Ask the Author: Gregory B. Sadler
Answered Questions (26)
Gregory B. Sadler
Anything is possible, I suppose. Depends of course entirely on what you mean by "arguments" and "convince"
Gregory B. Sadler
Yes. I do. But that's such a vague term that asking that question, and getting an answer, doesn't mean much of anything
Gregory B. Sadler
He's someone I read back in graduate school, and haven't given much thought to since then
Gregory B. Sadler
I consider all of the apostolic churches to be the true church. That includes the Catholic Church (which of course, includes more than the "Latins"), the Eastern Orthodox Churches, and all of the Oriental Orthodox Churches (Coptic, Syriac, Ethiopian, Armenian, etc.) I consider, for example, the Coptic Church to be just as much the Church as the totality of the Eastern Orthodox.
I will say that it matters to me that the earliest Patriarchates are Antioch, Rome, and Alexandria. Historically speaking, Constantinople and Jerusalem are later.
I will say that it matters to me that the earliest Patriarchates are Antioch, Rome, and Alexandria. Historically speaking, Constantinople and Jerusalem are later.
Gregory B. Sadler
I wouldn't say there was any one thing or moment that got me interested in philosophy. It was a number of different things that over a period of years steered me in that direction.
Although I doubt they ever used the term "philosophy" to describe what we were doing in our discussions about life, politics, right and wrong, and so on, I'd say that my mom and dad, my uncle Aime, and my great-uncle Hubert played roles in fostering my interests that would eventually lead into philosophy.
From age 3 on, I also did a lot of reading entirely on my own, and got exposed to a good number of philosophical ideas, usually in the context of history or literature. What ideas precisely those might have been, I couldn't do more than guess at this point. By the time I was in high school, though I was reading some stuff in philosophy, though not understanding more than half of it.
I'd say that one teacher in particular was centrally important for me in high school, a substitute, Mr. Lornezo. He effectively turned our Sacraments class into a philosophy class, in which we got exposed to, and discussed ideas from Plato, Aristotle, and Augustine. That was really helpful, since the official philosophy class I took earlier at that high school, from another instructor, was really quite bad, and would have turned me off from the discipline.
Where you should you start? That's a totally different question
Although I doubt they ever used the term "philosophy" to describe what we were doing in our discussions about life, politics, right and wrong, and so on, I'd say that my mom and dad, my uncle Aime, and my great-uncle Hubert played roles in fostering my interests that would eventually lead into philosophy.
From age 3 on, I also did a lot of reading entirely on my own, and got exposed to a good number of philosophical ideas, usually in the context of history or literature. What ideas precisely those might have been, I couldn't do more than guess at this point. By the time I was in high school, though I was reading some stuff in philosophy, though not understanding more than half of it.
I'd say that one teacher in particular was centrally important for me in high school, a substitute, Mr. Lornezo. He effectively turned our Sacraments class into a philosophy class, in which we got exposed to, and discussed ideas from Plato, Aristotle, and Augustine. That was really helpful, since the official philosophy class I took earlier at that high school, from another instructor, was really quite bad, and would have turned me off from the discipline.
Where you should you start? That's a totally different question
Gregory B. Sadler
One of my very first articles published was on Adorno. I studied them, and other critical theorists, pretty extensively back in graduate school, and continue to read them from time to time. I find it difficult to write on Adorno, since his thought is so dense, but I certainly enjoy reading him. Horkheimer is quite a bit easier. Even Habermas is, by comparison to Adorno!
Gregory B. Sadler
When I'm referring to a "grammar", I mean something like Smythe's Greek Grammar or Allen and Greenough's Latin Grammar, not a textbook.
These are very dense, systematically organized books. They don't have exercises, but they do have a lot of examples. So, working my way through them, meant quite literally reading through the entirety of them, often quite slowly, and going back and forth between entries. I'd also try to think for myself how I might compose using that particular concept I was studying.
What I like about those two grammars is that they are based in comparative Indo-European linguistics, so in many of the entries that have to do with morphology, you're getting comparisons and examples from other languages as well.
These are very dense, systematically organized books. They don't have exercises, but they do have a lot of examples. So, working my way through them, meant quite literally reading through the entirety of them, often quite slowly, and going back and forth between entries. I'd also try to think for myself how I might compose using that particular concept I was studying.
What I like about those two grammars is that they are based in comparative Indo-European linguistics, so in many of the entries that have to do with morphology, you're getting comparisons and examples from other languages as well.
Gregory B. Sadler
Well, in Philosophy programs that actually care about being able to read and research in foreign languages - and that's definitely not all of them - the most important languages are Classical Greek, Latin, German, and French. But, it's not as if other languages can't be useful.
It really depends on what you've got an interest in studying. If you think you might be attracted to Chinese philosophy, for example, start studying Mandarin. If you think you're going to want to be able to read Hegel or Nietzsche in the original, you want German.
It really depends on what you've got an interest in studying. If you think you might be attracted to Chinese philosophy, for example, start studying Mandarin. If you think you're going to want to be able to read Hegel or Nietzsche in the original, you want German.
Gregory B. Sadler
Glad you enjoy my work. Its not really "socialism in practice" in any way I can see myself.
If you go to my Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/sadler - and you look through the Goals, you'll find that I've pledged to "begin an extensive new video series focused on classic thinkers and texts of social and political theory", once I reach a sufficient level of financial support.
If you go to my Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/sadler - and you look through the Goals, you'll find that I've pledged to "begin an extensive new video series focused on classic thinkers and texts of social and political theory", once I reach a sufficient level of financial support.
Gregory B. Sadler
I really don't have any idea how many books I've read in the course of my life. Certainly thousands. I do have to admit though that many of them haven't been particularly edifying. When I had the time I used to blaze through tons of scifi and fantasy books. Then again, I read a lot of history back then as well.
Gregory B. Sadler
For me - if you're including the time I spent on earning my Masters degree, it was 7 years.
2 years of coursework, taking our comprehensive exam, qualifying with one of of my research languages (German), and writing a thesis.
Then 3 additional years of coursework, taking four preliminary examinations, qualifying with 2 additional research languages (French, Greek), and writing a dissertation.
I actually took quite a bit more coursework than I was required to - and not just in Philosophy, but other departments as well (English, Classics, Speech/Communication). I do tell graduate students not to rush their time in their graduate studies, and to take as many courses as they can - they're often eager to finish up - because it is probably the only opportunity they will have to spend so much time on study.
For me, graduate school was a really excellent time in my life. I had a lot of time to develop a solid foundation in the texts and thinkers I would later end up teaching, writing upon, or applying in practice.
I suppose the bit of advice that I'd give is to go beyond what your professors and fellow grad students think you should study, and to open your mind up to other thinkers. There's often a focus on the "trendy", which is all right as far as getting a job later, but leaves one with big gaps in one's education.
2 years of coursework, taking our comprehensive exam, qualifying with one of of my research languages (German), and writing a thesis.
Then 3 additional years of coursework, taking four preliminary examinations, qualifying with 2 additional research languages (French, Greek), and writing a dissertation.
I actually took quite a bit more coursework than I was required to - and not just in Philosophy, but other departments as well (English, Classics, Speech/Communication). I do tell graduate students not to rush their time in their graduate studies, and to take as many courses as they can - they're often eager to finish up - because it is probably the only opportunity they will have to spend so much time on study.
For me, graduate school was a really excellent time in my life. I had a lot of time to develop a solid foundation in the texts and thinkers I would later end up teaching, writing upon, or applying in practice.
I suppose the bit of advice that I'd give is to go beyond what your professors and fellow grad students think you should study, and to open your mind up to other thinkers. There's often a focus on the "trendy", which is all right as far as getting a job later, but leaves one with big gaps in one's education.
Gregory B. Sadler
That is a tough one - having to pick the one single most life-changing book. I did do an interview recently, in which I discussed three of them: Plato's Republic, Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, and Epictetus' Discourses.
Here's the link to it: https://youtu.be/myNOxWnAr3A
Here's the link to it: https://youtu.be/myNOxWnAr3A
Gregory B. Sadler
The simple answer is that it is a Greek adjective meaning "intellectual" or "involving intellect or thinking", but I'm guessing that you're asking because my main blog is called "Orexis Dianoētikē".
That comes from a passage in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, in which he tells us that moral choice - the kind of choice that forms our characters - can be understood as orexis dianoētikē - desire involving intellect - or nous orektikos - intellect involving desire. So, it is sort of a juncture-point, you might say.
I picked that Greek term as the title for my blog, because that topic, and those interconnections, are a major area of my research - back when I started it, and still today.
That comes from a passage in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, in which he tells us that moral choice - the kind of choice that forms our characters - can be understood as orexis dianoētikē - desire involving intellect - or nous orektikos - intellect involving desire. So, it is sort of a juncture-point, you might say.
I picked that Greek term as the title for my blog, because that topic, and those interconnections, are a major area of my research - back when I started it, and still today.
Gregory B. Sadler
Well, one can certainly be ambivalent about Liberation Theology without that having much to do with Day and the CWM, even though they can both be located on the "Left".
I will say this in general: my view is that the more that one thinks in terms of political/cultural left and right, the more one moves away from an authentically committed (and might I say, radically traditional) Christianity, which ought to be a scandal to most political associations or perspectives. And, it seems to me that the CWM tended to represent such a radical Christian commitment. I can't say that necessarily of all its members or other associated organizations - but when can you, after all?
I will say this in general: my view is that the more that one thinks in terms of political/cultural left and right, the more one moves away from an authentically committed (and might I say, radically traditional) Christianity, which ought to be a scandal to most political associations or perspectives. And, it seems to me that the CWM tended to represent such a radical Christian commitment. I can't say that necessarily of all its members or other associated organizations - but when can you, after all?
Gregory B. Sadler
Well, my most recent book isn't all that recent, but I'll answer this anyway, since it's an interesting story.
It all started with being sent some photocopied articles from 1930s French philosophy journals, with the suggestion that perhaps I ought to translate them. They had to do with a debate that was ongoing at that time, about the topic of Christian philosophy.
The short answer is that, the more that I started following out the connections between various Francophone authors concerned with the topic, and engaged with the debate, the more and more I discovered how vast the debates actually were, how little of the material from the debates had been translated into English, and how one-sided interpretations of it were over here in the Anglosphere.
So, I embarked on what ended up taking about 6 years from conception to publication - translation of many of the key documents, writing a 100 page historical introduction to the debates, and producing a massive chronological bibliography of materials from, about, continuing, or concerned with the topics of those 1930s Christian philosophy debates!
It all started with being sent some photocopied articles from 1930s French philosophy journals, with the suggestion that perhaps I ought to translate them. They had to do with a debate that was ongoing at that time, about the topic of Christian philosophy.
The short answer is that, the more that I started following out the connections between various Francophone authors concerned with the topic, and engaged with the debate, the more and more I discovered how vast the debates actually were, how little of the material from the debates had been translated into English, and how one-sided interpretations of it were over here in the Anglosphere.
So, I embarked on what ended up taking about 6 years from conception to publication - translation of many of the key documents, writing a 100 page historical introduction to the debates, and producing a massive chronological bibliography of materials from, about, continuing, or concerned with the topics of those 1930s Christian philosophy debates!
Gregory B. Sadler
If they're used well, eBooks can be invaluable. You can use them in all sorts of electronic media. They can be produced inexpensively, which translates to being able to share knowledge and expertise to a much wider public. And, the time interval from writing a work to it actually being available in print has been dramatically cut.
That said, I've seen some poorly formatted or conceived eBooks out there. . .
That said, I've seen some poorly formatted or conceived eBooks out there. . .
Gregory B. Sadler
Well, there's really five answers to that question -- depending on what kind of writing we're talking about. So, this will be a bit long-winded. But it's a great question!
So, the easier ones first -- articles, blogging, and translations. I've been writing academic articles since I was a grad student. With those, the writing itself isn't hard, though I do tend to push up against length requirements. The hard part with those was finding a home for them in a suitable journal, and learning how to deal with the inevitable rejection letters.
I also got involved in some translation -- mainly French and Latin works -- back in grad school, and continued it into the present. With those, it's, believe it or not, catching the really dumb mistakes one makes (e.g. leaving out a whole line!) in the manuscripts.
Blogging -- something I've done for the last 5 years -- there the challenge is finding the time.
The last two would be getting my first book published, and then getting down to writing the next ones. . . That first book -- Reason Fulfilled By Revelation -- took something like 7 years from the start to publication. I had to jump through a lot of "hoops" (reviews processes of various sorts, and then the awful work of proofreading!), but it did get through in the end. Right now, I've got several book projects -- but it's a matter of finding, or rather, making the time to actually get research and writing done on those. . ..
So, the easier ones first -- articles, blogging, and translations. I've been writing academic articles since I was a grad student. With those, the writing itself isn't hard, though I do tend to push up against length requirements. The hard part with those was finding a home for them in a suitable journal, and learning how to deal with the inevitable rejection letters.
I also got involved in some translation -- mainly French and Latin works -- back in grad school, and continued it into the present. With those, it's, believe it or not, catching the really dumb mistakes one makes (e.g. leaving out a whole line!) in the manuscripts.
Blogging -- something I've done for the last 5 years -- there the challenge is finding the time.
The last two would be getting my first book published, and then getting down to writing the next ones. . . That first book -- Reason Fulfilled By Revelation -- took something like 7 years from the start to publication. I had to jump through a lot of "hoops" (reviews processes of various sorts, and then the awful work of proofreading!), but it did get through in the end. Right now, I've got several book projects -- but it's a matter of finding, or rather, making the time to actually get research and writing done on those. . ..
Gregory B. Sadler
Well, I couldn't say for literature, since I read very little contemporary literature. I can say that there are some figures from the mid-20th century on whose work is very good, certainly for a philosopher -- P.K. Dick being one whose works, including his "realist" novels, I'll be going back to for the rest of my life -- but as to the broader field, I'm not a competent judge.
In philosophy, actually, I'd say this is a pretty good period. It might not seem such, if one pays too much attention to the rather boring work churned out by the thousands by on-the-whole clever people who have little sense of proportion or appreciation for the great luminaries of the tradition -- nor if one just reads the sort of philosophy-lite that tends to get recommended by non-philosophers, occasionally making the best-sellers lists.
But, if you're looking at philosophers whose works will be read and meditated upon centuries from now, we're in a fortunate time -- not only for original new perspectives, but for history of philosophy and commentary upon philosophy. Someone who manages to contribute in both of those ways would be, e.g. Alasdair MacIntyre
In philosophy, actually, I'd say this is a pretty good period. It might not seem such, if one pays too much attention to the rather boring work churned out by the thousands by on-the-whole clever people who have little sense of proportion or appreciation for the great luminaries of the tradition -- nor if one just reads the sort of philosophy-lite that tends to get recommended by non-philosophers, occasionally making the best-sellers lists.
But, if you're looking at philosophers whose works will be read and meditated upon centuries from now, we're in a fortunate time -- not only for original new perspectives, but for history of philosophy and commentary upon philosophy. Someone who manages to contribute in both of those ways would be, e.g. Alasdair MacIntyre
Gregory B. Sadler
I wouldn't say I'm ever "inspired" to write, any more than I'm ever "inspired" to shoot a video.
There's plenty of moments when some ideas grip me or constellate in my head, and i try to get them outlined or at least jotted down on paper -- but that's pretty fleeting -- not enough to sustain the work of writing, of thinking things out, of getting them set down in some sort of coherent fashion.
What I find I have to do is clear some time and space for myself, and then say: all right -- let's get down to work -- and see what I can get done in that time frame. Then, the next change I get, do it again. . . .
There's plenty of moments when some ideas grip me or constellate in my head, and i try to get them outlined or at least jotted down on paper -- but that's pretty fleeting -- not enough to sustain the work of writing, of thinking things out, of getting them set down in some sort of coherent fashion.
What I find I have to do is clear some time and space for myself, and then say: all right -- let's get down to work -- and see what I can get done in that time frame. Then, the next change I get, do it again. . . .
Gregory B. Sadler
That's very tough to say! So often there are characters I particularly like, admire, find attractive, care about -- but for such varied reasons.
If one insists that I pick one single quality, I suppose that I would say a kind of genuine charity -- lovingly acting towards another (in the way and to the degree that they are to be loved), even in their flaws, but not pulling any punches in seeing flaws, wrongs or vices as such. There's a kind of stark realism and transcendence in that.
I have to add that, reading some author's letters, I see that kind of charity at work in them -- for instance in Flannery O'Connor
If one insists that I pick one single quality, I suppose that I would say a kind of genuine charity -- lovingly acting towards another (in the way and to the degree that they are to be loved), even in their flaws, but not pulling any punches in seeing flaws, wrongs or vices as such. There's a kind of stark realism and transcendence in that.
I have to add that, reading some author's letters, I see that kind of charity at work in them -- for instance in Flannery O'Connor
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