4 min listen
To Think or To Do? The Unification of False Dichotomies with Sarah Davis and David McDonald
FromContinuing the Conversation: a Great Books podcast by St. John’s College
To Think or To Do? The Unification of False Dichotomies with Sarah Davis and David McDonald
FromContinuing the Conversation: a Great Books podcast by St. John’s College
ratings:
Length:
43 minutes
Released:
Jun 20, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
In the ancient world, art and religion provided a sense of meaning and order that was upended by science and technology. Today, our world is defined by consumerism, self-expression and a gnawing lack of meaning. Can the contemplative life of the mind play a central role in addressing this void? What about the role of its supposed counterparts—doing, making, and simply being? This episode seeks to untangle the human desire for meaning and coherence, the reality of disorientation and disorder, and the perhaps false dichotomy between the life of the mind and the simple act of living itself. Featuring Santa Fe host Sarah Davis, also an artist, and tutor David McDonald, also a photographer, the two begin their conversation exploring the order and power of harmonic music, stumble into the disorder of Virginia Woolf’s The Waves, and eventually find some inspiration in the humble unity of Kierkegaard’s knight of faith.
Released:
Jun 20, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (21)
Introduction to ”Continuing the Conversation”: The college has launched Continuing the Conversation, an original web and podcast series which features faculty members engaged in one-on-one conversations about the ideas that animate them, often emanating from the Great Books of both the West and t... by Continuing the Conversation: a Great Books podcast by St. John’s College