Jacob Michael Davis
Interest &
Other
Jacob and his brother, Andrew at the Board of Education offices.
Philosophy: My interest in philosophy was one of the principle factors in my desire to come to Japan. I’ve long been fascinated by Japanese culture and philosophy, from the wabi sabi aesthetic to the formulations of Nishada Kitaro. I am especially interested in the harmonious intersection of Buddhism, Shinto, and Confucianism, and the more recent addition of modern commercial societal values to this cultural fabric. I’m fond of Rinzai Zen Buddhism for it’s theories of cognition and its practicable formulas for redistribution of the defined and experienced “self.”
I consider philosophy an essential part of any educational experience. For example, in second language acquisition, philosophical consideration of all the cultural values and strategies that can be assimilated with a language makes learning more attractive and interdisciplinary. I believe it also allows language, and language pedagogy to be more effectively applied.
By philosophy, I do not mean to exclusively refer to the difficult and complex ideas and obscure systemizations of philosophers. Besides only those challenging forms of ivory tower philosophy, I also stress the value and even primacy of philosophy as the most common and easily explained forms of meaningful inquiry into a thing – the basic and spirited “why?” and “how?” of human wonder. Philosophy is, at bottom, a science of discipline of curiosity.
My philosophical interests necessarily overlap with anthropological, theological, political, and scientific interests. Here is a small list of related subjects which capture my imagination.
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Cosmology
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Group Psychology
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Group Selection theory
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Second Language Acquisition
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Applied Ethics
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Futurology
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Nanotechnology
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Spinoza
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Nietzsche
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The ‘third culture’ scientific philosophers
History: World history fascinates me because I view it as the anatomy of almost all present peoples and conditions, as well as the key to unlocking the future. In Japanese history, I am particularly interested in the Meiji Revolution and Restoration and what it tells us about the will of a people, the clash of civilizations, and the rise of modernism. I find it encouraging that through out the sometimes cataclysmic upheavals in Japanese history, older traditions and aesthetics have been preserved and maintained while innovations have been embraced.
Politics: My political interests are intertwined with my desire to explore the conundrums of ethics and ethical aims, which I believe is the one of the two final goals of political action, the other being maintenance of a stable and affluent society. Without a strong ethical exploration at the heart of political discourse, the machines of societal maintenance quickly go awry. I believe that internationalization is the cure to many global and political dilemmas, especially nascent ones. Mutual understanding and respect between populations leads to a fair examination of general values, self-restraint with regard to relative values, and a diffusion of conflicts of interest. Internationalization, especially at the grassroots level, is an attempt to realize these forces.
Besides this, I have no strong, or at least, no absolute political or ideological affiliation with any party, platform, or school of thought.
About me:
Here are some simple details about me and what I like.
My favorite foods are sushi, French fries, anything made with a potato, fried chicken, Middle Eastern food like Hummus and sour stuffed grape leaves. I also like Natto! I will try almost any food once. There aren’t many foods I don’t like, but I usually don’t enjoy sweet foods too much. Also, Kusaiya stinks!
My hobbies:
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Digital Photography – I try to take many pictures and videos, and then spend much more time than it took to take the photos enhancing and editing them with computer software. If I’m any good at photography, it’s probably only because of Photoshop.
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Piano – I’ve played piano since I was a child and often compose my own music. I believe that nurturing musical skill benefits neurological health.
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Electronic Music – I use software programs to compose and record music. This isn’t like playing live. It feels more like a plastic art. Notes and Noises are placed and arranged meticulously, and then displayed like an audio sculpture.
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Writing – I try to spend at lot of time each week writing non-fiction, fiction, and poetry in English.
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Reading – I try to keep informed in various subjects.
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Studying Japanese