A year and a half has passed since I last ventured into the blogosphere. Much has happened. I have acquired a season ticket to Guys Hospital along with visits to the GP. His practice seems to be expanding, which is hardly surprising. It has been an interesting experience, although one I could have done without. Medical treatment, even if apparently successful, is not without it's particular problems. What are called euphemistically side effects can linger on for some considerable time. I will henceforth cease complaining. The important thing is that I have regained the ability to drink and enjoy Chauvet Grand Rose. This is a singularly nice pink champagne once listed the Hachette Guide des Vins as a "vin remarkable". In the 2015 guide it is described as "Un rosé d'assemblage de pinot noir et de chardonnay vinifié sans fermentation malolactique. Nez riche, sur les fruits rouges (fraise des bois) et le sous-bois. Bouche ample, fidèle au nez, tout en fruits rouges (fraise, groseille), sous-tendue par une fraîcheur acidulée" which google loosely translates as "a pinot noir rosé assembly of Chardonnay and vinified without malolactic fermentation. rich nose of red fruit (strawberry) and the undergrowth. wide mouth, faithful to the nose, while red fruit (strawberry, gooseberry), underpinned by a tangy freshness". The rich nose, should be translated as wild strawberries, a very different nose altogether. Nonetheless I am pleased that it is back on the agenda. Other wines still elude me; however, I believe I will cope if from here on I am reduced to drinking only pink champagne. How long that will be is another matter.
In light of these past events a variety of journeys have been undertaken. A wiz round France Spain and Portugal, a quick trip to New York a la recherche du temps perdu. Huntspoint Hospital, where I was born, is no more. It is now a post office. The childhood homes are still in situ and Mount Vernon appears (almost) very much the same going on 68 years and it was 67years ago in June of 1949 that all the family goods were sold off and we moved to France.
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| 2016 |
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| 1948 |
So here we are back in Paris, sitting in a flat on the Rue Saint-Hyacinthe corner of the Marche Saint Honore above a lovely wine bar, come brasserie, called Le Rubis. Very nice it is too.
I have enrolled as an 'auditeur libre' at the Sorbonne Universite Paris I - doing a bit of philosophy
I have been to three classes although the second was cancelled. The first is Justice et Droit et la Lumiere Ecossaise - in the process of reading from the Philosophical Works of David Hume Volume II, Book III of Morals. Part II Of Justice and Injustice, sections 1 and 2.
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| David Hume was discussed |
Adam Smith rears up as well in the second class unfortunately cancelled on Monday. We are meant to be dealing with The Theory Of Moral Sentiment, The sense of Property, Chapter 1- Sympathy. In effect quite a lot of reading to do. The third class, which is quite late, is to do with Thoreau's Civil Disobedience. The class is from 7PM to 9PM with upwards to 30+ students. It takes place in the Pantheon bit of the Sorbonne in a rather large room with a raised platform at the end. Not a theatre but a lecture room. Sometimes difficult to hear. Mostly young final year students doing one of the required courses, a mixture of History of Philosophy, Philosophy and Science, Logic, etc.. There are about six categories they have to deal with. The atmosphere is much the same as it is at any University, save there is not so much in the way of discussion or back and forth banter. I supposed that is difficult with such a large group. One of the students did a presentation of a paragraph from the text. He did read out the English text which he then translated and analysed; however, his English pronunciation was appalling. I confess I found it hard to understand and even more difficult to find the relevant passage to be able to follow his flow. Other students not terribly helpful when asked where and what the class has got up to. They are in their fourth week so it's catch up for me. This presentation was then followed by the lecturer's point of view going over the same passage. Slightly better English but very laborious. As close a reading as one would want. Two hours to discuss the last highlighted section.
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| Amphi IIB |
The mass of men serve the state thus, not as men mainly, but as machines, with their bodies. They are
the standing army, and the militia, jailers, constables, posse comitatus, etc. In most cases there is no
free exercise whatever of the judgement or of the moral sense; but they put themselves on a level with
wood and earth and stones; and wooden men can perhaps be manufactured that will serve the purpose
as well. Such command no more respect than men of straw or a lump of dirt. They have the same sort
of worth only as horses and dogs. Yet such as these even are commonly esteemed good citizens.
Others--as most legislators, politicians, lawyers, ministers, and office-holders--serve the state chiefly
with their heads; and, as the rarely make any moral distinctions, they are as likely to serve the devil,
without intending it, as God. A very few--as heroes, patriots, martyrs, reformers in the great sense, and
men--serve the state with their consciences also, and so necessarily resist it for the most part; and they
are commonly treated as enemies by it. A wise man will only be useful as a man, and will not submit to
be "clay," and "stop a hole to keep the wind away," but leave that office to his dust at least:
I am rather enjoying the reading, although I find all these men can so easily be supporters of the Tory Party. Thoreau begins his Civil objections with:
"I heartily accept the motto, "That government is best which governs least"; and I should like to see it
acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I
believe--"That government is best which governs not at all"; and when men are prepared for it, that will
be the kind of government which the will have. "
Smith's "Wealth of Nations" is a apology for the small businessman, what used to be called the backbone of Britain,. and Hume posits that Justice stems from the acquisition and protection of property or rather possessions.. There is indeed a kind of justice that revolves around such matters, but that, in my respectful submission, your honour, is not the whole story.
There is another quote from Thoreau which I believe has a bit of relevance for todays potential voters in the forthcoming elections in the United States, just 4 weeks away:
All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or backgammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and wrong, with moral questions; and betting naturally accompanies it. The character of the
voters is not staked. I cast my vote, perchance, as I think right; but I am not vitally concerned that that
right should prevail. I am willing to leave it to the majority. Its obligation, therefore, never exceeds that
of expediency. Even voting for the right is doing nothing for it. It is only expressing to men feebly your
desire that it should prevail. A wise man will not leave the right to the mercy of chance, nor wish it to
prevail through the power of the majority. There is but little virtue in the action of masses of men.
When the majority shall at length vote for the abolition of slavery, it will be because they are indifferent
to slavery, or because there is but little slavery left to be abolished by their vote. They will then be the
only slaves. Only his vote can hasten the abolition of slavery who asserts his own freedom by his vote.
We could spend a good few hours discussing the above paragraph and no doubt will, but I leave it to you to ponder.
There was a joke going around in the late forties around the time of Truman's defeat of Dewey in 1948. Lucky Strike cigarettes had a slogan LSMFT - Lucky Strike means fine tobacco. It was taken up by the republicans as LSMFT - Lord save me from Truman - It could easily be brought back, but cigarettes are unpopular - LSMFT- Lord save me from Trump.
There is a lot more yet to learn. More of this anon,
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