It's official. This paper is the hardest assignment I've ever been given in my entire educational life. It's an exercise in organization as much as it is anything else. Organization is not my strongest ability. In case I haven't said so already, here's the task that I've been given: pick a person (I picked Charles Taylor), read everything they've ever written (his most important book alone is 520 pages!), and write a master paper that synthesizes their work. After this paper, write another one that applies their theoretical framework to some other part of the social world (whatever that means!?!)

I feel like I've reached the next level here. This is not child's play. This is serious intellectual labor and it is HARD. It's never taken me so long to write a page of text. I've never second-guessed an outline as much as I am this one. I'm on page 9, and I'm still on major point 1 in my outline. I guess it's second sub-point of major point one, but whatever. I'm still on part one of what should end up a 4-5 part outline.

One of my favorite professors says then when faced with an intellectual challenge you have to go "get smart." I don't feel like I'm getting smart. I feel like I'm getting confused.

On a more positive note, I think Taylor is a brilliant philosopher and I really hope that by the end of this, I've mastered at least the major points of his project. I think he has a lot to say to me and to my future work. I hope I can make this project useful.

Finally, here's another de-contextualized quote for you to chew on:

My identity is defined by the commitments and identifications which provide the frame or horizon within which I can try to determine from case to case what is good, or valuable, or what ought to be done, or what I endorse or oppose. In other words, it is the horizon within which I am capable of taking a stand.


Tell me what you think.