thinkin’ about how philosophy and literature will inevitably spar for eternity :/

Tuesday Daily Editor/ultimate renaissance woman Briana Bursten put her incredibly extensive knowledge of philosophy and literature to the test when she attended a lecture entitled “The Ancient Quarrel: Philosophy and Literature” on Monday night. So who cares if she only took one intro philosophy class last semester and now calls herself “Yung Aristotle”? Who cares if she only skimmed read select passages of the Odyssey during her First Year English class? This girl is BACK and ready to share her academic mastery with all of you plebeians Bwog readers. Bow down, bitches. 

Barnard alumna and former Assistant Professor Rebecca Goldstein returned to her alma mater on Monday night to give a lecture detailing the convoluted relationship that philosophy and literature share. As she took the podium in the Diana Oval, Goldstein gave her personal history regarding her academic career at Barnard and her professional evolution from philosopher to novelist. Though the lecture began a bit after its set start time at 7pm, it became clear that this talk would be an excellent addition to the alumni lecture series commemorating Barnard’s 125th anniversary.

Goldstein began the bulk of her lecture by explaining the history of the conflict between philosophy and literature. The “Ancient Quarrel” dates back to the days of Plato, when the Greek philosopher proposed that writers and poets would not belong in his utopia. Goldstein then explained that the philosopher’s general qualm regarding literature is that readers of literature end up drawing philosophical conclusions from the text rather than using individual reasoning to draw such conclusions. Goldstein also addressed the attractiveness of literature—in studying literary texts, readers are able to detach from their personal thoughts and invest in the thoughts and actions of characters.

Goldstein explained that she had never taken any formal Literature courses during her time at Barnard, instead focusing on “math, physics, and philosophy.” It was during her time as an Assistant Professor at Barnard when she wrote The Mind Body Problem, a piece which centers around the conflict between emotion and intelligence and has been described by Goldstein as a “philosophically motivated novel.” It was after The Mind Body Problem that Goldstein began to realize the conflict between philosophy and literature firsthand, as many of her fellow scholars and academic peers were perplexed and confused by the novel.

During Goldstein’s lecture, it became clear that philosophy and literature are not too different from one another. Even though philosophers are deeply analytical, there is an element of “feeling philosophical conclusions” in an intuitive sense despite the heightened value of reason. Goldstein spoke on this topic for approximately half an hour before she dimmed the lights in the Oval and played a 15-minute recording that she had assembled. The recording featured various individuals quoting famous authors and philosophers, among them Virginia Woolf, Jean Paul Sartre, and W.H. Auden. The dark environment and the sole presence of the recording allowed for audience members to individually evaluate the quotes and their significance. Addressed topics included consciousness, free will, and reason.

The rest of the lecture was devoted to an open Q&A Session and a book signing. Goldstein’s most recent book, entitled Plato At The Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won’t Go Away, was available for purchase. All in all,”The Ancient Quarrel: Philosophy and Literature” was an informative lecture that allowed audience members to evaluate important ideas while simultaneously honoring Barnard’s alumni and history.

thoughts… thots… what’s the difference anymore? via Shutterstock