One man's struggle against impermanence
John Wilkins is an aged, eternal student, who thinks philosophy of biology is at least as interesting as politics or sport and twice as important. He has a PhD from the University of Melbourne and a position as a Postdoctoral Fellow Sessional Lecturer at the University of Queensland, in Australia. After a varied career, involving factories, gardening, civil service, publishing, graphics, public relations but not, unfortunately for the CV, driving a truck, John finally completed his thesis on species concepts in 2004, which he has worked into two books. Species Definitions: A Sourcebook (Peter Lang) will come out in 2008; Species: A History of an Idea (University of California Press) will appear, it is hoped, in early 2009. He is also interested in cultural evolution, philosophy of religion, Macintosh computers and his kids.
If anyone knows of a tenurable, or even medium term, job in philosophy of biology, let me know. Have library, will travel. The contract ran out ...
This blog is designed to host any random thoughts that happen to be passing through my forebrain at a given moment. So there will be errors...
Foundations of Systematics and Biogeography
Re-Engineering Philosophy for Limited Beings: Piecewise Approximations to Reality
Adaptive Thinking: Rationality in the Real World (Evolution and Cognition Series)
Conceptual Issues in Evolutionary Biology, 3rd Edition (Bradford Books)
My personal page is here:
The previous instantiation of this blog is accessible here.
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Category: History
Posted on: May 14, 2008 11:12 PM, by John S. Wilkins
In a famous skit, Wayne and Schuster had Calpurnia, Caesar's wife, saying "Julie, don't go! It's the Ides of March!" Now we can see why Julie went. He was old, and worried...
This is a bust of Julius Caesar in his "old age" (old age be damned. He looks younger than I am) that has recently been found in the sediment of the Rhône River next to the Roman city of Arles, which Caesar founded. It is thought to be from life, and is the oldest bust of J. C. known.
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Comments
Venit, Vidit, Morerit.
Ave Caesar senex.
Posted by: Brian English | May 14, 2008 11:59 PM
Somehow the bust reminds me of this photo.
Posted by: Ahcuah | May 15, 2008 12:01 AM
Ahcuah, are you comparing one bellicose ruler who invaded a country for political gain and wiped out a large percentage of the population with another bellicose ruler who invaded a country for political gain and caused the death of a lot of the population? I'm sorry, I think the analogy is weak. ;)
Posted by: Brian English | May 15, 2008 12:09 AM
I used to LOVE Wayne & Schuster. (I grew up near Detroit, so I could watch them on Ed Sullivan AND CBC.) This post prompted me to find some old clips on YouTube.
Posted by: Gerry L | May 15, 2008 12:32 AM
You can just see the immortal line written on that face: "Infamy, infamy! They've all got it in for me!"
Posted by: Ian H Spedding FCD | May 15, 2008 12:46 AM
He really has a dramatic face. I think it's the broken nose does it.
Posted by: Coyote | May 15, 2008 1:37 AM
Appearances can be deceptive! This is not Gaius of the Julian Clan; it is of course Alf a much-loved Romano-Celtic cabaret artist who earned his living doing impersonations of Caesar in the Arles Arena in the breaks between the gladiators and the lions. He came to a sticky end one hot summer afternoon when the stagehands who, having heard his routine a couple of hundred times already, were bored and let out the lions in the middle of his act. The crowd loved it and saluted his demise with a standing ovation. The story was the sensation of an otherwise slow summer season and the souvenir sellers did a roaring trade in Alf busts with the tourist who took in the Arena on their trips to Arles.
Posted by: Thony C. | May 15, 2008 4:18 AM
To continue the Bush/Caesar analogy:
- What was the Bush Rubicon with respect to invading Iraq?
- At that point, did he actually realize it, as Gaius did?
- Did Gaius ever make the mistake of saying "Mission accomplished"?
I'm sure there's much more...
Posted by: Thinker | May 15, 2008 8:36 AM
Now there's a hard, hard man...
Posted by: fvngvs | May 15, 2008 9:08 AM
Mary Beard doubts it's ol' big-nose: http://timesonline.typepad.com/dons_life/2008/05/the-face-of-jul.html
Posted by: csrster | May 15, 2008 9:16 AM
So what's the connection? That they've both been "stoned"?!
Posted by: Ian | May 15, 2008 9:50 AM
Someone Gallic is playing political games. This fake bust is of George W Bush and not the Roman Emperor that invaded Gaul.
Posted by: George W. Caesar | May 15, 2008 10:09 AM
Funnily enough, one of the few things I can remember from Latin class is "Juli, noli ire!"
Posted by: Christopher Taylor | May 15, 2008 11:06 AM
Wasn't he supposed to be bald? (I think his soldiers even sang about it) Are there any other angles of the sculpture (which, by the way, is beautiful) so that can be checked?
Posted by: Ribozyme | May 16, 2008 10:16 PM
Maybe he instructed the sculptor to add a little something to his image. If so, he wouldn't be the last powerful Italian politician to do so.
Posted by: konrad_arflane | May 17, 2008 6:12 PM
I don't know. "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your nose!" doesn't quite work...
Posted by: Ian H Spedding FCD | May 18, 2008 5:23 AM
Pace Thinker (#8):
- What was the Bush Rubicon with respect to invading Iraq?
W.r.t. Iraq, the Atlantic might count. But since Caesar actually invaded the territories of Rome (attacking the city from the outside) when he crossed the Rubicon, it's gotta be a river between where W came from, and the center of power. Doesn't the Potomac sit right between Texas and Washington, DC?
- At that point, did he actually realize it, as Gaius did?
For Iraq? Nah ... For DC? You bet!
- Did Gaius ever make the mistake of saying "Mission accomplished"?
Probably, Gaius was more adept at changing his "mission" in a plausible way when things went haywire, and thus never compelled to think about "accomplishing" it. Though, for the conquest of Gaul, he did write a propaganda piece on the Gallic Wars, which could count.
Posted by: BB | May 19, 2008 5:07 AM
I had no idea the fame of W&S (who were, of course, a fixture when I was growing up) reached all the way to Down Under.
Posted by: Eamon Knight | May 22, 2008 4:09 PM
Everything gets to us eventually. That's why I know W&S and Flanders and Swann, and Tom Lehrer and The Goodies...
Actually it's a wonder any Australian gets anything done, given the hosepipe of culture we get down here...
Posted by: John S. Wilkins | May 22, 2008 9:25 PM
From your examples, it appears "eventually" means between 25 and 50 years?
Let us know when Stewart and Colbert reach the Antipodes, will you? Unfortunately, their humour is rather topical, and will be somewhat dated by 2040. On the bright side, when "American Idol" shows up, you'll be able to laugh immediately at all the winners who went on to be utter duds.
Posted by: Eamon Knight | May 22, 2008 11:09 PM
Actually I heard them all at the time they were popular. You do know I've been around since the 17th century?
Posted by: John S. Wilkins | May 23, 2008 3:15 AM
You do know I've been around since the 17th century?
Loved your book on moon travel ;)
Posted by: Thony C. | May 23, 2008 11:24 AM
Thanks, although I was proudest of my work on universal languages, with my cryptography book a close second.
Posted by: John S. Wilkins | May 23, 2008 5:48 PM
You do know I've been around since the 17th century?
Right, I'd forgotten.
I hear getting cut for The Stone was a real bitch back then.
Posted by: Eamon Knight | May 23, 2008 11:43 PM