72nd Resolution

[Resolution of Gratitude, 72nd Meeting, 2011]

The Mavens

A Reflection on the 72nd VPA

By Peter Sutton

Once upon a weekend yearly, here we gather chic and cheery.

At this university that did open up its welcoming door.

Here we nodded, and did some clapping.  Never did our lips stop flapping.

In Q & A there was some yapping; yapping you could not ignore.

“’Tis a good argument” we muttered, “but one problem still to cure.

            Let us ask one question more.”  

Ah, distinctly I remember, it was six weeks from December,

When the hypertimes of members intersected at H7 and T4.

Then through growing blocks we traveled, while the mysteries of time unraveled

And McDowell’s anti-a priori views came to the floor.

But the need for objectivity shook McDowell to the core.

            The conceptual given was explored.

Open here we flung Aquinas, and with him there to remind us

We discovered why a raven has intrinsic worth galore.

And of human learning talked we, what with all its RDRDs

And being something that things can be something for.

And of significances how we can be institutor.

            Then at dinner we talked some more.

Now, Dick Burian beguiling these philosophers into whiling

Quite some time away in learning from his biological lore.

We sat at ease, our dinner eating, preparing for the morning meeting,

“Are my knowledge-claims competing with my pragmatic reasons for

Action or inaction when the odds are less than sure?”

            Quoth Moosavi, “nevermore.”

Much we marveled hearing plainly how non-naturalists are mainly

Worse at grounding practical oughts than maybe we did think before. 

The “grue”-someness of mysterianism told in favor of naturalism

Then through Brie Gertler’s helpful prism, our self-knowledge we did explore.

Burge’s attitudes toward our attitudes we considered, but did deplore.

            This time, there was no encore.

“William” say I, “William and Mary, you paid the bills and we can barely

Thank you enough for helping this convention to endure.

Your old and glorious campus met us, the marching bands did not upset us,

We quite enjoyed their music and your fans in their uproar.

We support the Tribe’s homecoming, and we hope their victory’s sure. 

Towson will triumph nevermore.”

Now philosophers, sometimes flitting, still are sitting, still are sitting

Thinking of these arguments but looking toward the chamber door.

And their minds are forward-looking, planning papers and hotel bookings,

And new arguments they sure are cooking—things we haven’t heard before.

For the VPA conventions seventy-three and seventy-four.

            And after that, forevermore.