What I have learnt recently: August 2012

Friday, August 24, 2012

A Tribute to Alan Saunders

"To study philosophy is nothing but to prepare one's self to die."
Cicero (cited in Michel de Montaigne, 1575: Book 1, Chapter 19)

I am rarely impressed by entertainers, journalists, media personals. But Alan Saunders impressed me greatly. For me, he was not merely a journalist, or a radio presenter, but a philosopher, a teacher, an artist. We never met, but he is one of my great teachers.

I cherish, treasure, and collect his programme (Philosopher’s Zone podcast). I love and adore his discussions. I study and listen regularly repeatedly reverently.

I am never scared of death. And I am rarely moved by death of anyone. But his unexpected sudden death made me felt sad, lost, unhappy, a bit angry. He could easily produced many great, valuable works on philosophers and philsophy.

Dr Alan Saunders fell ill, while working on his program The Philosopher's Zone on Thursday afternoon (14th June 2012), and was taken to hospital where his condition deteriorated overnight. He died of pneumonia in hospital on Friday morning (15th June 2012) surrounded by colleagues and friends (ABC Radio, 2012). He was only 58.

There is a tribute program (Tribute to the Philosophical Alan Saunders) made for him. At this programme, philosopher Martha Nussbaum, from the University of Chicago, who was interviewed by Alan a number of times for the program said

"Alan Saunders was a prince among broadcasters. Of all the journalists I've ever met, he had the deepest love of, and also understanding of, philosophy, and his passion for ideas made doing a program with him a highlight of one's year -- even long distance by phone, and even more in person in the studio. What he brought to public discussion was priceless."

Alan Saunders attending the Food for Thought forum, National Portrait Gallery,

Canberra, 5 March 2005 (Loui Seselja; courtesy).

Image from http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/philosopherszone/tribute-to-the-philosophical-alan-saunders/4080066

In A picture of Alan Saunders (in memoriam), W H Chong wrote
I can’t recall that he was ever pompous, or self-regarding — how rare! In that way he was a kind of bodhisattva, an already enlightened being who elected to stay on this plane to help others find their way. To make a weekly offering of possible meanings in our shattering, uncentred and materialistic time seems to me an act of faith, a work of unusual generosity of energy.

In In memoriam: Dr Alan Saunders, Amanda Armstrong, an acting station manager of ABC Radio National program, says Dr Saunders had an extraordinary mind.
“He was equally at home talking about Plato, the role of vampires in popular culture or the history of the restaurant. He wrote like an angel, and had a deep knowledge of music, among many other areas, including philosophy, gastronomy, architecture, design and film."

Andrewk, Inexhaustibly Curious, beautifully wrote "Death of Alan Saunders" at Philosopher Forums
"He had an open mind, a calm, genial demeanour, a pleasant voice and a keen curiosity about all things philosophical and scientific, as well as a number of other topics - he also broadcast shows on architecture, design and food. He was very good at explaining complex concepts in simple terms and he had an endearing habit of always interjecting when one of his guest philosophers mentioned a name in passing, such as "Ayer disagreed with this", to say "you mean the 20th century British philosopher AJ Ayer", for the benefit of his listeners. He was always focused on keeping the discussion intelligbile to his listeners."

I will take time and make efforts to write a proper blog about him.

Reference

ABC Radio (2012) ABC Radio philosopher Alan Saunders dies. ABC Radio online, Jun 16, 2012. Retrieved on August 24, 2012 from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-15/abc-radio-philosopher-alan-saunders-dies/4073618

Montaigne, M. D. (1575) Essays (translated by Charles Cotton, 1877). Retrieved on August 27, 2012 http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/texts/montaigne/montaigne-essays--5.html#XVII.

Links on Alan Saunders

Alan Saunders's Keynote Speech "Dare to Know"

His keynote address “Dare to Think” delivered at the VAPS (Victorian Association for Philosophy in Schools) Conference in June 2011.

ABC Radio philosopher Alan Saunders dies
In memoriam: Dr Alan Saunders, FAPSA
Alan Saunders (broadcaster) (Wikipedia)
A picture of Alan Saunders (in memoriam)
A tale of two journalists: of Alan Saunders, Andrew Bolt and the contempt News Ltd publications has for people “like me”

Tribute to Them

No matter we know them or not, we acknowledge, appreciate, are grateful, give credits to them, or not, there were, are, and will be always one person, or a couple of persons, or a small group of persons who started, visualised, hypothesised, tested, developed and standardised these grand methodologies, theories, discoveries, philosophies, or even religions.

I am going to reintroduced them to us again.

I am going to reconnect theories, discoveries, seminal works to their intellectual and philosophical fathers and mothers who gave birth these intellectual advancements that make our lives more rich, more meaningful, more colourful, more efficient, more peaceful, but also sometime (but unintentionally I hope) more dangerous, more stressful, more busy.

All of them built by people like me. (Columbus)

Sanchez: [Columbus stops Sanchez after he leaves an audience with the Queen. Sanchez looks at him, disgusted] You're a dreamer.

Columbus: [shooting a glance out of a window] Tell me, what do you see?

Sanchez: [pausing to look] I see rooftops, I see palaces, I see towers, I see spires that reach... to the sky! I see civilisation!

Columbus: All of them built by people like me.

[Sanchez doesn't respond - shocked]

Columbus: No matter how long you live, Sanchez, there is something that will never change between us. I did it. You didn't.

Ref: In Memorable quotes from the movie, 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992). Retrieved May 9, 2012, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103594/quotes

My Slumber Train

I call it a train but it’s, in fact, a series of evening lectures, throughout the whole night. It’s my slumber train that’s sending me to my destiny, helping me connect with the nature, the humanity and the Enlightenment.

My evening and night have never been boring. It's always a great journey of learning. Along my sleeping rail, throughout the whole night. I travel across the history, meet with greatest minds of the world, learn philosophies and theories that shape the world.

There I meet with the greatest minds of our civilizations. I talk with them about the greatest thoughts, theories and philosophies. I ask them, learn from them, study them, try to understand them. They explain me, teach me, mentor me. They show me how they think and how they see things and nature and the world. They share me their experiences and insights, their concerns and fears, their visions and hopes

Last night I started from Modes and Orders of Machiavelli, then passed the Sovereign State of Hobbes and later Constitutional Government of Lock. In the morning, I woke up at the Democracy and Participation of Rousseau.

This weekend, I was in two Utopias; of Plato and of Thomas More. I visited their schools, learned their educational programme, attended their classes, met their students and studied their curriculum.

Last several months ago, I was at Socrates’ trial and listened to his Apology. Then I visited Plato’s Academy and also his famous cave. I was also with Aristotle when he absconded Athens while wisely uttering ‘I do not wish to see the Athenians sin against philosophy for a second time ’

During the Dark Age, I was in Europe, witnessing the arrival of Enlightenment era. I was with Voltaire and Rousseau just before France revolution started.

My slumber train also sent me to Italy, to meet Cicero, Machiavelli, and Thomas Aquinas, then sent me to England, to talk with Locke, Newton and Keynes.

It also sent me to Scotland, to see Smith and Hume and Darwin, then to the Vienna, to discuss with Mises, Hayek, and Wittgenstein.

While others’re enjoying their evenings, with friends, alcohol, songs, movies, or parties or clubs, every evening I fondly attend my slumber train, religiously, perusing, contemplating and delving as deeply as I can into reflections on economics, philosophy, and politics.

Myo
19 June 2011, Sunday. 04:14 p.m.

Note: It is from my long-nurtured thoughts. I wrote one line and left it, then wrote another line and forgot it again. It will be a continuous written and revising note, adding more thoughts whenever they appear to my mind and imagination. My slumber train is going to tell a story of our history of civilization through the stories of greatest persons who shape, save, change, help, enrich, and develop our world.