" Aristotle with A Bust of Homer" - Rembrandt

So, yeah, I'm an Aristotelian. So what? He's yet to abuse my intelligence by seriously asking me to believe principles which would require me to abandon my common sense. Not to mention the fact that St. Thomas accepted his proofs, and we all know how cool he is.

Ne'ertheless, I think I really need to stop being paranoid about my seminar readings.

I've approached the readings of junior seminar with not a little trepidation; my kneejerk reaction to the moderns has been a certain reserve, arising out of some need to save my philosophical backside from the corrupting influences of the psychotic moderns. It's like I keep thinking whatever disease they had might be catching (oops - that's a midwestern phrase. I apologize. Translation: to " . . . be catching . . .", or " . . . be catchin' . . . " = to be contagious).

I went and spoke with the Dean today on this issue, as I didn't know whether these fears were based on real or imaginary concerns, and I wanted to ascertain if such reservations were going to be damaging to my thesis research. What I gathered from the conversation is that my observation of error in the first principles of the moderns is what I am supposed to see, and that those rejected first principles can be simply observed in order to see the conclusions that follow from their admission. In other words, due attention to the consequences of error is hardly going to corrupt my soul. Also, I really should trust the program more - they're not giving me anything I can't philosophically handle.

It's true that every year I grow in trust for this college - they are teachers truly worthy of forming my mind. It's amazing the way they've organized everything - it's organized perfectly towards my being able to build a proper philosophical system for myself. This is truly an amazing place.

Pax Christi,

Em