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A Commentary on the Passing Scene by Robert Paul Wolff rwolff@afroam.umass.edu
My Stuff
https://umass-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/rwolff_umass_edu/EkxJV79tnlBDol82i7bXs7gBAUHadkylrmLgWbXv2nYq_A?e=UcbbW0
Coming Soon:
The following books by Robert Paul Wolff are available on Amazon.com as e-books: KANT'S THEORY OF MENTAL ACTIVITY, THE AUTONOMY OF REASON, UNDERSTANDING MARX, UNDERSTANDING RAWLS, THE POVERTY OF LIBERALISM, A LIFE IN THE ACADEMY, MONEYBAGS MUST BE SO LUCKY, AN INTRODUCTION TO THE USE OF FORMAL METHODS IN POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY.
Now Available: Volumes I, II, III, and IV of the Collected Published and Unpublished Papers.
Now Available: Volumes I, II, III, and IV of the Collected Published and Unpublished Papers.
NOW AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE: LECTURES ON KANT'S CRITIQUE OF PURE REASON. To view the lectures, go to YouTube and search for "Robert Paul Wolff Kant." There they will be.
NOW AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE: LECTURES ON THE THOUGHT OF KARL MARX. To view the lectures, go to YouTube and search for Robert Paul Wolff Marx."
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Philosopher's Stone
Blog Archive
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2019
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July
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- CALLING ALL LURKERS
- WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, THERE IS ALWAYS PUNDITRY
- ANOTHER ZINGER
- A REAL ZINGER
- FAMILY HISTORY
- REMEMBER
- ALL POLITICS ARE LOCAL
- AT LONG LAST, HAVE YOU NO DECENCY?
- HURRAH FOR US OLD GUYS
- FRIDAY LISTS
- A RIFF ON NN'S COMMENT
- NEW FRIDAY LISTS #1
- LAST CHANCE
- REMINDER
- I AM SO ANGRY i CANNOT SEE STRAIGHT
- WHAT I HAVE BEEN BINGE WATCHING
- OH, BY THE WAY
- NIGHT THOUGHTS
- DON'T BE LATE
- YOU NEVER KNOW...
- LIFE'S SMALL PLEASURES
- THE REBIRTH OF THE FRIDAY LISTS
- SOBER THOUGHTS
- WHAT CAN I DO?
- INSIDE BASEBALL
- ONE FINAL NOTE
- IT CANNOT BE REPEATED OFTEN ENOUGH
- THIS AND THAT
- MORE ON WAGE INEQUALITY
- MEA CULPA
- A GOLDEN OLDIE
- SERENA WHO?
- QUICK RESPONSE TO PROFESSOR PIGDEN
- AN EXTENDED RESPONSE TO MATT
- I HAVE SEEN THE FUTURE AND IT IS SCARY
- STOP THE PRESSES!! MAJOR MILESTONE!!
- A RESPONSE TO SOME COMMENTS
- AN IDLE THOUGHT
- IDLE SPECULATION
- A NIGHT AT THE MOVIES
- BUT WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY? A MEDITATION
- MORE ON INEQUALITY
- BE STILL MY HEART
- MORE OF THE SAME
- THE WAY WE ARE NOW
- THE BEGINNING OF A THOUGHT
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July
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About Me
- Robert Paul Wolff
- As I observed in one of my books, in politics I am an anarchist, in religion I am an atheist, and in economics I am a Marxist. I am also, rather more importantly, a husband, a father, a grandfather, and a violist.
6 comments:
Sorry for the late response, but I'm just catching up on your rather poetic and deeply honest expression of love for your sons.
The first I remember of Russiagate appearing in your blog was your post of Dec 12, 2016, "Read, Act, Circulate" which was a call to action based upon Professor Tobias Wolff's urgent alert, "...please share and circulate this post widely....a joint statement emphasizing the seriousness of the Russian espionage and interference... .it is time to start pushing very hard....This is vital."
Given Professor Tobias Wolff's identification with the leadership of the Democratic party (having written quite favorably of Obama and Booker, among others, for example) and given your incredible bond with him, I have often wondered if his political positions have constrained or shaped your own. Suppose, given his relationship to academic radicals in your circle not to mention your writings on anarchism and Marx, that his interpretation of the Trumpian crisis were closer to...say...Chris Hedges, would your points of view, positions be the same?
Jerry, thank you. To answer your question adequately would take a book, but let me say just a few things about Tobias. First, Tobias possesses, and indeed has always possessed, to an extraordinary degree, the quality of personality and moral character that the Romans called gravitas. I do not mean that he is sober sided, not at all. But he is the most deeply moral person I know. In this, he is, I am afraid, unlike me. Second, Tobias has committed himself to The Law, not merely as a profession [in which he is enormously distinguished in several fields, including the very technical field of Complex Litigation] but also as a social and moral orientation toward the world. It goes without saying that I have not made a similar life commitment. Third, and this really is important, he is thirty-six years younger than I am, at a different stage in the arc of life, and inevitably his stance differs from mine. All of that said, if he and I differed on a question of high moral importance, I think you would be well advised to take his opinion rather than mine.
2 thoughts, a day or 2 late:
1. As a father, I was very moved by Professor Wolff's "confession" and decessaro's response. There are more things in this world, Horatio, than are dreamed of in your philosophies.
2. My entry for a bumper sticker: NEVER AGAIN, maybe with a picture of a child peering through a chain-link fence. An organization I endorse, mostly Jewish, calls itself NEVER AGAIN. The reference may be lost on some, but that's okay; it's a conversation-stopper.
While I don't want to call into doubt your son Tobias's moral rectitude, from what I've read of his on your blog, I will take your political opinion rather than his on almost all issues. While there may be issues of high moral importance that have nothing to do with politics, many or maybe most political issues are of high moral importance.
Thank you for .your answer.
I am reminded of a postcard I once saw. On the front was a cartoon type drawing of a huge auditorium. All the seats were empty except for two in the middle of auditorium, which were occupied by two rather bewildered looking kids. And a large banner strung across the front of the empty balcony said, words to the effect: "Annual Convention of Well Adjusted, Happy Children from Sane, Healthy, Loving Families."
Tobias and Patrick could have been those kids. Not a small accomplishment.
I've only had cats and like Chris Hedges.
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