tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808227584959676379.post3280656952409263787..comments2023-06-28T07:56:10.910-04:00Comments on In Progress: Practical Benefits of Philosophy 2. EssentialismPeter H of Lebohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960259139631190172noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808227584959676379.post-38016688251246420202013-04-20T22:41:30.334-04:002013-04-20T22:41:30.334-04:00That's hilarious. I could listen to a series o...That's hilarious. I could listen to a series on just the determination of the essence of golf and how the Supreme Court made it. I really don't know much about it—the law or, to be honest, the ins and outs of essentialism, but I think the whole analysis would be fascinating (and instructing). (And would raise some questions about essentialism itself, which I'm sure we will discover as this series progresses.)<br /><br />In many ways it is similar to determining the essence of marriage. James Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04871338738388893364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808227584959676379.post-39483897774128284202013-04-20T21:46:14.478-04:002013-04-20T21:46:14.478-04:00Your citation of PGA Tour, Inc. v. Martin is an ex...Your citation of <i>PGA Tour, Inc. v. Martin</i> is an excellent example of essentialism at work. But you really can't blame the Court for it. It was forced into this foray into the metaphysics of golf by Congress. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires all places of public accommodation (including the PGA Tour) to make "modifications in policies, practices, or procedures" needed to permit people with disabilities to enjoy the accommodation unless "making such modifications would fundamentally alter the nature of" the public accommodation. <br /><br />I'm not quite sure how you determine the "essence" of golf, but the Court did it: "the essence of the game has been shotmaking—using clubs to cause a ball to progress from the teeing ground to a hole some distance away with as few strokes as possible." Since, that says nothing about golf carts, they don't alter the fundamental nature of the game. The Court relied on the first recorded rules of golf, published in 1744.Big Mykhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09488250533536442903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808227584959676379.post-46585895272479675422013-04-17T14:35:00.732-04:002013-04-17T14:35:00.732-04:00In another attempt to make Philosophy and this pos...In another attempt to make Philosophy and this post relevant to the 'real world', I just watched the new trailer for "Man of Steel" and the central theme is "I have to believe you were sent here for a reason and even if it takes the rest of your life, you owe it to yourself to find out what that reason is."<br /><br />So we haven't lost the notion of telos or the purpose of Superman in defining his essence. I leave it to you (the reader) to decide the importance of essentialism as a formative notion in the significant cultural event of a fantasy movie about a comic book character. James Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04871338738388893364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808227584959676379.post-18003312767971695092013-04-14T21:19:21.162-04:002013-04-14T21:19:21.162-04:00The examples you give are great—in fact, examples ...The examples you give are great—in fact, examples are often essential in understanding essentialism. Marriage is particularly appropriate especially in today's world. Reading the post, I asked myself, 'well, I guess it comes down to what one would say is the essential nature of marriage', or, even more relatively: 'it depends on how marriage is defined'. <br /><br />In some sense that is true, however, Aristotle gives us a test in defining marriage or anything's essential nature. He says look to its purpose or <i>telos</i> in Greek. (Where we get the word teleological.) He would say look to the purpose of marriage in order to determine its essence. <br /><br />Of course, modern science and culture looks a bit curiously at an object or organism's purpose. We normally don't think that way. (And I know essentialism is going to have its hands full to keep up.)<br /><br />But, nevertheless, it is a very useful concept. Here is another example from a recent Supreme Court case. Casey Martin was an excellent golfer, good enough to play in the PGA, but was handicapped to such a degree that it was too painful for him to walk the course as required by the PGA rules. He sued to use a cart. The Supreme Court had to determine what was the essence of golf. Was walking the course an essential part of golf or was it an accident? What was the <i>telos</i> of golf?James Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04871338738388893364noreply@blogger.com