Dominic Wilkinson’s paper, “Grief and the Inconsolation of Philosophy”, explores the gap between philosophical insight and psychological comfort when it comes to death. He distinguishes between “rational consolation”, when philosophical analysis leads to the conclusion that it would be rational to care less about death than we currently do, and “psychological consolation”, when philosophical reflection actually leads us to care less about death. Through his analysis of Derek Parfit’s reductionist definition of personal identity, Wilkinson is sceptical that this philosophical consolation will have psychological traction, and finds it “deeply implausible” that philosophical perspectives can lead to actual consolation. Read full article here
Oddities
Why Do Modern Pop Songs Have So Many Credited Writers?
The music industry has changed dramatically over the last few decades – with the number of songwriters credited on number one hits more than doubling. This is due to a combination of factors, including money, the computer and a changing definition of what songwriting is. For example, if The Beatles’ classic “I Feel Fine” was released today, it would likely have four writers credited instead of two, due to the influence of producers, samples and interpolations. With the rise of lawsuits, artists now preemptively add songwriter credits to their songs, even if the similarities between their song and the source material are coincidental. It all goes to show that the music industry is becoming more complex and competitive. Read full article here
Merv
March 29, 2023
