Gifford Lectures: Folly Presto with Dr Cornel West
Yesterday I had the opportunity to join the Gifford Lectures with Dr Cornel West on his third lecture titled, Folly Presto, held at the Informatics Forum at the University of Edinburgh. I was there a a guest blogger, having previously attended a coffee reception with Dr West, as well as faculty from the School of Divinity, and other PhD students.
Coffee meeting with Dr Cornel West at Rainy Hall in New College
I think taking risks, and trying new things, is a big part of the whole doctoral experience and blogging for this lecture was a MASSIVE leap in terms of my academic studies. Aside from a brief lecture for an undergraduate course which touches briefly on rhetoric, I’ve had very little exposure to Greek philosophy, religion, theology – basically anyone who has a marble bust of themselves.
Going to the coffee meet and greet at Rainy Hall was helpful in mentally preparing for the task of blogging for the real lecture the following day. I had never been to New College, nor was I even aware of how to get through the front door (something I learned was purposeful due to tourists milling about the area). I did indeed manage to find the door, and enjoyed a sharing circle of ideas with other faculty and students, while also helping myself to a glass of champagne. There, Dr West shared some of his experiences and listened to the large group of introductions, with people researching a massive range of topics from the book of revelations, to enchantment, to European theatre after the #metoo movement, as well as – little old me. Studying none of the above.
Dr Cornel West reads from In Praise of Folly
The lecture itself was about an hour long with a short Q&A. The discussion largely centred on a text, Erasmus’ In Praise of Folly, which I had never heard of. However, West’s goal with these lectures is meant to draw comparisons between jazz music and philosophy, a phrase he coins as “jazz-soaked philosophy” and while I know nothing of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, I (thankfully) listen to jazz music. This was my starting point and centering idea of my blog post. If I couldn’t engage, or even understand, many of the philosophical concepts (without doing reams of reading) then I had to stay in my line, and draw on what I could from jazz musicians and writers. If there was a comparison to make with Toni Morrison’s novel, Jazz, which was the focus of one of my MSc papers, then I was sure going to make it.
And that’s what I did.
Audience for the lecture Folly Presto
I only later realized that West himself, in a lecture next week, would engage with Morrison’s work (how could he not?) and so I’ll be interested in hearing how he draws comparisons between the ancient philosophers and the optimism found in many of Morrison’s novels.
Suffice to say, the experience was – an experience. I left the lecture hall and immediately got to writing, having carefully taken notes and recorded sections of the lecture to go back to. It’s available online at the Gifford Lecture Blog.
