Just a Thought

The other day, when posting a link to Steve Carell's commencement address at the beloved Northwestern University, I mentioned that the school had oddly not posted the speech on YouTube but buried it on the school's website within a video of the full commencement video.  But I added that they did post a video of a wonderful speech at the ceremony by graduation philosophy student Clary Doyle.

And that speech is wonderful.  Which doesn't do it justice.  It's really smart, really thoughtful, really interesting.  Unexpected, yet so basic -- while dealing with far more.  And all in just 7-1/2 minutes.  It lightly touches, too, without even naming names, on Trump's attack on Northwestern, freezing $790 million in research.  Yet is damning in its low-key response.  While the whole speech is a gem -- the last line is, to me, enthralling.

My only quibble with the video is that it just shows 20 seconds of applause and the student body rising to its feet.  From User Comments on YouTube of people who were there in attendance, they say that the cheering went on much longer.  I don't doubt it.  

The Washington Post published Ms. Clary's speech in full.  Lucky you getting to actually see her present the thing.

I'm sure that the initial reaction of most people (myself included) would be, why on earth would I want to listen to even a short speech about philosophy.  This below is why.

I can't even begin to imagine how much Clary Doyle's parents were bursting with pride sitting there at the United Center, listening to this.  And then watching the long standing ovation.  Thrilled, too, that maybe all that tuition they paid for a philosophy degree wasn't wasted.

One last thing --

If anyone reading this knows about anybody whose business is looking to hire a philosophy intern, send them to this page...