Dylan Bailey is a PhD candidate at Fordham University. His research is centered in 19th-20th century continental philosophy, particularly as it intersects with ancient philosophy and the philosophy of religion. His dissertation focuses on the contrast between theoretical and practical understanding, and the indirect philosophical method needed to achieve the latter.
What excites you about philosophy?
This is a very uninspired and “Socrates 101” way of understanding philosophy, but what most excites me about philosophy is its dialectic of repeatedly demonstrating our deep ignorance about the most important things for a human to know (what happens after we die? does life have a purpose?) while simultaneously inspiring us to pursue answers to those questions. I think philosophy is most demonstrably successful in its critical mode, as the “gadfly” which problematizes presuppositions and undermines dogmatism, but at its best, philosophy does not end in total skepticism or nihilism but rather takes this negative moment and turns it into a desire to know/create.
What are you working on right now?
I’m currently working on my dissertation, in which I focus on Socrates, Kierkegaard, and Nietzsche’s shared method of “ironic midwifery” or indirect communication. What is unique about this method is that it is less concerned with directly communicating to the reader a doctrine to be learned or argument to be considered (theoretical understanding). Rather, these philosophers function as philosophical midwives, who undermine their own status as teachers and throw the reader back on herself, helping her to “give birth” to her own truth or subjectively appropriate the truth into her life. More specifically, I argue that ironic midwifery aims to deliver in its reader/interlocutor a practical or “subjective” understanding of his lack of some existentially-relevant truth.
Who do you think is the most overrated / underrated philosopher?
Although I find Kierkegaard and Nietzsche fun to read (they’re just so snarky), my favorite philosopher to readmight be Camus, who I think is generally underrated as a writer. When reading Camus’ essays, what comes across most strongly to me is his earnestness, as he cuts through jargon and byzantine arguments to focus on the existential questions which urgently need our attention. One detects a strong commitment to honest and open inquiry, a willingness to admit ignorance and to go wherever his inquiry leads, even if the conclusion is unpalatable. His writing is also remarkably clear and concise, yet simultaneously rich and complex, and I think he provides an excellent model for philosophical writers to aspire to.
When did you last sing to yourself, or to someone else?
I sing a few songs to my kids every night at bedtime to help them go to sleep. Most requested: “Dust in the Wind,” by Kansas.
What is your favorite book of all time? (Or top 3). Why? To whom would you recommend them?
I couldn’t narrow it down to a favorite book, but one of my favorite authors is Milan Kundera. Most of his novels weave together reflections on an “existential” idea with fictional narrative that explores the idea as it plays out in people’s lives. For instance, in The Unbearable Lightness of Being (probably his most famous novel), he reflects on Nietzsche’s eternal return. On Kundera’s interpretation, given the “death of God” and all it entails, the idea that all of the events and actions of our lives recur endlessly is necessary for our choices to have some meaning or “weight.” But the flip side is that, if a life does not actually eternally return, but rather only occurs once, then life and the actions that compose it seem “unbearably light,” having no “ultimate” meaning or significance. Kundera brilliantly weaves this tension between life’s “lightness” and “weight” into a story about the Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia. My two other favorites by him are The Book of Laughter and Forgetting and Slowness, and, for me, the latter especially typifies the perfect “philosophical novel.” Readers who enjoy Camus or Dostoyevsky (two other favorite authors) will likely also appreciate Kundera.
What is your favorite sound in the world?
Wind in the tops of trees, especially at night.
What do you like to do outside work?
I like to read sci-fi novels and history and watch Akira Kurosawa, Ingmar Bergman, and mobster films. My family and I live in the northernmost tip of the Bronx, so on Sundays we usually drive to upstate New York to find some green space for the kids to explore (Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is our favorite).
This section of the APA Blog is designed to get to know our fellow philosophers a little better. We’re including profiles of APA members that spotlight what captures their interest not only inside the office, but also outside of it. We’d love for you to be a part of it, so please contact us via the interview nomination form here to nominate yourself or a friend.
Dr. Sabrina D. MisirHiralall is an editor at the Blog of the APA who currently teaches philosophy, religion, and education courses solely online for Montclair State University, Three Rivers Community College, and St. John’s University.
