tbg@apollo.uucp (Tom Gross) (10/15/86)
The first philosophy course I ever took was
"German Idealism". This was about 14 years
ago. At that time, sophomoric bozo that I
was (or am), I had an aversion to introductory
survey courses of all kinds, so I thought I
would start right out with something advanced.
We started out reading Fichte, of all people.
Needless to say, not knowing my Kant from my
clamdigger, I didn't last long in the course.
Later, I studied Kant, both in english and
german. I think I got out of that the idea
that Kant thought that if every event DIDN'T
have a cause, we couldn't function. I don't
know.
For the past three years, I have been reading
Bertrand Russell's "History of Philosophy" or
whatever it's called, on the beach every summer.
My hope is that someday I'll AT LEAST find out
what Kant was all about. It's slow going, and
this past year here in Massachusetts had such
crumby weekends we didn't go to beach much.
I've gotten only as far as Aristotle.
Anyway, now my wife is taking an undergraduate,
evening course on "Marxism, Fascism, and Democracy".
In helping her study, we've been reading Hegel and
Feuerbach (and Marx and Engels). Hegel brings
me full circle again to German Idealism.
I'm afraid I still don't get it. Did people really
seriously NOT believe in the material world?
What's the difference between a solipsist and an
idealist?
And while we are at it, what is "logical positivism"?
Tom "der Mann ohne Eigenschaften" Gross
Apollo Computer, Inc.
Chelmsford, MA