Indeed, there is so much beauty here amid the tragedy and pain of your illness. Your words, everyone else's words -- such eloquent tribute to what seems to me the most important theme of your posts and everyone's replies: the real utopia of love.
I just heard that you may be coming to campus on Wednesday. Very much hoping to see you then.
Henry James' advice for living a full life:
"Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind".
Hi Erik,
As you know, I'm living in Honolulu this year, visiting the UH and doing my research (and visiting my mother and all my relatives). A local Lyft driver told me that there is no Aloha here any longer; too much money, greed, and tightfistedness have taken over. But I disagree. Yes, there are problems, but I see aloha here and in everything you've written. Kindness, generosity, and love are aloha. I like to think that you were influenced by your time studying and working here in Hawaii, but I think Beatrice and your father may have been the original sources. Big hugs, much love, Joan and Kjell
Great thought, professor, I wholeheartedly agree with you. What I love about Aristotle is exactly this perception of virtues as not being "sacrifices". Virtues do take time and effort to develop and we must sometimes engage with the world in a way to reinforce our virtuous dispositions, but once we have the habit of generosity, for example, then we'll find true pleasure in our virtue. However, if we're not wise or generous, how are we supposed to know the way of developing generosity? Surely, we shouldn't rely on spontaneity, nor on mere intellectual persuasion (for this isn't motivating in the Humean sense). This is exactly where sociologists, psychologists and philosophers need to work together in order to envision an environment of human flourishing, with institutions and stimuli that are able to "nudge" us into our better selves. I love this perspective of Ethics and Institutional Design as Ecology.
Erik, I am really glad that you feel better and that the prostpects aren't so gloomy. You are doing well in your war metaphore. And you even mention the possibility of being discharged from hospital. Specially great must be for you to be able to tell those stories that Becky types with such velocity and other people listen to, around you. As for your words over generosity and kindness not envolving sacrifices, nor heroism, well, that may be true; but it is interesting you relate it to parenting in that sense. In fact I know by heart tat you were a real good futher figure for me. You trusted in me and gave me the confidence I needed. And you weren' just a good father figure. You were also a very inteligent and dedicated professor. And, then, you could also be fun. I always tell people how incredibly quick you were turning back comments on student papers. Comments were also extense and to the point. Your notes on how to write short and long papers in 621-622, (I took them in 1982-83) have travelled along with me since. And I still find them inspiring.
So, Erik, my love and gratitude to you and to Marcia, who also gave me support when I badly needed it one year in Madison. Heroic may not be. But it is great when it happens. Much love to you both.
Natalia
All these may be true. But I think what people are resting to us that not enough of us exercise kindness and generosity. You do. And you always have. So there us something special to celebrate in your approach to people and the world. Thank you for being you! Hugs.
I love these thoughts, Erik, and so enjoyed your Christmas reflections on the sermon you heard. As it happens I was visiting relatives (my partner's family) in Lawrence, your old stomping ground, and attended a Christmas service where the sermon was by an African American Episcopal priest. He too "politicized" love a bit in his comments. He almost worked up to "black lives matter" but didn't say it; but it was sure implied. (The Romans thought only Romans really counted, but Jesus was Jew...and that implied that other ethnic groups, other races counted...)
I also think about sociology and social engineering as partly setting the conditions to make care and kindness more likely. I think I was drawn to sociology to understand reasons for my mother's suffering Thanks for sharing and being you.
Indeed, there is so much beauty here amid the tragedy and pain of your illness. Your words, everyone else's words -- such eloquent tribute to what seems to me the most important theme of your posts and everyone's replies: the real utopia of love.
I just heard that you may be coming to campus on Wednesday. Very much hoping to see you then.
Peace, paz, shalom, and salam,
Mike