Monday Monday

Hi everyone. A special greeting for Danny Boy, my faithful fan who turned 2 years old a couple of days ago. (Here: Fanfarrias del Tio Gamboín).
I went to talk to Buchheim but we didn't finish discussing the deadlines. I have to make a decision whether it is possible for me to really hand in the Dissertation in three months. If I take into account the speed I have had until now: it's not possible. Is it possible to change that speed? Up to now I haven't been able to... Is that because the decision and the determination were not yet strong enough? Should I just try anyways? If I think I'm "just trying" it won't work. Am I capable of such determination, and is that the only factor or should I be more realistic?
These are the questions on my mind today. I have to call Buchheim tomorrow and discuss the dates with him.
The good part is: we are going to hold a kick-ass Seminar together in the winter term!

Saturday

A little later as planned, but here I am on a beautiful Saturday morning...
Today I still have to look for some bibliography for my meeting with the professor, but I will come later to get back to work on the dissertation. Have a nice day!

Oops

Hi! One more day has gone by, and I haven't really done what I "promised" almost a week ago! I am meeting with my professor on Monday and we have to discuss what I am going to teach next semester, so I have been looking for some bibliography in order to bring him a concrete proposal. So today I wasn't very schellingian, but at least it had to do with Aristotle, the other guy in the game. Also, I have been getting here pretty late the last days. But tomorrow I will post a morning greeting at 9:45 at the latest. So I'll see you then! gute Nacht...

Struggling to come back

Hi, I hope you are having a good Easter. I am having a hard time getting back into the subject and work routine... oh well, there's nothing to do but keep trying, I guess. And freshen up in my mind all that I already have for this chapter III. I need to finish in a few days! So wish me luck, I'll need it.
A big hug for you,

See you soon

Hi! Today I got here at a decent time, reviewed that scheme of Chapter III and compared it with other schemes that I already had. (I actually have been working a lot on the scheme of this chapter, I realize). It looks pretty good now, like I finally have a clearer idea of what it needs to contain and above all of the order in which to explain the different parts. Hopefully!
The next step is to check on my notes the order in which Schelling himself argues these points, because it does not have to be the same order that I use: in fact, I must simplify and stop following his arguments and explanations literally, because that is too complicated. I had been following him too closely and that is what had gotten me stuck with this chapter. So I will make a quick overview of his order (Sunday night) and then decide what points to change so that my order will be clear and logical (sorry, old man). In other words, I have to adapt his arguments to the scheme I posted yesterday, and not my scheme to his arguments!
Today I realized how much I have on this chapter already, so after that overview I will probably just write according to the scheme! following my notes and trying not to re-read Schelling (tip from Nena), just write down what I already know, before going on and reading or re-reading anything. This will be on Monday afternoon.
Now I'm leaving already, going to buy some food and to pack, because I'm leaving for two days. I hadn't planned on leaving because I thought I had to work every waking minute, ha, but I think I need some rest and some time in silence. Above all, I am hoping to experience the Resurrection! so I want to make the time and space to really live these days. Well, I am not going far, just to a monastery here in the city, but I'm a little scared because I've never been there and don't know the nuns, we'll see. It all came very spontaneously and I think it will be good. It's only for two days anyway, so I'm exagerating a little. The library is closed till Tuesday but I'll write you on Sunday. I wish you all a very good Easter!! And thank you for your support, it really touches me.

In a hurry

Thanks for your comments. I did what I had planned: finished re-reading old chapter IV and made a scheme of Chapter III. It is not perfect yet and I will have to review it tomorrow, but here it is:

After reviewing my old Chapter IV,

Chapter III needs:

- To present rational science as a movement in general from being (and God) as a total reality towards being as individual actuality, that is, from potentiality/materiality towards actuality.

1) We have already seen (in Chapter II) how the rational science is supposed to depart from the true principle of reason, so first this principle must be found. Then the rational science will be that science of pure autonomous reason. The paradox is that the pure rational science searches for what truly exists.

2) - This movement is inspired on Plato in respect to the search for a principle of reason [Potencies of being as possible principles]

3) -but also and especially on Aristotle. The Metaphysics of Aristotle is namely the science that investigates principles but also substance, that which truly is [what is being?]. This is the difference with Plato, and the reason that Aristotle is Schelling's main partner here: the focus on substance and actuality. [This influence appears even at the stage of pure thought, with Schelling's interpretation of the principle of non-contradiction out of which he obtains simple elements that are necessarily thought in a sequence and are related as contraries to each other, implying a subject to which they are attributes.]

4) The search for substance is emphasized by Schelling in relation to the critique of the Dialecticians that only talk about subjects and predicates in a logical sense without going further towards what truly exists [Haplâ].

5) as a movement towards that which truly exists and is at the same time principle, the rational science can be described as a search, as an experience, as experiment or attempt, and as a progressive awakening:

6) brief presentation of the 3 stages: pure thought, rational science, crisis/transition.

7) in each of these stages, "actuality" is understood in a different way and plays a different role.

8) each of its stages means a clearer conscience of what is merely potential or material and what is actual; the movement of reason progresses through an elimination of material elements, because what truly is must be actual, individual and separable, unlike matter which is indeterminate, universal, potential and non-separable.

9) "matter" is applied by Schelling not only to sensible matter but also to all concepts and predicates which are universal, indeterminate, potential and cannot exist on their own. So he establishes a parallel between Aristotle's concept of matter and these rational contents. Both must be overcome towards pure individual actuality that is not a concept anymore. This kind of movement is based by Schelling on the Metaphysics of Aristotle understood as a search for what is truly substance, progressively leaving matter and potentiality behind. The concepts that he takes from Aristotle and the way he interprets them will be discussed in the following Chapter.

Now I have to run, see you tomorrow!
lots of love,
m

Signing in

Hi! it's not 9.30 but it's 10.00 and I already checked my email, so it's straight to work!
Thank your for your comments and support, it makes me truly happy to hear from you.
Laurita: to comment you can choose the option "Name/url" and just give your name.
See you later, alligators...

This is great

Dear readers,
you are already helping me a lot! Today, although I said I would catch up on the time I lost by coming late, I still had an appointment with Alexander, the Jesuit, and then I had to go get my bike from the shop, so the day was almost gone and I hadn't done much. Then I read your messages! and realized that I still had to read my old chapter IV! because, as Lucie said, it is very important right now. So instead of going home I did read half of it, and it's not that bad, actually. That means I will be able to use most of it. Yay!
So tomorrow's plan: I sign in at 9:30 at the latest. I read the rest of the old chapter IV. And I write a new scheme of Chapter III for you guys.
I won't be posting during the Holy Days, but I'll tell you more about that tomorrow.
Gute Nacht!

A little late today

Hi! Yesterday I said I would go to mass and to the gym. I did both. Yay! But I also realized I was very tired from having slept too little on the weekend. Resolution for this week: go to bed early! and eat healthier. I have been feeling very tired and I think I have to pay attention to those two things. The thing is, I got up late today, took a very long time to have breakfast (CNN and the BBC still haven't shown anything on Latin America-Irak is in a terrible state-Daniel Barenboim is a cool guy-China and the Dalai Lama hate each other-the world is pretty depressing after all and some things make me very angry) and get ready, and finally showed up at my micro office at 13:30. Still, if I stay a little later, I can get some work done.
A good thing: I got a letter from my prison friend, Manuel. He was so nice and supportive! He is going to be praying for me so I can finish on time. That gave me a lot of hope. At least some more hope. (He has been fasting on Lent - the guy is so thin already because of an illness - and with the stamps that I sent him through someone, he was able to buy chocolate but is saving it for Easter Sunday).
Anyways, my blog tells me today that I should re-read my old Chapter IV and decide what Chapter III needs to contain. So I am going to do that right now. It's a good thing that I don't have to start by wondering what to do next, because it is already written here for all to see...
The sun is shining, which we hadn't seen in a few days. So that is also a great energizer.
A big hug to you all, on sand or snow.

The situation

Hi! Let me tell you the actual situation of my dissertation. I finished Chapter II in January and then I had to prepare for my exposition in the seminar with the professors and the other students. I had been re-reading the "DRP", the book that I work on, and after the exposition I decided to stop and write what I had up to that point, before I went on reading. What has happened in the last month is that this "quick writing" of what I had has been getting confusing and is taking a long time. I'm stuck! Partly because I was trying to explain too much, so I then re-wrote the index of Chapter III to simplify it. But I also realize that, since I stopped reading the DRP, I do not have the whole picture in mind, only the first third of that book, so I am probably being too detailed and too focused on the part what I re-read lately. Therefore I am thinking of finishing reading the book before I go on with anything else. I did not want to do that in fear that it would mean leaving what I have of Chapter III unfinished and then having to come back. But to be honest, I am not even sure of what I need to have in this Chapter III, how much is necessary and how much would be superfluous. So today I started re-reading the version of Chapter IV that I have, and then I will realize how much I need in Chapter III as a preparation for Chapter IV! At one point I also considered eliminating Chapter III altogether, because the most important Chapter is the fourth one. But someone advised me to keep it.
This is the thing: Chapter IV is the main one because I explain each of the concepts that Schelling is taking from Aristotle. But Chapter II deals with the concept of God in a general way, so I need a transition from II to IV in which it becomes clear what Schelling is attempting to do and how he understands his rational science, so that it will be clearer why he needs Aristotle. Then in Chapter IV I go into detail into the particular way he uses Aristotle. But the need for Aristotle and not, say, Plato or Kant, still has to be addressed. So I do need Chapter III, even if some of the points will have to be repeated in Chapter IV. Maybe it's ok because it will be under a different perspective: III says "Schelling wants x, y, z" and Chapter IV says "notice how a, b, c from Aristotle are perfect when you need x, y, z". Right?
I remembered today that Buchheim once suggested writing Chapter IV first because then I would know what I need to have in the third one... I will consider it after I re-read the DRP.
So the plan for tonight is going to mass and then to the gym. I need that! Will I make it? Tune in tomorrow to find out...
The plan for tomorrow is to re-read Chapter IV and decide on the points that I would need in Chapter III and write the schema for it, leaving aside all that is not necessary! And, since the library will be closed over Easter, I also have to decide what to take home and what work to do, if at all. I'll tell you about that later...
Ok, see you tomorrow.

Wel come gallegos

Welcome to this new blog that I am starting as an "accountability tool". I read today a very good article for PhD students that need help writing their dissertation. They mention a kind of coaching offered by students who have just finished their PhD to those still struggling with it. They both meet on a weekly basis. The one who is writing reports on what she did the previous week, hands in some pages and they decide together what the next step will be. This is the way my old professor Nubiola used to work with his students. I wish today I had someone to coach me like that, someone who had already gone through this process. Since I don't, I thought I could try to coach myself, and have this blog as "accountability tool" for all of you to see. I have actually been thinking of this idea for quite some time, but thought it could become a further distraction. Now I think it's worth a try.
Here I will post at the end of each day what I have accomplished and what is due the next day, and you can see if I did what I had planned. At the end of each week I will post some pages or the like, and will decide on a work plan for the following week. I would be really grateful for your comments and opinions, and especially for rooting for me. You're welcome to poke me or scold me or correct my English! It feels somewhat rusty... but it will also be good practice so that is why I will write in English.
Thank you!!