This week we’re supping mulled wine, curling up by the fire, weeping at a John Lewis advert, and preparing for an obese Coca-Cola saint to invade our obscenely decorated home. We ask Dr. Deligiorgi how she celebrates her festive season.
As an expert on Kant, she has published a number of works about the great philosopher. So the Armchair wonders what she thinks Kant would make of modern Christmas: aesthetic abomination, or transcendental triumph?
“Kant advises that the philosopher should never eat alone and should practice sociability, so from that angle Christmas offers an ideal opportunity for one to practice. Having said that, I notice that he eschewed the joys of family life.”
Philosophy. Check! We move onto the important stuff, plans for this year’s celebration of the virgin birth?
“Seaford, with family, though I also hope with a horse too.”
Confusing mental images of equine table manners to one side, an otherwise traditional affair then?
“Very traditional. I get a bit misanthropic at precisely the wrong moment. Thankfully I can take myself out for a walk or a ride.”
With no nativity scenes in sight, we enquire as to the good Doctor’s planned holiday reading.
“Aubrey’s Brief Lives: perfect for cheering tired souls.”
It seems even our esteemed philosophy lecturer has time for a good gossip at crimble (Brief Lives being the seventeenth century’s answer to Mail Online… more Shakespeare, less Katona). And as the bard himself said, brevity is the soul of wit, so we give our guest a few quick-fire Christmas questions:
Harrods or H&M?
‘Liberty’s.’
Champagne or mulled wine?
‘G&T’
Michael Bublé or George Michael?
‘Who are they?’
Love Actually or It’s A Wonderful Life?
‘Spongebob Squarepants: The Movie.’
Enough said, a Merry (Metaphysical) Christmas to all!
Tom Loan
