May 23, 2013

Carlin Romano - America the Radical

"America the Philosophical" by Carlin Romano.

Wikiepdia:
Carlin Romano is an American writer and educator. He was cited for "bringing new vitality to the classic essay across a formidable array of topics," as a finalist for the 2005 Pulitzer Prize in criticism.

Romano is a critic-at-large for the The Chronicle of Higher Education. He was a writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer for many years. He teaches at Ursinus College and the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication. He previously taught philosophy at Bennington College. 
Title: Carlin Romano - America the Radical. YouTube Video Description - [Channel: ciwebvideos. Published on August 14, 2012]:
If we look at the word "radical" etymologically, we notice its meaning lies in being close to the roots of things, says Carlin Romano, professor of philosophy and humanities at Ursinus College. Through time, "radical" ideas have become known less as this and more as extreme and even dangerous. Romano offers examples of famous radicals -- including Jesus Christ -- and pushes for using the word in its original sense. "Radicalism, in short, is not ultimately what one does as a result of pondering or questioning, but the way one ponders it," Romano says. Radicalism is a reflection on the roots of things.
"In that book [America the Philosophical] I argue that America is the greatest philosophical culture in the history of the world. Forget about ancient Greece, 19th century Germany, and so on. And, as a result, many people have written that I am crazy." - Carlin Romano.