Fascinating issue. And, by the way, everyone needs to get on The Bus: a grace note dropped surreptitiously into the humdrum of life to remind us there is more out there.
Regarding Kierkegaard, “a notorious crank”, with an apparent socially self destructive penchant, I have this observation. I would bet comfortably that he was a depressive. If he’d had access to modern cognitive-behavioral therapy and/or Prozac, would he have written anything he did? Can angsty and profound existential introspection exist without emotional torment? If so, would it have the same depth? You underscored this query with your playlist: Elliott Smith’s music is depressing, beautifully so, and self involved.
That’s for starters. Not to mention the core of his work itself. Kierkegaard provides perhaps more food for thought than anyone who has laid pen to paper.
Thanks! I agree that everyone needs to climb aboard - the more the merrier. There's no maximum capacity on this trip and anyone who wants to stand past that white line near the door is welcome to! The cool kids are still hogging the back seat, though.
Kierkegaard has had a profound influence on my thinking - especially in combination with Hannah Arendt (another depressive - seems to be a theme). Your observation about modern therapy with/without drugs has been a concern of mine for a long time. I often wonder what Martin Luther (yet another depressive) would have done if he'd been treated to become 'normal.' Probably not the Protestant Reformation, seeing as it came about in part from an overwhelming obsession with his own sins (perhaps 'scrupulosity' can be a forthcoming topic)! But on a more prosaic level: years ago, I had a kid in my Year 9 (8th Grade) Philosophy class who - while I never had any issue with him and enjoyed his (albeit chatty) contributions to lessons - wasn't as well behaved in other subjects. Eventually, enough detentions, letters home, threats of suspension, etc. resulted in him being diagnosed and medicated for ADHD. And - BAM! - overnight, the spark that in my eyes made him him vanished. I'm not judging the decision - I have no idea what was going on at home, etc. - but I do know his previous personality was excised - and since then, I've wondered at how many Luthers, Kierkegaards, Arendts, Pynchons, etc. have been erased.
Glad you liked the playlist - it really was all about trying to capture the 'feeling' of existentialism. And the genuinely tormented Elliott Smith was first on the list.
Fascinating issue. And, by the way, everyone needs to get on The Bus: a grace note dropped surreptitiously into the humdrum of life to remind us there is more out there.
Regarding Kierkegaard, “a notorious crank”, with an apparent socially self destructive penchant, I have this observation. I would bet comfortably that he was a depressive. If he’d had access to modern cognitive-behavioral therapy and/or Prozac, would he have written anything he did? Can angsty and profound existential introspection exist without emotional torment? If so, would it have the same depth? You underscored this query with your playlist: Elliott Smith’s music is depressing, beautifully so, and self involved.
That’s for starters. Not to mention the core of his work itself. Kierkegaard provides perhaps more food for thought than anyone who has laid pen to paper.
Thanks! I agree that everyone needs to climb aboard - the more the merrier. There's no maximum capacity on this trip and anyone who wants to stand past that white line near the door is welcome to! The cool kids are still hogging the back seat, though.
Kierkegaard has had a profound influence on my thinking - especially in combination with Hannah Arendt (another depressive - seems to be a theme). Your observation about modern therapy with/without drugs has been a concern of mine for a long time. I often wonder what Martin Luther (yet another depressive) would have done if he'd been treated to become 'normal.' Probably not the Protestant Reformation, seeing as it came about in part from an overwhelming obsession with his own sins (perhaps 'scrupulosity' can be a forthcoming topic)! But on a more prosaic level: years ago, I had a kid in my Year 9 (8th Grade) Philosophy class who - while I never had any issue with him and enjoyed his (albeit chatty) contributions to lessons - wasn't as well behaved in other subjects. Eventually, enough detentions, letters home, threats of suspension, etc. resulted in him being diagnosed and medicated for ADHD. And - BAM! - overnight, the spark that in my eyes made him him vanished. I'm not judging the decision - I have no idea what was going on at home, etc. - but I do know his previous personality was excised - and since then, I've wondered at how many Luthers, Kierkegaards, Arendts, Pynchons, etc. have been erased.
Glad you liked the playlist - it really was all about trying to capture the 'feeling' of existentialism. And the genuinely tormented Elliott Smith was first on the list.
Thanks for reading and listening so closely!