History

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Recollections of New Orleans from my childhood

I recently saw something that reminded me of a book that I had lost to the fog of memory.  The book I was reminded of was one that my father’s aunt in New Orleans had in her house.  It was a children’s book of a type I had never run across before or since. It must have been the early or mid 60’s when I saw this book.  I don’t remember much about it but one thing stood out in my memory.  One of the illustrated stories in it was called either “The Ten Little Colored Boys” or “The Ten Little Pickaninnies”.  I remember that the story was about all the dangerous things the boys did and how one after another they died and went to heaven until there was only one good one left.  It amazes how normal that was thought to be at the time.  I don’t know how racist the intent was as really it could have been any group of boys.  Looking back on it now from a distance, I realize how racist the drawings of the boys were even though their actions and consequences were not.  Thinking back on that time, I remember she even had a little black jockey statue in her yard but I can’t remember if it was in her back or front yard.  I don’t recall her or anyone else using derogatory language about any group but those artifacts that I remember from her home do tell a story in and of themselves.

I also remember her having a View-Master with reels of Disneyland rides. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world that it showed things in 3-D so they looked as if you could grab them. One of the reels was a variation of the story of Jack the Giant Killer with Mickey Mouse as Jack. In this story, Jack was a tailor and used his sewing skills to bind up the giant. Her house is the first time that I remember playing with dominoes.

One of the other things I remember from that time was the smell of beignets and coffee in the French Quarter. I remember walking around with my dad on what I assume was Bourbon Street. I think it was because I recall walking along the sidewalk and there were open doors with music inside, a man outside each door calling for people to come in and I actually a glimpse of a, to me, naked woman dancing inside but I now know that she actually had bikini bottoms and pasties since that is what they are allowed in New Orleans.

Enough for now. Next post will be an update on my knee replacement stay.

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The Greatest Thinkers part 3 (Plato)

Number three in our list is Plato. Here we see the first steps of Western philosophical thought. He makes the point that ordinary people limit themselves by only perceiving the shadows of reality, while the philosopher looks for the underlying truths.

Plato brings about, in written form, what we think of today as the Socratic method & and teaching. His use of dialogues or conversations to reveal these truths emphasizes his belief that philosophical thought is brought out in the active exchange of ideas. But he also saw it as more than just an informal give and take but more of a journey through a series of yes or no questions until the proposition in question is brought to a logical impasse.

To Plato, this search for truths becomes a laying bare of the essences or forms of all existence. This would be the true science. He saw this discovery of these forms as almost a religious revelation or ultimate satisfaction.

We also see in Plato his disdain for democracy or the polis is very likely shaped by the condemnation and death of his teacher, Socrates. The significance of this tragedy to Plato, and in-turn to us, is demonstrated by it occupying three of his dialogues, Apology, Crito, and Phaedo.

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The Greatest Thinkers part 2 (Confucius)

The next section of the book is about Confucius and it left me feeling shorted.  The contributer of that section, Pamela Gray, starts off with the observation that under Confucius the most important aspect is how people relate to each other.  The view is that it doesn’t matter if you are a good person or a bad person, all that matters is whether your relationships are proper and everyone does their duty according to their station.

The big problem I have with this article is she spends almost all of it giving the history of the individual and very little on why he is so important as to merit being included in the book as a great thinker.  As such, she gives Confucius short shrift.

Confucianism is essentialy ethics without a deity.  It has fundamental virtues of integrity, righteousness, loyalty, etiquette and knowledge.  These virtues in combination with social harmony (relationships) form the basic foundation of this belief system.  Confucius and his disciples added rituals and reverence for ancestors making almost appear as a religion.  In this manner it seems to serve the function as a religion but fits more in concept to a non-theistic ideology.

In the eventual influence of his belief system upon Chinese politics and society, his influence can be seen on Chinese civilization.  What is left unsaid is the support this “philosophy” gave to deists in the West.  Voltaire pointed out how Confucius brought about a meritocracy of virtue instead of might.

As such, these beliefs actually have gained some resurgence while not under the name of Confucianism.

Next time, Plato.