Originally published on August 19, 2020 (Episode 173)
Introduction
The French thinker Blaise Pascal wrote this when considering the ability of humans to think:
Man is but a reed, the weakest thing in nature; but he is a thinking reed. The entire universe need not arm itself to crush him. A vapour, a drop of water suffices to kill him. But, if the universe were to crush him, man would still be more noble than that which killed him, because he knows that he dies and the advantage which the universe has over him; the universe knows nothing of this. A thinking reed.—It is not from space that I must seek my dignity, but from the government of my thought. I shall have no more if I possess worlds. By space the universe encompasses and swallows me up like an atom; by thought I comprehend the world.
This week’s conversation is about thinking: the necessity of doing it for its own sake, and its essential role in human happiness.
Talking with me is Zena Hitz, author of Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life (Princeton University Press, 2020).
About the Guest
Zena Hitz is a tutor at St. John’s College in Annapolis. She is also founder of the Catherine Project. Her work advocates for the intrinsic value of study, reflection, and intellectual life, emphasizing the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake rather than for utility.
For Further Investigation
Zena Hitz, Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life (Princeton University Press, 2020)
Scott Newstok, How To Think Like Shakespeare: Lessons from a Renaissance Education
Francis Su, Mathematics for Human Flourishing
A.G. Sertillanges, The Intellectual Life: Its Spirit, Conditions, Methods
Joseph Pieper, Leisure, the Basis of Culture
Mortimer Adler, How To Read A Book
The Catherine Project: “If you seek real learning and real conversation, we invite you to join us in reading and discussing great books. We welcome people from all educational backgrounds and walks of life. We charge no tuition or fees.”
Listen & Discuss
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