I would like to thank several of you for responding to my appeal for
titles on individualism (excerpts of posts below). I secured and shipped to
China one title while I was in Seattle last week. Would like to forward
two more to China in a week or so. With time less pressing, I would be glad
to receive any tips on additional titles (see below for suggestions already
sent). Keep in mind that my student friend, while brilliant, is primarily
into linguistics, and, at 22, is just getting into Nietzsche. I now have
his letter and can quote him: "I'm reading N.'s radical individualism, but
I'd like to delve into something a bit more modern to put it into context.
Being in China has really raised questions in my mind about the myth of the
Western individual." My hunch is that he needs a rather general,
survey-type treatment of individualism. Thanks, Robert F. Jones
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 1995 10:23:01 -0800
From: "Todd B. Davis" <tdavis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Individualism primers...
Robert F. Jones wrote:
>A 22-year old student, about the brightest I have taught in 30 years,
>is now in China teaching English before heading off this fall to graduate
>school. He is reading Nietzsche for the first time. He has asked me to
>send him a book that treats individualism, there being little available in
>English in Qinhuangdao. I am sorry that he was no more specific than that!
> I am at a loss as what to come up with. My field is not philosophy. I
>am a Montaigne scholar, but I think he wants something more classically
>philosophical. What about the Spaniard from Salamanca?
Todd B. Davis: My personal field of scholarship is psychology, but my
emphasis is in the theory and philosophy of psychology. In regard to your
request for a title which treats individualism, I guess I would need to
know a little more about what you mean by "treatment" and what you mean by
"individualism". But since you . . . might I propose a starting point for
individualism which is grounded somewhat in the history of philosophy. . .
Nietzsche is one whom has resisted this wholesale subscription to
individualism. A useful book which investigates this to some extent is Fred
Evans' "Psychology & Nihilism"(State University of New York Press, 1993). Evans
subtitle for this book is "A Genealogical Critique of the Computational Model of
Mind). . . .
From another point, your student may wish to compare social scientific
critiques of individualistic ontologies with a more traditionally scientific (as
in the sence of the "hard" sciences" critique of the epistemology implicit in an
individualistic ontology. Michael Polanyi has written a well celebrated book in
this regard: "Personal Knowledge: Towards a Post-Critical philosopy" (University
of Chicago Press, 1962). . . .
*************************************************************8
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 1995 13:31 -0500 (CDT)
From: Jeffrey A steele <JASTEELE@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Individualism primers...
Nietzsche carried with him everywhere a copy of Emerson's essays. His book
_Joyful Wisdom_ (a.k.a. _The Gay Science_) opens with an epigraph from Emerson.
Since Emerson was the great 19th-century prophet of American individualism, his
works might be an excellent point of departure for your student.
***********************************************************************
Date: Sat, 11 Mar 1995 07:16:57 +0200 (IST)
From: Gabriel Ash <ggabriel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Individualism primers...
Hi
Some more stuff about individualism, which comes to my mind.
Steven Lukes "Individualism", Oxford 1973
A very interesting Praeludium to Foucault at that point could be
Norbert Elias "State Formation & Civilization, Vol II, the Civilizing
Process", basil Blakewell 1982 [1939]
I would also suggest, as much as this sounds farfetched, that reading
Aristoteles "Nicomachian Ethics" is indispensible.
************************************************************************
Date: Sat, 11 Mar 1995 00:50:15 -0700 (MST)
From: steven meinking <steven.meinking@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: Individualism Primers
Individualism - Anything by Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Date: Sat, 11 Mar 1995 03:21:37 -0500 (EST)
From: Alan Sondheim <sondheim@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: Individualism Primers
The latest issue of Tad Kepley's Anarchy magazine (think that's the
title) is devoted to individualism complete with writing by and on
Stirner, etc. Of course Hakim Bey touches on it as well. Stirner's still
the best bet for unbridled effect/affect, The Ego and Its Own.
****************************************************************
* Robert F. Jones * Internet : rfj5030@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx *
* TTU - Box 5061 * Phone : 615-372-3419 *
* Cookeville, TN 38505 * *
****************************************************************
------------------
titles on individualism (excerpts of posts below). I secured and shipped to
China one title while I was in Seattle last week. Would like to forward
two more to China in a week or so. With time less pressing, I would be glad
to receive any tips on additional titles (see below for suggestions already
sent). Keep in mind that my student friend, while brilliant, is primarily
into linguistics, and, at 22, is just getting into Nietzsche. I now have
his letter and can quote him: "I'm reading N.'s radical individualism, but
I'd like to delve into something a bit more modern to put it into context.
Being in China has really raised questions in my mind about the myth of the
Western individual." My hunch is that he needs a rather general,
survey-type treatment of individualism. Thanks, Robert F. Jones
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 1995 10:23:01 -0800
From: "Todd B. Davis" <tdavis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Individualism primers...
Robert F. Jones wrote:
>A 22-year old student, about the brightest I have taught in 30 years,
>is now in China teaching English before heading off this fall to graduate
>school. He is reading Nietzsche for the first time. He has asked me to
>send him a book that treats individualism, there being little available in
>English in Qinhuangdao. I am sorry that he was no more specific than that!
> I am at a loss as what to come up with. My field is not philosophy. I
>am a Montaigne scholar, but I think he wants something more classically
>philosophical. What about the Spaniard from Salamanca?
Todd B. Davis: My personal field of scholarship is psychology, but my
emphasis is in the theory and philosophy of psychology. In regard to your
request for a title which treats individualism, I guess I would need to
know a little more about what you mean by "treatment" and what you mean by
"individualism". But since you . . . might I propose a starting point for
individualism which is grounded somewhat in the history of philosophy. . .
Nietzsche is one whom has resisted this wholesale subscription to
individualism. A useful book which investigates this to some extent is Fred
Evans' "Psychology & Nihilism"(State University of New York Press, 1993). Evans
subtitle for this book is "A Genealogical Critique of the Computational Model of
Mind). . . .
From another point, your student may wish to compare social scientific
critiques of individualistic ontologies with a more traditionally scientific (as
in the sence of the "hard" sciences" critique of the epistemology implicit in an
individualistic ontology. Michael Polanyi has written a well celebrated book in
this regard: "Personal Knowledge: Towards a Post-Critical philosopy" (University
of Chicago Press, 1962). . . .
*************************************************************8
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 1995 13:31 -0500 (CDT)
From: Jeffrey A steele <JASTEELE@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Individualism primers...
Nietzsche carried with him everywhere a copy of Emerson's essays. His book
_Joyful Wisdom_ (a.k.a. _The Gay Science_) opens with an epigraph from Emerson.
Since Emerson was the great 19th-century prophet of American individualism, his
works might be an excellent point of departure for your student.
***********************************************************************
Date: Sat, 11 Mar 1995 07:16:57 +0200 (IST)
From: Gabriel Ash <ggabriel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Individualism primers...
Hi
Some more stuff about individualism, which comes to my mind.
Steven Lukes "Individualism", Oxford 1973
A very interesting Praeludium to Foucault at that point could be
Norbert Elias "State Formation & Civilization, Vol II, the Civilizing
Process", basil Blakewell 1982 [1939]
I would also suggest, as much as this sounds farfetched, that reading
Aristoteles "Nicomachian Ethics" is indispensible.
************************************************************************
Date: Sat, 11 Mar 1995 00:50:15 -0700 (MST)
From: steven meinking <steven.meinking@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: Individualism Primers
Individualism - Anything by Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Date: Sat, 11 Mar 1995 03:21:37 -0500 (EST)
From: Alan Sondheim <sondheim@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: Individualism Primers
The latest issue of Tad Kepley's Anarchy magazine (think that's the
title) is devoted to individualism complete with writing by and on
Stirner, etc. Of course Hakim Bey touches on it as well. Stirner's still
the best bet for unbridled effect/affect, The Ego and Its Own.
****************************************************************
* Robert F. Jones * Internet : rfj5030@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx *
* TTU - Box 5061 * Phone : 615-372-3419 *
* Cookeville, TN 38505 * *
****************************************************************
------------------