Ethics and The Blues

Ethics and The Blues  featuring "Terrible Tom" Bowden and other members of the Bay Area Blues Society.   Why might it be important to "keep the blues alive" in Oakland - that is what the Bay Area Blues Society is all about!! KGO news short with Ronnie Stewart & "Terrible Tom" Bowden (visiting USF soon!) Russell City Blues - background the biggest lil blues town no one knows about! <iframe src="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0W4V3X33ppNclR4MS1QYVYzRmM/preview" width="640" height="385"></iframe>

(PROMPT AT BOTTOM) Let's assume a Lockean theory of property for this exercise, in particular his theory of appropriation through mixing your labor with the land, and including the provisos to 'leave enough and as good' and non-spoilage.  It is likely that Locke himself, and certainly other colonial aspirants , sought to justify the colonization of what is now called North America with this theory of natural property rights.  One clear response is that appropriation through labor mixing only applies to unowned land, and of course an Indigenous people had been living throughout this continent for a long time.  With a prior owner, colonial labor mixing on the territory is not a mechanism for appropriation.  In response, the defender of colonial territory rights might argue that in this particular case we have an indigenous population that did not have a recognized right of ownership of land, did not cultivate agriculture and la...

Cuttin to the chase, here is an argument from Phil Jenkins in the recent volume Blues and Philosophy from Wiley-Blackwell:   Co-edited by yours truly:) CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVE:   DeJeana Burke & The Oakland Blues Divas:  Phil Jenkins. Yes,he's white Conclusion: White people cannot BCE! 1.The term ‘blues’ is ambiguous in meaning as it may refer to a distinct ‘blues musical form’ (BMF) or to ‘blues cultural expression’ (BCE) 2. BMF is in principle accessible to all, and can actually be performed by anyone with sufficient training and motor skills. 3.  White people can acquire the requisite training and motor skills. 4. Thus, white people CAN play BME. Muddy Waters 5. However, Blues as Cultural Expression (BCE) is only accessible to people that are members of the social group that created blues.  Specifically, to people that share the history of oppression and injustice of Blacks in America going...

Higher Pleasures, Platonic Harmonies and Lonesome Dogs Let’s compare three representations of the soul from Plato, Mill, and Lightnin’ Hopkins.  Further, let's take these figures as all engaging in moral psychology -  an examination of the psychological nature of the moral subject.  How do moral agents work?  What psychologically realistic expectations can we have of them? What are the actual causes of our behavior? What is the lived experience of the moral life? Below are summaries of J.S. Mill's theory of higher pleasures, Plato's 'happiness as harmony' account of the just soul in Book VII of the Republic and Lightnin' Hopkins ' "Lonesome Dog".  So, I ask you, and please do give Lightnin' a listen below and you are encouraged to learn more about his work and life.  Below I have also included a few resources for understanding the relevant aspects of Plato and J.S. Mill. Prompt: 500-100 words. (A)What is the howlin' dog featured...