Katy Fulfer

Philosophy in the world

by

Comparing Hannah Arendt and neoliberalism on the family

The family is at the heart of neoliberalism. Thus argues Melinda Cooper in her 2017 book Family Values. Usually when I hear the term neoliberalism I think about the individual and personal responsibility. Yet, Cooper demonstrates, the family is central to its operations and maintenance. I think Arendt’s critique of the family can be especially helpful in illuminating this claim. But, she also naturalizes the family in a way — similar to neoliberalism.   Personal responsibility equals family … [Read more...]

by

Space in the time of coronavirus

In the previous edition of the #AtHomeWithArendt series, Katy discussed the value of temporal and spatial transitions in our workdays. And that got me thinking: what does space even mean now? All over the world, physical distancing is not just encouraged but actually demanded. So, what does it mean to be present when physical proximity is sometimes a matter of life and death? Katy and I have been thinking and writing about what it means to listen solidaristically for more than a year, but the … [Read more...]

by

Walking to work

This past Monday I heard a radio segment about how people miss having a commute to work. More specifically, they miss the time to transition between the private and the public. According to the segment, some employers are encouraging  that (or maybe adding?) "commuting" be designated in workplace calendars as a nudge to make time for this transition. Some employers are also partnering with mindfulness apps, suggesting that such practices might serve as a mechanism during “commute time” … [Read more...]

by

Forgiving as harm reduction

“You have to eat and keep going. Eating is a small, good thing in a time like this.” (Raymond Carver, A Small, Good Thing) Maybe reading is also a small, good thing? I am finally back in the swing of reading for pleasure and, as a treat to myself, I re-read for the umpteenth time Raymond Carver’s short story, “A Small, Good Thing.”  The story appears to be about a couple as they try to deal with the aftermath of their son being hit by a car. But I think the story is really about the human … [Read more...]

by

Variations on thinking: Keats and Arendt

"‘Beauty is truth, truth beauty,’ that is all / Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know." ---John Keats, from Ode to a Grecian Urn Poetic imagination I've been thinking about the English Romantic poet John Keats for the past month or so as I prepared to moderate a panel on Keat's concept of "negative capability." The panelists included poet Luke Hathaway, visual artist Gwenessa Lam, and Buddhist scholar Jeff Wilson. The event is part of a virtual series entitled Café Philo, organized by … [Read more...]