The soul of PLAYBOY
Brian Sorgatz
bsorgatz@hotmail.com
Thu, 29 May 2003 13:11:50 -0700
Peggy Wilkins wrote:
>I am someone who appreciates
>how printed materials such as books and magazines look and feel; I
>enjoy looking at and holding printed matter. To me, printed materials
>are a bit like artifacts or relics: they have a real physical impact.
>I know most people would consider this strange, and to that I say,
>there are just people like me who appreciate books as relics. Even
>the smell of a good book can have a positive impact. I know that some
>people understand this, and some do not.
Right on, sister. I believe what you have said is another way of saying
that beloved cultural artefacts such as magazines have a certain quality
that may be called soul. The authors James Hillman and Thomas Moore (not to
be confused with Sir Thomas More) have some fascinating insights on locating
soul in inanimate objects. Hillman says that most Westerners now consider
this notion strange because of the legacy of Descartes, who confined soul to
human beings and described the physical world as so much dead matter. This
email group doesn't seem to enjoy abstract philosophical discussion, but I
thought I'd put this out anyway.
Brian Sorgatz