[Philosopher A.J. Ayer] taught or lectured several times in the United States, including serving as a visiting professor at Bard College in the fall of 1987. At a party that same year held by fashion designer Fernando Sanchez, Ayer, then 77, confronted Mike Tyson who was forcing himself upon the (then little-known) model Naomi Campbell. When Ayer demanded that Tyson stop, the boxer said: “Do you know who the fuck I am? I’m the heavyweight champion of the world,” to which Ayer replied: “And I am the former Wykeham Professor of Logic. We are both pre-eminent in our field. I suggest that we talk about this like rational men.” Ayer and Tyson then began to talk, while Naomi Campbell slipped out.
4 months ago
via 
“Taking philosophy was the best thing I ever did for myself. It is probably true that had I become a plumber I would be making more money now than I ever will, but I feel like philosophy has given me a much richer life experience. I can debate anyone on anything. I am very difficult to manipulate. When I get upset about something I can articulate exactly why. I understand the grounding for my opinions and I am confident enough to stand up for them. So here is my message to anyone who’s afraid to jump into the philosophy pool: Fucking do it. Philosophers carry their tools everywhere they go.”
“Unlimited is just a word, it doesn’t really mean anything.”
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Verizon CFO Fran Shammo
8 months ago
via 
Photos of my Philosophy Posters in production at Blue Collar Press.
Sussundzeit wrote a great reply to my post on Nietzsche and Star Trek:
Kirk is an aggressive, domineering presence. He leaves Spock, his Platonic logos metaphor on board the enterprise, and sets forth with only his stallions epithumia and thumos, as well as a couple red shirts - human lives reduced to mere resources to be utilized and appropriated by Kirk’s Will as he conquers the natives and ravishes their women. Kirk’s Will craves violence; it may be a Master’s Will but without logos to turn in upon itself and rule itself and the other parts with Justice, Kirk’s Competitive and Appetitive drives run amok and pit themselves against other consciousness.
[…]
Picard, in contrast is shown to be a man not merely of science, but a Renaissance Man, a consummate thinker who considers multiple interpretations and celebrates the wisdom understanding and hermeneutic insight, gained by a Gesamteswissenschaft perspective. Picard does not demand a slave, an Other, to acknowledge his existence, rather he seeks out an Other for dialogue and conversation, to both accumulate and exercise power and knowledge in a forum where the Other may retain their alterity without being shoehorned and reduced into Picard’s frame of reference.
Picard’s relation to the other is thus not one of violent struggle, but of seeking a common ground, a Lichtung or clearing in which language might mediate and serve as a means of mutual unconcealment and discourse between Picard and the Other. We see this as Kirk is reluctant to ask anyone for help, save Spock/logos and even then only in dire straits; Picard, though, will often solicit advice, suggestions, or thoughts from Data, Riker, Geordi, Deanna, the character Whoopi Goldberg played, Worf, and others when he sees the opportunity to enrich his interpretation by recognizing how their prejudices and experiences might complement his and bridging onto-historical horizons through language. Kirk is a bully, but Picard is a communicator, and I can’t recall a single battle wherein Picard did not make every effort to bring the enemy commander on-screen for dialogue and non-violent reconciliation.
Žižek, on happiness:
You know happiness is, for me, an unethical category. And also, we don’t really want to get what we think that we want.
RT:
Crisis-enduring Greece received a bit of hope for belated justice. A re-trial of Ancient Greek philosopher Socrates in Athens, the very city that sentenced him to death in 399 BC, ended with his acquittal.
A panel of ten judges from Britain, France, Germany, Greece, Switzerland and the United States was hearing the case at the event at the Onassis Foundation. Five of them cast their votes for “guilty” verdict while five other said “not guilty”.
Close call.
Just added Cornel West to my philosophy posters. Ten hours left!
Added Aristotle and Descartes to my Philosophy Posters project. There’s only 48 hours left to grab them!
New poster added to my Philosophy Posters project. One week left!
Hey Tumblr friends, there are fewer than ten days left for you to grab one of my philosophy screen prints on Kickstarter.
18x24” hand-made screen print signed and numbered by me, $20 shipped, only on Kickstarter.
18x24” hand-made screen print signed and numbered by me, $20 shipped, only on Kickstarter.
