on June 29, 2020 by leewatkins

“Its shape is in fact shapelessness, the all-embracing light of the morning.” – J.N. Findlay, Analysis of section 686 of Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit. It’s impossible to see where light begins and ends. You can see it in the green … Continue reading →

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The Enjoyment in Writing

Posted on May 15, 2020 by leewatkins

Past, present, and future are bound together when Henry Miller is writing. “The past is the springboard, the present the melting pot, and the future the delectation.” The past is the springboard because it is from the memories of his … Continue reading →

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Orpheus

Posted on April 15, 2020 by leewatkins

Orpheus is playing his lyre with tears in his eyes, begging the rulers of the underworld to return Eurydice to him. All Pluto and Persephone want is to be rid of those dewy eyes, tearing at their heart strings. They … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Literature, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments