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Notes from the lockdown II, May 2021

About a year ago, I wrote a blog-post* in the midst of the development of the Covid-19 pandemic. The lockdown had just started in the Czech Republic and the general atmosphere was one of slight paranoia. At that point, there was no way of knowing what directions this will take. If we were to have known that a year later we would still live under restrictions and that the danger caused by the virus would be far from over, this knowledge would have been overwhelming.

Some things have been revealed for me during this year. Some things have shown themselves under a new light.

Perpetual beginners

Teaching is a strange experience, at least for someone who is not regularly teaching much, which is my case. More experienced colleagues offer words of support and encouragement, bordering on warning: students tend to be lazy, one needs to be careful, and erring on the side of strictness rather than of over-leniency. Pro-active brightness is not to be expected; expect the obtuse and the undereducated. And so forth.

Self-Compassion

In his discussion of remorse and of the pity which we might feel towards a wrongdoer, Peter Winch makes the following observation:

12 months Senior Fellowship with the Centre

The Centre for Ethics as Study in Human Value, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, University of Pardubice, is seeking to appoint:

  • a (senior) Research Fellow in ethics

Intended start date: September 1st, 2021 (negotiable); contract duration 12 months; internationally competitive salary.

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