Robin Lathangue - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Uploads
Papers by Robin Lathangue
The Canadian Journal of Higher Education, Jun 1, 2012
This paper is an enquiry into the unpredictability of the liberally educated mind. We are all fam... more This paper is an enquiry into the unpredictability of the liberally educated mind. We are all familiar with the value placed on the word critical when it figures prominently in justifications for liberal arts pedagogy, as in "a liberal arts education should foster the capacity for critical thinking." However, depending on the milieu in which "critical thinking" is habituated, the meaning of the term may degrade into a theoretical conformity and passive assent to established routines which are inevitably expressions of disapproval. This trajectory is described as disenchantment. Its origins are traced to representations of the intellectual as a distinctly secular creature and, in contemporary philosophical developments, associated with political liberalism-both of which, it is argued, are dominated by fear. Drawing on the recent Catholic "Communio" theology of David Schindler as a way to unveil the repressed theologies and hidden ontologies of liberal neutrality, the paper concludes with a brief examination of liberal arts scholarship that is increasingly open to various models of enchantment.
The Southern Journal of Philosophy, 2007
... Finally, the King wins the war, loses Guinevere, and loses Lancelot, and they all lose Camelo... more ... Finally, the King wins the war, loses Guinevere, and loses Lancelot, and they all lose Camelot. In her commentary on this story, Rose observes that whatever he chooses, whether to look the other way or to uphold the law, the King's choice is not the issue. ...
Sophia, 1995
Page 1. WHY ARE INTELLECTUALS SO HARD TO LIVE WITH? Edward Said's Representations of the Int... more Page 1. WHY ARE INTELLECTUALS SO HARD TO LIVE WITH? Edward Said's Representations of the Intellectual* by ROBIN LATHANGUE Deakin University ...
A Review of H. Athanasiadis, George Grant and the Theology of the Cross
Abstract: George Grant's eloquence as a writer and speaker has seldom been the focus of his inter... more Abstract: George Grant's eloquence as a writer and speaker has seldom been the focus of his interpreters and critics. This essay addresses that gap by drawing on the literary theory of Mikhail Bakhtin, especially the category of carnival. It argues that in his carnivalesque rhetoric Grant finds another way to sustain his spirited critique of modernity. The discussion concludes with an assessment of the limitations facing the transposition of Bakhtin's ideas into the contexts surrounding Grant. rÉsUMÉ L' éloquence de George Grant comme écrivain et orateur a rarement été le point central de ses interprètes et critiques. Ce texte s'intéresse à ce vide en s'appuyant sur la théorie littéraire de Mikail Bakhtin, spécialement la catégorie du carnaval. Il soutient que dans sa rhétorique carnavalesque, Grant trouve une autre façon de maintenir son esprit critique de la modernité. La discussion conclut avec une évaluation des limites visant la transposition des idées de Bakhtin dans les contextes qui entourent Grant.
This article explores the conviction that the durability of communities is contingent, at least i... more This article explores the conviction that the durability of communities is contingent, at least in part, on the conception of reason in play. It proposes that prospects for building and sustaining community are enhanced to the degree that rationalistic theories of rationality are rejected. The resulting equivocation in the processes of rule-making, moral thinking, analysis, and critique, while problematic, will be preferable to the alternative and caricatured approaches premised on a strong division between reason and its so-called others. This desirable equivocation involves an analysis of the role of trust in human relations and a revised conception of reason developed by philosopher and social critic Gillian Rose (1947-1995). Through an analysis of Rose's commentary on the folk legend of Camelot and the phenomenology of friendship, this article tries to show how relations constrained by alterity can be transformed. So from the back of her shrine the Sybil of Cumae Chanted fearful equivocal words and made the cave echo With sayings where clear truths and mysteries Were inextricably twined. Apllo turned and twisted His spurs at her breast, gave her her head, then reined in her spasms. S e a m u s Heaneyl This essay proposes that prospects for building community are diminished to the degree (1) t h a t reason is conceived of as instrumental, technical, pure, and objective; and (2) that law Robin Lathangue is assistant professor of contemporary studies, religion and culture at Wilfrid Laurier University in Brantford, Ontario. He is the author of numerous articles and book reviews on public intellectuals, political philosophy and theology. His current research is on romantic conceptions of reason, ethics and cosmopolitanism, and radical orthodoxy.
This paper is an enquiry into the unpredictability of the liberally educated mind. We are all fam... more This paper is an enquiry into the unpredictability of the liberally educated mind. We are all familiar with the value placed on the word critical when it figures prominently in justifications for liberal arts pedagogy, as in " a liberal arts education should foster the capacity for critical thinking. " However, depending on the milieu in which " critical thinking " is habituated, the meaning of the term may degrade into a theoretical conformity and passive assent to established routines which are inevitably expressions of disapproval. This trajectory is described as disenchantment. Its origins are traced to representations of the intellectual as a distinctly secular creature and, in contemporary philosophical developments, associated with political liberalism—both of which, it is argued, are dominated by fear. Drawing on the recent Catholic " Communio " theology of David Schindler as a way to unveil the repressed theologies and hidden ontologies of liberal neutrality, the paper concludes with a brief examination of liberal arts scholarship that is increasingly open to various models of enchantment. RÉSUMÉ Cet article se veut une interrogation quant à l'imprévisibilité de l'esprit ayant reçu une formation en arts libéraux. Nous connaissons tous la valeur accordée au terme critique lorsqu'il apparaît de manière saillante dans des justifications pour la pédagogie des arts libéraux, comme dans l'affirmation suivante : « Une formation en arts libéraux doit nourrir la pensée critique. » Toutefois, selon le milieu auquel la « pensée critique » s'est accoutumée, la signification du terme peut se dégrader en une conformité théorique et en un consentement passif envers les routines établies, qui sont inévitablement des expressions de désapprobation. On décrit cette trajectoire par le terme désenchantement. On retrace ses origines aux représentations de l'intellectuel en une créature
Drafts by Robin Lathangue
The Canadian Journal of Higher Education, Jun 1, 2012
This paper is an enquiry into the unpredictability of the liberally educated mind. We are all fam... more This paper is an enquiry into the unpredictability of the liberally educated mind. We are all familiar with the value placed on the word critical when it figures prominently in justifications for liberal arts pedagogy, as in "a liberal arts education should foster the capacity for critical thinking." However, depending on the milieu in which "critical thinking" is habituated, the meaning of the term may degrade into a theoretical conformity and passive assent to established routines which are inevitably expressions of disapproval. This trajectory is described as disenchantment. Its origins are traced to representations of the intellectual as a distinctly secular creature and, in contemporary philosophical developments, associated with political liberalism-both of which, it is argued, are dominated by fear. Drawing on the recent Catholic "Communio" theology of David Schindler as a way to unveil the repressed theologies and hidden ontologies of liberal neutrality, the paper concludes with a brief examination of liberal arts scholarship that is increasingly open to various models of enchantment.
The Southern Journal of Philosophy, 2007
... Finally, the King wins the war, loses Guinevere, and loses Lancelot, and they all lose Camelo... more ... Finally, the King wins the war, loses Guinevere, and loses Lancelot, and they all lose Camelot. In her commentary on this story, Rose observes that whatever he chooses, whether to look the other way or to uphold the law, the King's choice is not the issue. ...
Sophia, 1995
Page 1. WHY ARE INTELLECTUALS SO HARD TO LIVE WITH? Edward Said's Representations of the Int... more Page 1. WHY ARE INTELLECTUALS SO HARD TO LIVE WITH? Edward Said's Representations of the Intellectual* by ROBIN LATHANGUE Deakin University ...
A Review of H. Athanasiadis, George Grant and the Theology of the Cross
Abstract: George Grant's eloquence as a writer and speaker has seldom been the focus of his inter... more Abstract: George Grant's eloquence as a writer and speaker has seldom been the focus of his interpreters and critics. This essay addresses that gap by drawing on the literary theory of Mikhail Bakhtin, especially the category of carnival. It argues that in his carnivalesque rhetoric Grant finds another way to sustain his spirited critique of modernity. The discussion concludes with an assessment of the limitations facing the transposition of Bakhtin's ideas into the contexts surrounding Grant. rÉsUMÉ L' éloquence de George Grant comme écrivain et orateur a rarement été le point central de ses interprètes et critiques. Ce texte s'intéresse à ce vide en s'appuyant sur la théorie littéraire de Mikail Bakhtin, spécialement la catégorie du carnaval. Il soutient que dans sa rhétorique carnavalesque, Grant trouve une autre façon de maintenir son esprit critique de la modernité. La discussion conclut avec une évaluation des limites visant la transposition des idées de Bakhtin dans les contextes qui entourent Grant.
This article explores the conviction that the durability of communities is contingent, at least i... more This article explores the conviction that the durability of communities is contingent, at least in part, on the conception of reason in play. It proposes that prospects for building and sustaining community are enhanced to the degree that rationalistic theories of rationality are rejected. The resulting equivocation in the processes of rule-making, moral thinking, analysis, and critique, while problematic, will be preferable to the alternative and caricatured approaches premised on a strong division between reason and its so-called others. This desirable equivocation involves an analysis of the role of trust in human relations and a revised conception of reason developed by philosopher and social critic Gillian Rose (1947-1995). Through an analysis of Rose's commentary on the folk legend of Camelot and the phenomenology of friendship, this article tries to show how relations constrained by alterity can be transformed. So from the back of her shrine the Sybil of Cumae Chanted fearful equivocal words and made the cave echo With sayings where clear truths and mysteries Were inextricably twined. Apllo turned and twisted His spurs at her breast, gave her her head, then reined in her spasms. S e a m u s Heaneyl This essay proposes that prospects for building community are diminished to the degree (1) t h a t reason is conceived of as instrumental, technical, pure, and objective; and (2) that law Robin Lathangue is assistant professor of contemporary studies, religion and culture at Wilfrid Laurier University in Brantford, Ontario. He is the author of numerous articles and book reviews on public intellectuals, political philosophy and theology. His current research is on romantic conceptions of reason, ethics and cosmopolitanism, and radical orthodoxy.
This paper is an enquiry into the unpredictability of the liberally educated mind. We are all fam... more This paper is an enquiry into the unpredictability of the liberally educated mind. We are all familiar with the value placed on the word critical when it figures prominently in justifications for liberal arts pedagogy, as in " a liberal arts education should foster the capacity for critical thinking. " However, depending on the milieu in which " critical thinking " is habituated, the meaning of the term may degrade into a theoretical conformity and passive assent to established routines which are inevitably expressions of disapproval. This trajectory is described as disenchantment. Its origins are traced to representations of the intellectual as a distinctly secular creature and, in contemporary philosophical developments, associated with political liberalism—both of which, it is argued, are dominated by fear. Drawing on the recent Catholic " Communio " theology of David Schindler as a way to unveil the repressed theologies and hidden ontologies of liberal neutrality, the paper concludes with a brief examination of liberal arts scholarship that is increasingly open to various models of enchantment. RÉSUMÉ Cet article se veut une interrogation quant à l'imprévisibilité de l'esprit ayant reçu une formation en arts libéraux. Nous connaissons tous la valeur accordée au terme critique lorsqu'il apparaît de manière saillante dans des justifications pour la pédagogie des arts libéraux, comme dans l'affirmation suivante : « Une formation en arts libéraux doit nourrir la pensée critique. » Toutefois, selon le milieu auquel la « pensée critique » s'est accoutumée, la signification du terme peut se dégrader en une conformité théorique et en un consentement passif envers les routines établies, qui sont inévitablement des expressions de désapprobation. On décrit cette trajectoire par le terme désenchantement. On retrace ses origines aux représentations de l'intellectuel en une créature