News of June 2022
News about philosophy and its history in June 2022
Opportunities in June 2022
Career and research opportunities in June 2022
Logical Geometry and Aristotelian Diagrams: Interview with Lorenz Demey
Aristotelian diagrams are familiar to most students of logic, and to anyone who has studied history of logic in particular – from classical squares of opposition to more complex varieties such as octagons of opposition, diagrams have been used to study logical relations from antiquity through the Middle Ages and beyond. While they are an important part of the history of logic, do they also have contemporary relevance? Lorenz Demey (Leuven) argues that they do. In this interview, he introduces us to his studies on logical geometry – which comprises the study of Aristotelian diagrams – and argues that Aristotelian diagrams, in their variety of applications, merit consideration as independent objects of study from logical, philosophical and historical perspectives. We spoke about Lorenz’s trajectory leading up to his ERC project on logical geometry and Aristotelian diagrams, what they are and their contemporary relevance, the use of formal and mathematical tools in the history of logic, and much more.
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Philosophy with Children: More Than an Educational Project – Interview with Sara Gomel
Does children’s ability to wonder – for this is how Aristotle describes the beginning of philosophy – make them more apt to philosophize? Do they also ask philosophical questions? This curiosity concerning the limits of children’s capacities to think and engage with profound questions drives many philosophers nowadays to practice philosophical dialogue with children and adolescents. But this is not their only motivation. Doing philosophy with children is also an educational and social project, as we learn from Sara Gomel, a young philosopher who is currently part of an associative initiative that promotes regular sessions of philosophy with children in Italian schools. More than mere instruction about philosophical topics, doing philosophy with children aims to foster discussions about what matters most to them. It stimulates rational discourse and reflection by helping them formulate their thoughts and listen to their classmates’ concerns and convictions – which are not always in perfect consonance with their own. In addition, doing philosophy also empowers children in underprivileged contexts by encouraging them to speak their minds and giving them the feeling that their voice is heard. More importantly, it provides them with the tools to think differently and envision how they can make a change.
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Recently published books and volumes
Our selection of books for June 2022
The Road to SCTA: Scholastic Commentaries and Texts Archive – An Interview with Jeffrey Witt
In this interview we explore Jeffrey’s approach to the DHs, and the limitations he found when working and presenting medieval manuscripts. His interests in creating a double apparatus led him to the XML-TEI (and related tools) and the possibility of separating the semantic-data he was creating from how it was presented. He also gives some insights on the SCTA project he is leading, as well as what benefits can a scholar get when working in the Digital Humanities.
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David Anzalone
David is a PHD Candidate at the University of Lucerne, Switzerland, where he works on his thesis “Plato as seen by Aristotle, as seen by Medieval Commentators on the Metaphysics between the 1230s and the 1350s” with the generous support of the Swiss National Science Foundation (doc.CH grant).
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The Ros Beiaard of Dendermonde
Every ten years, in the Flemish town of Dendermonde, Belgium, something unique takes place. The quiet town is suddenly invaded by thousands of people coming from all over Belgium and abroad (more than eighty thousand in 2022). Starting from the banks of the river Scheldt, a historical costume parade of hundreds of Dendermondenaars (the town residents) and actors slowly marches through the streets of Dendermonde, representing with costumes and chariots the long history of this town and the legend of the Ros Beiaard. The majestic parade is crowned and closed by the Ros Beiaard, from which the festival takes its name. A gigantic wooden horse is brought around by the pijnders, three groups of twelve people that in turns carry the huge beast around and simulate the moves of a real horse. On top of it, four kids ride the horse. They are four brothers (also in real life) that represent the heemskinderen – Renaud de Montauban and his three brothers from the legend of the Beiaard. A huge crowd cheers the passage of the Ros Beiaard singing an old Flemish song (’t Ros Beyaert doet zyn ronde, in de Stadt van Dendermonde, ….) while an ecstatic feeling permeates tourists and locals alike.
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IPM Monthly 