2. On April 26 I had lunch with the European philosopher Isabelle Stengers, my advisor, and a few other graduate students. I asked her about her use of rhetoric involving suffering and victimization in Cosmopolitics and the possible connection to Whitehead's God "the fellow-sufferer who understands" (Whitehead qtd. in Stengers, Beyond Conversation 240). She explains "understands" in Beyond Conversation but not the notion of suffering. Her answer, since Whitehead's notion of God to her is impersonal, is that God "understands in unison of becoming" (240). Or to say it as she did at another time during discussion, God knows "me," but not the "me" I necessarily know. And God suffers, but not a type of suffering we fully understand, a suffering of all potentials and all failed potentials-- if I understood her correctly.
3. Tonight we went to a modern art exhibit downtown. It took place in a half-renovated loft. One of our friends was showing his work with others. Techno music was blaring from the DJ, and all "artsy" and "trendy" city dwellers were in attendance. We were greeted at the door by an exhibit of hanging plastic-wrap geometric shapes and photographs of bare male buttocks on the wall. (An interesting way to say hello). Art work of note also included the pillar of Virgin Marys stacked on top of each other, the Virgin buried under a pile of bricks, and every one's favorite, The Last Supper Lucha Wrestling Style. Actually, the most impressive view to me, was watching the sunset. In cities the sunsets belong to those with enough money to command a view. However, not everyone in attendance was persuaded about the validity of the art. A phrase that was often repeated is reproduced below:
I however remain entertained, either way.
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