Like several other Shimer students, I at nearly all times am under an obligation to finish two sets of readings: those enjoined upon me by my classes and those enjoined upon me by my classmates. At present, I have four books lent me by my fellow Shimerians:
I) V for Vendetta, by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. Lender: Joe Bradshaw. Reason for Lending: I'm not really sure, to tell the truth. I suppose Joe thought my life would improve were I to punctuate my philosophical studies with a few comic books. (Incidentally, I have returned Joe's compliment and foisted upon him no fewer than three volumes of my own: Sense and Sensibilia, by J. L. Austin; Intention, by G. E. M. Anscombe; and Virtues and Vices, by Philippa Foot.)
II) Institution and Passivity, by Maurice Merleau-Ponty. Lender: Ben Bornstein. Reason for Lending: I think I mentioned to Ben that, while I enjoyed reading Edmund Husserl, I was sadly ill-versed in later phenomenologists, Merleau-Ponty specifically. He was kind enough to offer me a remedy for this ignorance.
III) Common Morality, by Bernard Gert. Lender: Chris Roberts (okay, not really a Shimerian: he's a student worker at the IIT library, which I am wont to patronise). Reason for Lending: Chris, a science journalism major, knows me to be a.) inclined towards subjects philosophical and b.) much enamoured of clarity in philosophical writing. Having taken an ethics course in which he read Common Morality and found it to satisfy both of those preferences, he thoughtfully let me borrow a copy and asked for my comments once finished.
IV) The Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrines and Covenants (Scriptures acknowledged by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). Lender: Isaac Coda Marchant-Shapiro. Reason for Lending: I'm not entirely clear about the significance of this episode, but Isaac (himself a Mormon) gave it to me saying that he had sworn he would lend it to a practising Catholic should ever he meet one. I suppose this oath will make more sense after reading the books.
Leo, I am very excited for you to read both V for Vendetta and The Book of Mormon.
Comic books and the Mormon faith are to of my favorite things.
Alan Moore is a particularly interesting vein of graphic novelist. Let me know how you find it and I may have some more recommendations.
Posted by: Alexandra Rosenberg | October 18, 2011 at 10:58 AM