Entitled Opinions is a radio program (and podcast) from Stanford university’s radio station KZSU. In discussion from a program in May 2009 are the editors of
The Re-Enchantment of the World: Secular Magic in a Rational Age: Joshua Landy (a professor of French at Stanford) and Michael Saler (professor of history at the UC Davis). Together they are responding to Max Weber’s famous statement:
“The fate of our times is characterized by rationalization and intellectualization, and, above all, by the ‘disenchantment of the world.’ —Max Weber
This concept, disenchantment (entzauberung), was introduced by Weber to describe the character of his modernized, and increasingly secularized society, where scientific understanding had become more highly valued than religious belief. In their discussion Saler and Landy ask questions like:
‘Do all philosophical inquiries begin in wonder?’
‘Why does Science Fiction take off as a genre?’
‘Can we replace God and the Devil with Sherlock Holmes’ rationality and Moriarty’s criminality?’
‘Is the hierarchy of Middle Earth something we’d like to see in our world?’
It’s a fascinating discussion! |MP3|
Posted by Jesse Willis