ALL DONE
The tenth and final lecture on Ideological Critique has now been posted on YouTube. It is a coda to the series, and deals with Edward Said and Jane Austen's Mansfield Park. This has been quite an adventure for an old philosopher. Who knows? Twitter next?
Professor Wolff,
ReplyDeleteI am certain that there are countless fellow watchers/listeners of this brilliant series of ten lectures who join me in wishing to thank you for this noble gift which you have bestowed upon us, your largely anonymous audience.
You have described in your blog the many obstacles which stood in the way of birthing this series. As we now know, you overcame all of them – you created a lecture hall in your home library, mastered the use of a camcorder, learned the vagaries of microphones and natural lighting, and even created an imaginary collection of former students whom you honored by inviting them to sit in your imaginary classroom. Here they are:
Jennifer Jensen-Wallach
Thomas Cathcart
Andrew Rosa
Tanya Mears
Thomas Nagel
Derek Parfit
Rita Reynolds
Bekisizwe Ndimande
They each had a front row seat, actually we all did, as you took us through a beautifully thought-out, outlined and fleshed-out set of lectures on Ideological Critique. Starting with Karl Mannheim, continuing with the fascinating Kalahari conundrum ( Edwin Wilmsen vs Richard B Lee et al), then on to Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and the sophisticated theory of African-American literary criticism as illustrated by the Signifying Monkey, and ending with the seemingly unlikely Jane Austen in Mansfield Park (via a grand incorporation of Edward Said’s major role in post colonialism) with its breathtaking “reveal” at the very end, you gave us a jewel of a course on the role of Literary Criticism in Ideological Critique.
You achieved a difficult self-assignment: you made your presentations appealing to people in the field who are well read and/or who did the “homework” assignment of reading several books you suggested at the start, as well as to those who chose merely to tune in to the lectures themselves. The lectures were structured so well, they flowed so easily, that they had that enviable characteristic of seeming “simple”. They were illustrated from a rich palette of disciplines and personal stories. They incorporate the craft of good writing and the art of polished presentation. What an achievement!
You have been gracious in responding to questions and comments from your listeners and did all this in a comfortable, unpretentious manner which put us all at ease.
Thank you, Professor Wolff, for the gift of countless hours of your time and your knowledge. If it is not too presumptuous, given that we know at least some of what was involved in producing this set of lectures, I know I speak for many when I say that we would be delighted to attend your next “seminar”.
I was honored to be in the audience (with a ringside seat, no less) for the first time since studying Kant's first critique with you 55(!) years ago. Thanks, Bob, for a very interesting course. And now I submit to you my imaginary term paper, with the hope that grade inflation will elevate my grade, not just to an imaginary A, but to a real A, which I will add to my resume. As to your identity as the "old philosopher"--so that was you!! I can still hear you saying, "Is that what's bothering you, bunky? Is that what's on your mind? Well, take a walk in the sun!!" [The reference will probably be lost on your younger readers.]
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for a great series of lectures. I learned a lot, especially about anthropology.
ReplyDeleteBravo! Thoroughly enjoyed the lectures, and I hope you are inspired to do another series soon.
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