What's In A Name?

You may have noticed I'm a pretty big fan of C.S. Lewis. It's because like few others in history, Lewis was able to take sometimes complex and distant philosophical and theological principles and demonstrate them in the simplest, most accessible ways. This is one of the goals of this blog.

If the traditional, capital "P", Philosophy of Western Civilization (that of Aristotle, Boethius, Aquinas, and the rest) is right, while its ideas may be abstract, lofty, and hard to understand, those very principles undergird and inform all of existence, and are thus evidenced in everything around us all the time. In this way, Aristotle says, though it may be hard to come to an understanding of these first, most fundamental principles, once understood, they seem self-evident.

The name "PopSophia" is meant to reference two things. First, if there can be "pop psychology," then certainly there can be "pop philosophy." In other words, the content of this blog isn't meant to be particularly elevated or scholarly. It's meant to be accessible, because that is where philosophy is most compelling and really matters, on the ground, not in ivory towers.

Second, as intimated in the banner, the blog aims to showcase the wisdom that appears in pop culture. Rather than dealing in abstracts, we look at philosophical principles as they occur in the real world. Contemporary literature, film, music, and television can't help but take positions on important issues of truth and nature. This blog is here to facilitate discussion of these issues.

As always, it is you, the readers, who will make or break this blog in the end, by choosing to contribute to that discussion or not. As stated in the inaugural post, this blog is meant to be a community, a forum for ideas. In order to fulfill that mission, someone other than myself must participate. PopSophia isn't meant to be a lecture, but a conversation. Please join in. It is my sincere hope that you have found and will continue to find the odd post mildly interesting. Let the rest of us know. Feedback, good or bad, is always welcome.