News from the Front Porch Republic
Greetings from the Porch,
I'm not sure how it happened, but the summer seems to be over. Classes begin for us on Monday. I'll miss the more extended time for reading and writing, but I am also excited to get back in the classroom with students old and new.
- In this week's Water Dipper I recommend pieces about Contrary U, New Verse Review, and vinyl records.
- Wietske Merison describes what happens when someone from the Netherlands visits Holland, MI and experiences the theme-park version of her culture: "The Dutch flag, a pair of clogs, or even the most delicious Gouda cheese does not represent my culture in any meaningful way. If you want to know about my culture, you need to eat in my house, walk with me, work with me, laugh with me, cry with me, and pray with me."
- Connie Goddard narrates the history of manual training in American schools: "practical schooling has acquired new relevance in our post-pandemic economy, and past questions about its intentions – whether it limits or enhances student aspirations – have drawn little attention. Many students and teachers now seem to agree that learning a trade is a more affordable and accessible way to begin a career than acquiring a college degree."
- Rebecca Skabelund reviews The Conceivable Future by Meghan Elizabeth Kallman and Josephine Ferorelli. She appreciates their critique of the argument that those who care about the health of the earth shouldn't have children, but she finds their assumptions about the value of children lacking: "It’s ironic that this whole Impossible Question—whether to have children in this age of climate change—springs from the same mentality underpinning the forces tearing the world apart, the idea that humans are in charge. A truly conceivable future requires more humility."
- Adam K. Webb considers the odd tenor of some arguments in favor of having more children and suggests that many cultures have failed to convey a sense of individuals' place in a bigger narrative: "Notions of lineage, of a chain of ancestors and descendants stretching long into past and future, commonly framed decisions to have children. When such notions evaporate, the cultural mainstream ends up with ever more people who want not smaller or more manageable families, but rather no posterity at all."
Earlier this year, I had a chance to read Are We All Cyborgs Now? Reclaiming Our Humanity from the Machine Paperback by Robin Phillips and Joshua Pauling. It's a closely observed reflection on how to navigate our technopoly. Or, as I put it in the blurb I wrote for the book, “Phillips and Pauling distill wisdom from tech critics, theologians, and poets to help us discern how to live as humans in a world being ordered to artificial intelligence.” The book's description gives a good sense of their approach:
As technology increasingly blurs the distinction between man and machine, new questions emerge about the future of religion, education, work, politics, and family life. Joshua Pauling (Education’s End) and Robin Phillips (Rediscovering the Goodness of God's Creation) respond to this profound confusion by articulating a vision for flourishing in the digital age rooted in the sacramental life of the Church and the rich tradition of liberal learning.
The authors leave few stones unturned in detailing the pervasive and often detrimental effects of the indiscriminate use of technology. Far from connecting us, technology in its modern manifestations has instead contributed to isolation, ignorance, loss of imagination, sedentary habits, and poor critical thinking skills. The book offers a difficult but needed remedy to our current dilemma, by presenting a philosophy of technology anchored in Christian metaphysics, and by suggesting habits and practices that help us reclaim our humanity from the Machine.
Thanks for spending some time with us on the Porch,
Jeff Bilbro