Steven Hales (Bloomsburg) calls to my attention that September is "Metaphysical Awareness Month." Professor Hales has pledged to "remain essentially self-identical all month long." What are your plans?
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No perduring. I've decided to swear off allowing parts of me to exist in the past and in the future. For the entire month, all of me will exist here and now, wherever here and now happens to be in September spacetime.
Posted by: Robert Johnson | September 03, 2008 at 03:52 PM
Pace Professor Hales, I'll continue being no one.
Posted by: Michael Drake | September 03, 2008 at 04:18 PM
Has September been rigidly designated "Metaphysical Awareness Month"?
Posted by: Peter Brian Barry | September 03, 2008 at 04:36 PM
I think I'll read Rorty...
Posted by: Mark S. | September 03, 2008 at 04:55 PM
I intend to have no essence at all, but merely to be a typical member of my species.
Posted by: John S. Wilkins | September 03, 2008 at 05:22 PM
I plan to celebrate by painting myself red and green all over at the same time for the duration.
Posted by: A. P. Taylor | September 03, 2008 at 06:32 PM
Maybe hand out fliers to young empiricists-- so they may not be lead astray. Save Metaphysics!
Posted by: Alan Daboin | September 03, 2008 at 07:45 PM
I'm going to read Ayer's 'Elimination of Metaphysics' as a work of poetry.
Posted by: Matt Sheffield | September 03, 2008 at 08:21 PM
This month, Alyson Hannigan and I are going to be a thing.
(I'm both aware of and sympathetic to unrestricted mereological composition.)
Posted by: Neil the Ethical Werewolf | September 03, 2008 at 08:34 PM
Like Dr Johnson, my first idea was to be wholly present at every instant in the next month. Instead, I'll focus on trying to have a proper part of me at each subregion of the regions of space I'll occupy.
Posted by: Bradley Rettler | September 03, 2008 at 09:57 PM
I intend to be in the act of becoming, being maintained as a contingent being.
Posted by: Jerome Ullman | September 03, 2008 at 11:36 PM
I'm planning on selling all of my test tubes, microscopes, magnifying glasses, scales, rulers, and various other messy empirical equipment, and then using the money to buy myself a cozy armchair (preferably leather).
Posted by: Derek Pierson | September 04, 2008 at 12:42 AM
In a rather different vein, I was thinking of perhaps freeing my will.
Posted by: John Gardner | September 04, 2008 at 01:13 AM
I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.
Posted by: Branden Fitelson | September 04, 2008 at 01:39 AM
I don't believe in months, so cannot participate.
Posted by: Ross Cameron | September 04, 2008 at 02:06 AM
I intend to be not quite myself.
Posted by: Alan Thomas | September 04, 2008 at 04:08 AM
I plan to sit on a shelf next to Aristotle's Physics for the duration.
Posted by: Justin Sytsma | September 04, 2008 at 05:55 AM
I'd been planning to exist in all possible worlds but because of the economic down-turn I've had to cut back and rather will exist in all _near by_ possible worlds.
Posted by: Matt | September 04, 2008 at 06:09 AM
Well, look it's metaphysical awareness month, not *metaphysics* awareness month. And since no one can be metaphysically aware of a month or anything for that matter (and no confusing double talk from the property dualists, please), I suggest we all go back to our regular, old feeble forms of awareness.
Posted by: Michael Ashooh | September 04, 2008 at 07:19 AM
Q: Why is there a metaphysical awareness month, rather than nothing?
Posted by: Varol Akman | September 04, 2008 at 09:10 AM
I swear I will be necessarily but not essentially a member of my singleton.
Posted by: Alessandro Torza | September 04, 2008 at 09:18 AM
I'm divided.
Posted by: Anthony Skelton | September 04, 2008 at 10:12 AM
I intend to celebrate by eating a big bowl of atomless gunk.
Posted by: Robert Gressis | September 04, 2008 at 11:04 AM
i am planning to drive long hours on the highway, dozing off occasionally, and see if metaphysical awareness is really necessary.
Posted by: J. Dow | September 04, 2008 at 11:04 AM
Also, I'm going to use that new version of Downy fabrice softener: "Turtles all the way Downy".
ZING!
Posted by: Robert Gressis | September 04, 2008 at 11:05 AM
I intend to build a big bonfire, find as many volumes of divinity or school metaphysics as I can, and consign them to the flames.
Posted by: Alastair Norcross | September 04, 2008 at 11:33 AM
When I run over libraries, during metaphysical awareness month, what havoc must I make? If I take in my hand any volume; by David Hume, for instance; I will ask, 'Does it contain any abstract reasoning concerning matter of fact and existence?' No. I will commit it then to the flames: For it can contain nothing of Socrates and Deleuze.
Posted by: Christopher Hitchcock | September 04, 2008 at 11:50 AM
I'll be a vague object.
Posted by: Jussi Suikkanen | September 04, 2008 at 12:40 PM
Wear a mask to avoid being contaminated.
Posted by: Edouard Machery | September 04, 2008 at 01:11 PM
Move our department to the floor just above the Physics department, of course.
Posted by: Eddy Nahmias | September 04, 2008 at 08:15 PM
I've resolved to stop being so selfish, and to start sharing the place I occupy with as many arbitrary undetatched parts as are interested.
Posted by: Todd Buras | September 04, 2008 at 11:07 PM
I won't be celebrating it myself, but my employers have just marked the occasion by altering my timetable to ensure that I don't have to occupy two non-contiguous locations at the same time every week. Bravo!
Posted by: Anonymous | September 05, 2008 at 01:45 AM
I'm afraid all these activities are two years too late. The link is to the 'special months' of 2006.
Posted by: iain | September 05, 2008 at 07:22 AM
I planning on climbing into a hole, if there is such a thing, and thinking about tomorrow's sea-battle, in both the A-series and B-series.
Posted by: Eric | September 05, 2008 at 09:35 AM
I'll be celebrating as a collective agent, and so will I.
Posted by: James B. | September 05, 2008 at 10:20 AM
Willing the eternal recurrence of each moment of September.
Posted by: Dave Lundeen | September 05, 2008 at 10:41 AM
I will lambaste the last man until we become one. Well, that's if I can take my eyes off of the dancing figures on the wall.
Posted by: Henry C. Alphin Jr. | September 05, 2008 at 04:44 PM
I'll be just some guy.
Posted by: Pekka Vayrynen | September 05, 2008 at 05:29 PM
I'm going to preempt some causes. Lots of them.
Posted by: Andrew Cullison | September 05, 2008 at 07:08 PM
I will consciously walk past the Physics depaetment on my way in each morning.
Posted by: Shane Glackin | September 06, 2008 at 01:06 PM
I will give a toupee to the current king of France.
I will also start an activities club that consists of all students at the university that are not members of a club.
I will also imitate a zombie--acting exactly like I would if I were a being indiscernible to myself but lacking conscious experience.
Finally, honoring Foucault, I will kill every self I come across.
Posted by: Kevin Lande | September 07, 2008 at 05:04 PM
Iain, who complained that metaphysical awareness month took place in 2006, is clearly a presentist. I celebrate all existing times, whether past, present or future.
Posted by: Christopher Hitchcock | September 08, 2008 at 11:47 AM
Alternatively, might not we handle Iain's note that the link refers to a Prior special month by saying:
It is now two years since it was the case that I am celebrating Metaphysical Awareness month...by falling out of a punt, say?
Posted by: Fred Ablondi | September 08, 2008 at 01:04 PM
Begin a new monadic existence
Posted by: PhillyBlunt | September 10, 2008 at 04:32 PM
I'll be keeping it real.
Posted by: ADS | September 12, 2008 at 10:13 AM