Westian Thought: Introduction to Westian Thought 101

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Introduction to Westian Thought 101

Food for Thought:

For those of you interesting in getting to know Professor West, I would suggest you start with this September 12, 2005 interview at National Constitution Center:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1143459123898053852&q=Cornel+West&hl=en

This interview was conducted following the release of Professor West's national bestseller "Democracy Matters: Winning the Fight Against Imperialism".

Enjoy!

Why West?

Some background info. Philosophically, the majority of my postings will be rooted in Westian thought. In my mind, the intellectual essence of Professor West is best captured in the following quotes:

West on Being an Intellectual:

"I take great delight in the free play of the mind, and I believe intellectual work is indispensable for social change. Yet, in the end, I place compassion far above smartness and wisdom light-years ahead of cleverness. The quest for wisdom is rooted in an erotic relationship to the world - a deep desire to love and passion to know before one dies. So I speak of my intellectual work and life as a calling, not a career; a vocation, not a profession."

West on His Interest in Philosophy:

"My passionate interest in philosophy was - and remains - primarily motivated by the radical historical conditionedness of human existence and the ways in which possibilities and potentialities are created, sized and missed by individuals and communities within this ever changing conditionedness, including our inescapable death, illness and disappointment...I do not primary value on intelligence or book knowledge. Rather, I believe we have a moral obligation - for the quality of human life and protection of the environment - to be wise, especially about the pitfalls and shortcomings of mere intelligence and book knowledge."

West on His Christian Faith:

"The most significant stage-setting for my own life pilgrimage has been neither academic life nor political organizations, but rather my closely knit family and overlapping communities of church and friends...[he goes on to mention what drives him and defines it as being]...a Christian ethic of love-informed service to others, ego-deflating humility about oneself owning to the precious yet fallible humanity of others, and politically engaging struggle for social betterment. This Christian outlook, as exemplified in our time by Martin Luther King Jr., serves as the basis for my life vocation."

Professor Cornel West, through his spoken word and literature, has simultaneously forced me to challenge my presuppositions and parochial mentality, while drawing me back to the roots of my cultural and religious identity. In a word, he's a Prophet. Cornel West, in my personal life, has, like the prophets of old, forced me to look critically first at myself and then at society - all in route to developing a deeper understanding of what it means to be a citizen of the earth...a member of the human race whose ultimate destiny is a shared destiny. I am by brother's (sister's) keeper. Be blessed.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Introduction to Westian Thought 101

Professor Cornel West

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Why West?