About

Just thinking about things. I am a philosopher, fringe scholar wandering the borderlands between the Academy and the World. I like Karl Jaspers. So I will try to write  a little here from time to time from the perspective of an existential phenomenologist.

inspringblogger
Nominated 04 March 2013 by Miles Howard over at Drive All Night.

 

48 comments

    1. Yepperz. Al was the dissertation director for my boss, Robert Frodeman, and I spent some time with him a couple of years ago when he came to deliver a couple of lectures to the North Texas Philosophical Society here in Denton. Really great guy. Are you a fan/student of Al’s?

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  6. Hi, Keith. Glad you enjoyed my post on mindful change of routine as seen through a daily brew of coffee. I like the premise of your blog and what you’re doing with it. Looking forward to more.

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    1. Thanks! Looking forward to digging around in your archives as well. I saw on the Recipe entry 14 Jan you use an image that I love. We have incorporated something similar into the cipher of what is being done at the scholarly center for which I am the programs manager: http://csid.unt.edu Great minds and all that… 😉

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  7. Interesting program. The mission has profound potential implications and I believe, or hope at least, that such philosophy gains momentum. You’re lucky to be part of it and working in line with your interests–but surely you put in the work to get there! I’m pleased to hear CSID is incorporating content along the lines of my post. Thanks for sharing.

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      3. Pretty good. Closed my practice last year after having heart troubles and started working at the DA’s office. Less stress and no overhead. I really want to make knives. I have always wanted to learn. Chasing kids and sharpening knives are about all I am up to outside of work. I am glad to hear you are doing well. My undergraduate concentrations at Austin College were philosophy and business. I like seeing all your philosophical posts.

      4. I forgot you went to Austin for your BA. Did you study philosophy with a fellow named Rod Stewart? I think he was there back in the mid 80′s. Totally understand wanting to destress after you had some health issues. Hope things are going well for you in that arena. Holler if you are ever up in Denton for some kind of knife show or if you have business. We’ll meet up for a coffee or lunch.

  10. You seem fun and interesting, my favorite kind of people! I too studied philosophy. I also majored in psychology. I am now studying tarot cards and Reiki and I’m finding that my former studies make my style of healing unique. I am enjoying learning everyday. Do you have an “must read” book recommendations for me?

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    1. Thanks Kaycers. I welcome my fellow philosophy and psychology folks with open arms. Done a lot with synchronicity, imagination, and tarot myself. I would recommend that you read anything by Marie-Louise von Franz (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie-Louise_von_Franz#Selected_writings). Of course, you should give Karl Jaspers and Maurice Merleau-Ponty a read as well as Erwin Straus. But as far as a “must read” book, “Siddartha” by Herman Hesse. Always a good book to read when beginning any journey.

      Do you have a “must read” for me?

      Namaste 🙂

      Reply

  11. Thanks! I’m excited to hear that you too are intrigued by the lessons available in Tarot and research beyond Cartesian-esqu reflection (though it has it’s place also!).

    My must read for you is Ishmael by Daniel Quinn and Original Wisdom by Robert Wolff. These two books impacted me more in recent years than anything I’ve read thus far. Perhaps it was the timing…but they are quick easy reads but very thought provoking!

    Thanks for the quick response! I love Siddhartha, too. Perhaps it’s time for a re-read (I do feel I’m beginning a new phase of my life!). Namaste, K

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    1. Yes I did. I read his dissertation on Personhood many years ago. And of course, one of the last blessed he elevated to sainthood was Edith Stein (Saint Teresia Benedicta of the Cross). She, of course, was one of the great early phenomenologists and a student/research assistant to Edmund Husserl. Her work on empathy is fundamental to any understanding of embodiment.

      Do you study the phenomenological works of Blessed John Paul the Great?

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  14. Dig it dude. A deep appreciation for both Socrates and Yoda. Your bio reads like it could be a Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure movie. That’s high praise. Cheers, my friend.

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    1. LOL Thank you so much. That is high praise.

      Actually, I often quote Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure when I teach about Socrates. The term ARETE usually is translated as “virtuous.” So we say, Socrates was very virtuous. But it would be better to translate it as “excellent.” Thus, when Bill & Ted introduce So-Krates and say he is “most excellent”, that is a hidden joke. Luckily the movie is still popular enough most kids get the joke. 🙂

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  16. With your permission I will post this article in a new section of my site called blogs i love:
    “Keith Wayne Brown is a scholar and a gentleman. His translations of the Tao De Ching are most enlightening. With a incredible eye for detail and a healthy dose of humility he guides us to a deeper understanding of Lao Tzu’s great work. His approach is to transcend dogma. He seeks only to offer as clear a picture as possible of the essential truth. Along with these beautiful translations Keith shares a plethora of his own and other bloggers most pertinent videos and posts, concerning consciousness, art, technology, current events and politics. In conclusion Reason And Existenz is a veritable cornucopia of contemporary culture.”

    http://www.keithwaynebrown.com

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    1. Gosh Michael. I can only say that you made me blush. I really appreciate this, and certainly. These are especially humbling yet blissful words coming from someone’s whose poetry and existential blogging I have been enjoying so very much.

      Namaste my good brother. _/|\_

      🙂

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    3. Dear Michael and Keith,

      A leader is best
      When people barely know he exists
      Of a good leader, who talks little,
      When his work is done, his aim fulfilled,
      They will say, “We did this ourselves.”

      ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

      All streams flow to the sea because it is lower than they are. Humility gives it its power. If you want to govern the people, you must place yourself below them. If you want to lead the people, you must learn how to follow them.

      ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

      Yours sincerely,
      SoundEagle

      Reply

  18. Hello Keith, Thanks for your liking my posts and I hope you will continue. Your site is informative as well as inspirational. Great Job! God Bless you, Barb
    Congratulations on your Award. It is well deserved.

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  19. Thanks for the follow Keith (if I may call you Keith..and if I may not, I will ANYWAY! ’cause I’m a bum and stuff). Looking forward to reading your articles. Also, I’m not a very good artist, In fact, I often fail to see the point of a painting beyond the beauty of its creation. I’ll try my best to broaden my horizons in the future.

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  20. Thanks for the re-blog, Keith! Your page looks fab… I am all about philosophy, so I’m enjoying your collection of writings (original or otherwise). I’ll be passing your site on to friends–I have at least one resident philosopher. Drop by again soon! We’ll have new articles coming in hopefully every week.

    Cheers,
    Sinnamon Rohl

    Reply

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