January 31, 2011 at 3:49 pm
Sir Christopher Ricks, a long-time lecturer in the Core Curriculum, will be speaking on the poetic accomplishments of Bob Dylan, in his third of four lectures for the Gottlieb Archives this year. His talk, “Love: Just Like a Woman,” will take place this evening, Monday, January 31, at 6 PM in the Richards-Roosevelt Room, Mugar Memorial Library, 771 Comm Ave, First Floor. Admission is free to all.
Alongside his work as a literary critical and editor of scholarly anthologies and editions, Prof. Ricks is famous for his longstanding interest in the lyrics of Bob Dylan considered as poetry. In 2004, he published a book-length treatment of this topic, titled Dylan’s Visions of Sin. According to blogger Frank Beacham, who attended one of Ricks’ talks on Dylan last fall at New York’s Philoctetes Center,
On Dylan’s songwriting, Ricks said it’s good to have instinct, but one can also think too much. “You must program your brain not to think too much,” he said. “You’ve got to keep your brain under control. Otherwise there will be too much conscious control.” Dylan, he said, has struck the correct balance between the two.
More information about tonight’s lecture can be found at the Archives events webpage.
By CAS Core Curriculum
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Posted in Announcements, Core Lecturers, Events
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Tagged lecture, Ricks
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January 28, 2011 at 3:59 pm
Between friends there is no need for justice, but people who are just still need the quality of friendship; and indeed friendliness is considered to be justice in the fullest sense. It is not only a necessary thing but a splendid one.
-- Aristotle, Nichomachean Ethics
By CAS Core Curriculum
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Posted in Analects
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Tagged Analects, aristotle, CC102, ethics, friendship, justice
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January 27, 2011 at 4:12 pm
Professor Eckel writes...
For any of you considering the Core House as a place to live next year, there will be an Open House in the Core House on Monday, January 31st, from 5 to 7 p.m. There will be refreshments and rooms will be open for viewing. This is a great opportunity to visit the house, meet the residents, and see whether the house would appeal to you. The rooms are comfortable, there's a great common room, and the house is full of the intellectual energy of the Core.
The House is located at 141 Carlton Street in the South Campus residential area, right across the Turnpike from the GSU, in a quiet neighborhood with easy access to BU. If you would like to know more, feel free to contact me or Prof. Nelson at nelson@bu.edu.
Former Core House resident John McCargar (CAS '11) writes:
The House is where I made some of my closest friends; because I was living with the people who were taking the same classes as I was, we were able to participate in a genuine community, with shared interests and shared challenges. Being Core people, our fun often consisted of intellectual engagement... our arguments over whether Plato or Aristotle is the superior philosopher were sometimes quite spectacular.
By CAS Core Curriculum
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Posted in Announcements
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Tagged Core House
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January 27, 2011 at 3:52 pm
Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.
-- often attributed to Confucius, whose Analects are studied in the second-semester freshman humanities, CC102: Antiquity and the Medieval World.
[Tertiary research suggests this is derived from 寧可玉碎，不能瓦全, a Chinese proverb meaning roughly "Better be a piece of broken jade than unbroken tile." Why this quote is often attributed to Confucius is unclear.]
By CAS Core Curriculum
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Posted in Analects
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Tagged analect, CC102, Confucius
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January 27, 2011 at 1:10 pm
The current exhibition "Fresh Ink" at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston combines the old and the new in Chinese ink paintings. In this dialogue between the contemporary and the classical, leading artists from China were invited to create new works inspired by the MFA's classical collection. The new works and the masterpieces they refer are displayed in juxtaposition in the new Gund Gallery. A reminder -- all BU students are entitled to free admission to the Museum with the student ID. Sign-up for one of the faculty-led trips to the MFA, or take a trip out there yourself -- bring some friends! -- and take in this thought-provoking show.
By CAS Core Curriculum
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Posted in Activities
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Tagged Art, China, exhibition, MFA
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January 26, 2011 at 3:49 pm
When he had flown to the sky like a bird,
That foremost of men was thrilled and amazed;
then, perceiving that emblem of dharma,
he set his mind on how he might leave home.
-The Life of Buddha by Asvaghosa, translated by Patrick Olivelle, being studied this spring semester for the first time in the Core. Alumni are welcome to attend the special Thursday event, when Prof. Eckel will be lecturing on this text.
By CAS Core Curriculum
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Posted in Analects
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Tagged Analects, Buddhism
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January 25, 2011 at 4:24 pm
- But errs not Nature from this gracious end,
- From burning suns when livid deaths descend,
- When earthquakes swallow, or when tempests sweep
- Towns to one grave, whole nations to the deep?
- ``No," 'tis replied, ``the first Almighty Cause
- Acts not by partial but by gen'ral laws;
- Th'exceptions few; some change since all began
- And what created perfect?"--Why then man?
- If the great end be human happiness,
- Then Nature deviates; and can man do less?
- As much that end a constant course requires
- Of showers and sunshine, as of man's desires;
- As much eternal springs and cloudless skies,
- As men for ever temp'rate, calm, and wise.
- If plagues or earthquakes break not Heav'n's design,
- Why then a Borgia or a Cataline?
- Who knows but He, whose hand the lightning forms,
- Who heaves old ocean, and who wings the storms;
- Pours fierce ambition in a Cæsar's mind,
- Or turns young Ammon loose to scourge mankind?
- From pride, from pride, our very reas'ning springs;
- Account for moral as for natural things:
- Why charge we Heav'n in those, in these acquit?
- In both, to reason right is to submit.
- Alexander Pope, (Epistle 1, IV),The Complete Poetical Works of Alexander Pope (edited by H.W. Boynton)
By CAS Core Curriculum
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Posted in Analects
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Tagged Alexander Pope, CC202, Humanity, Moral
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January 24, 2011 at 4:24 pm
Try not to fret in this frozen city, Aristotle can help you find happiness without (much) reference to the weather:
For some people think that happiness is a virtue, others that it is practical wisdom, others that it is some kind of theoretical wisdom; others again believe it to be all or some of these accompanied by, or not devoid of, pleasure; and some people include external prosperity in its definition... the presumption is rather that they are all right in at least one or even in most respects.
- Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (1.1098b23), trans. Martin Oswald
By CAS Core Curriculum
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Posted in Analects
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Tagged Analects, aristotle, CC102
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January 24, 2011 at 11:12 am
Welcome back everyone! See below for the lecture schedule, upcoming activities, and other fun things in Core this Spring.
Core Lectures this week:
CC101: Professor Bronstein on Aristotle II 1/25
CC106: Professor Mohr on "From a chemical perspective, what is life all about?" 1/25
CC106: Professor Hudon on "How do we read the fossil record?" 1/27
CC202: Professor Staves on The Enlightenment 1/25
CC204: Professor Swartz on Class Inequality 1/27
"My Favorite Boston" has returned! Join faculty on Friday afternoons visit the hidden corners of Boston. This Friday, January 28 and next Friday, February 4, Professor Eckel will bring students to the MFA to view the Fresh Ink exhibit and the new American Wing. Meet at 3 PM in the Core office. Sign up in CAS 119 and make sure to bring your BU ID.
Next Friday, February 4, Professor Hamill will take students to the Boston Common Frog Pond to go skating. Dress warm, and bring $5 if you need skate rentals. Meet at 4 PM in CAS 119, please sign up in advance. Hot Chocolate to follow!
Upcoming Activities and Lectures in Spring 2011
Stay tuned to find out about the Core Film Series line-up next week.
Get connected with Core!
Check out our blog: http://bu.edu/core/blog
Twitter: http://twitter.com/corecurriculum
Follow us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/BUCore
Make sure to bookmark the Core calendar. Do you have any ideas, or comments about Core activities? Email Professor Kyna Hamill.
By CAS Core Curriculum
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Posted in e-bulletin
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Tagged e-bulletin
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December 15, 2010 at 5:10 pm
Current and former Core students in the midst of their semester-end exams and papers will be amused by this cartoon from Cabanon Press, featuring second-year author Cervantes. They have a whole series of these looks at the private composition habits, even including another Core author, Emily Dickinson.
By CAS Core Curriculum
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Posted in Uncategorized
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Tagged cartoon, CC201, Cervantes, writing
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