I set out at 5:45 this morning on my daily walk, expecting to spend the time crafting a reply to Jacob T. Levy. As I crossed the street in front of my building, I looked up at a ledge where a murder of crows [as I have been taught to say] had gathered. My foot caught the curb and I went sprawling, banging my elbow, knee, and hip and scraping the fingers of my right hand. No major damage, but enough blood to dissuade me from continuing my walk. After I had bandaged myself up with the aid of Susie, I went across the street to Starbuck's and had a chocolate croissant. Past experience suggests that it will all hurt for about a week or more, since old folks like me heal slowly.
Rats.
Hope you get well soon.
ReplyDeleteOn a humorous and ironic note, after you said "the fat man problem [don't ask]" I decided to search 'the fat man' on amazon. I've often taught the problem, but only on a very superficial level. Low and behold I found this review by you of a recent book on the subject!
“Unflaggingly engaging, witty, and completely true to the underlying philosophical issues.”
—Robert Paul Wolff, author of About Philosophy
http://www.amazon.com/Trolley-Problem-Would-Throw-Bridge/dp/076117513X/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1HY5VR8VWRBPCXB86AVX
Oh, dear. I'm just pleased that it was the crows and not I who distracted you in the crucial moment. Best wishes.
ReplyDeleteChris, the author of that book is Tom Cathcart, one of my first students at Harvard back in 1960.
ReplyDeleteProfessor Levy, it was indeed the crows, and a murderous bunch they are! See my serious reply to you on this blog.
Typical philosopher--falling in a ditch while engaged in airy thoughts. Somewhere on my disorganized shelves is book called An Exaltation of Larks which has bunches of those veneral terms, plus modern made-up (i.e., ad hoc and really not in anyone's dialect). e.g., "a rash of dermatologists".
ReplyDeleteIt was Thales, I believe, who is said to have fallen in a well while contemplating the heavens.
ReplyDelete