Compos Mentis

News and Related Items

1. I now have a guitar. The past six weeks without one were not good for my sanity. I have found some things frustrating, since I can't play at the level I was at six weeks ago. On the other hand, having a new guitar to mess around with is interesting enough to keep me from denigrating into frustration over my newfound lack of skill. Plus, my callouses are gone, so playing hurts. It is essentially a mixed blessing, but its always worthwhile to have a musical instrument than not. I find with the guitar (something I regrettably did not find with the cello) that having to concentrate on something outside of normal work is incredibly relaxing. Also, in Oxford I have found the books on musicology that I would have done terrible things for when I was at Gonzaga. I have a vague desire now to turn from my traditional desires in philosophy to become a musicologist. But, when I leave, I'd have to give it up, so what's the point?

2. This Sunday I went to London. I spent ten hours in a city in which you could spend a lifetime and not see it all. I did my best, though. I started off at the Bank district, where there were lots of beautiful buildings. I followed my nose to St. Paul's cathedral, where I had the rare opportunity of taking in a service. It was the most gorgeous experience I have had in a long time. Also, I had forgotten how beautiful the building is. The cathedral took decades to build, something that is very uncommon now, but sometimes I think that haste breeds a lack of care. On the other hand, I am speaking from someone who enjoys the benefits of these old buildings; if I died a year before St. Paul's was completed, I might have wanted them to hurry a little. From there, I hit the Tate modern. Unfortunately, they were having an exhibition on Surrealism, which is not my cup of tea (take that, Lacan!*) so I only skimmed it. From there, I walked along the Thames and crossed to the Parliament buildings. Big Ben, I noted, was about three minutes off by my watch. Anyway, back down the underground to the British Museum. If I could find one place to live in London, this would be one of my choices. The place has a feel to it.... Perhaps it comes from having a knowledge of history. Let me give an example. I spent one week this term writing a paper on the Augustan Revolution, when Augustus Caesar became more than a consul or even a dictator; he became emperor of the whole Roman world. I read about the wars, the political intrigues, the rhetorical and political manipulations he had to go through. When I went to my tutor to talk about what I had learned, he showed me a coin minted for the ascension of Augustus to the imperium. I felt a profound sense of connection with all of what I had read and learned. That was a coin. The British Museum feels like walking into a Roman temple, or an Assyrian capital, or an African village, or a Greek temple. Seriously, they have a reconstruction of the original Parthenon there. It is nearly overwhelming.
From there, I went to Trafalgar square, to say hello to Nelson. I spent some time there: the nearby National Gallery was just closing, and I was getting very tired. I sat, engaged in some people-watching, and wrote some stuff. The sun was setting behind me, and people were out with their families, some heading home, others just heading out. One man was playing with a remote control helicopter, which his son was chasing wildly. I was completely satisfied with life.
For the denouement, I managed to get some very good Chinese fast food. Besides from a little scare at the bus station, namely, wondering whether I was in fact in the right place or not, I made it back without further adventure.

*As I suddenly realize I have an incredibly inbred and exotic sense of humor that no one will find funny but me.

3. Outside the British Museum was what looked like a political stand; there were people giving out pamphlets, trying to get people to sign up for something. I wasn't very interested, until I saw one of the signs was celebrating Cyrus day, in honor of the 6th century B.C.E. emperor of Persia. Apparently, the sight of one of his capitals is under some threat due to a dam being built by Iran. If you would like to check it out for yourself, the best sight is: www.savepasargad.com/european_languages.htm
The evidence is slightly underwhelming: Iran is saying that the resulting flooding will not cover the city, but will increase the erosion factor. AWTI, the organization trying to stop the dam being built, says that the danger is equivalent to that of the giant Buddha statues destroyed by the Taliban about a decade back.
What I found interesting was the bind that everyone involved found themselves in. On the first level, the evidence is equivocal as to whether or not the flooding will do irreconcilable damage before scientists could make record of the artefacts there. The question is, to what extent does modernizing the country have precedence over restoration of the past?
The second bind, on the next level, is three fold; between Iran's government, the Iranian people who wish the site to be preserved, and the West, notably UNESCO. The Iranian people are, by all accounts, often at odds with the leadership of their country. They will put what pressure they can on the government, but that pressure is mostly symbolic and ineffective, like the petition I signed. Between Iran and UNESCO is a stand off. UNESCO has no teeth; they would obviously like the city to be saved, but they cannot do anything to stop it. This is especially true given Iran's status as a fairly influential power in the region. Few people want Iran to be destabilized.
I cannot hope to predict what Ahmadinejad is thinking. On the other hand, it would not do for Iran to look bad in the international community. Thumbing one's nose at the U.S. does not make you look bad; destroying an ancient heritage site does. But what else can be done? The modernization of his country also must continue. Why? Because it will give Iran the same power as the West: industrial power, military power, and economic power. But the West is what Iran is defying. The artefacts are in danger because Iran is following contradictory principles.
I usually hate it when people try to persuade me to join their cause, even if the cause is right. Most of the time I don't think that the cause is worth very much at all, but in this case my opinion is slightly different. Again, most of the time I think discussing politics is a waste of time, not necessarily because people don't know what they are talking about, but because the arguments assume a (nonexistent) Ceteris Paribus clause, which means "all else being equal." Arguing for a change in policy assumes that everything else around will stay the same. But things don't say the same, so by Modus Tollens, arguing for a change in policy will lead to false results. Theoretically, I believe I'm correct, but there is more to life than theory. (Gasp!) I think the world will be better off if that dam is not built. I think Iran will be better off, as it will look good to the world community. I think the people of Iran will be better off, as they will see the government listening to them. I think the world will be better off, because a connection with history, a great part of history, will remain.
That is why I signed the petition.

posted by Emmett @ 10:54