Mary Godwin and her lover Percy Bysshe Shelley travelled to Europe in 1816, and went to Geneva, to stay with Lord Byron. That year was remarkable for being the “year without a summer.” In 1815 there was a large volcanic eruption of Mount Tambora on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa. Clouds of volcanic ash were propelled into the upper atmosphere, obscuring the sun. The Northern hemisphere saw crop failures, food shortages and sudden climatic change. At the time many were unaware of the causes of this strange phenomenon, and it was common to have to light candles in the middle of the day due to the darkness. Mary and her companions found themselves unable to enjoy the outdoors and instead spent their time inside discussing science, politics and literature. Eventually Byron suggested a ghost story writing competition. And thus, Frankenstein was born.
What happens when a philosopher falls in love
Agnes Callard calls herself a “public philosopher,” which means she applies philosophical thinking to every aspect of her life — including falling in love with a student, divorcing her husband and then living with both of them at the same time. Agnes views romantic relationships as the place where some of the most pressing philosophical problems surface in life, and she tries to “navigate the moral-opprobrium reflexes in the right way,” so that people won’t dismiss the topic as unworthy of public discussion. “If you’re a real philosopher,” she said, “you don’t need privacy, because you’re a living embodiment of your theory at every moment, even in your sleep.” Jonathan Lear, a philosopher at the University of Chicago, said Agnes approaches every conversation as if it were integral to her life’s work, as it was for Socrates. “She’s attempting to live a philosophical life, and this includes taking responsibility for the very concept of marriage.”
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