Lies, Damn Lies, and Santa Claus

Some people (to whom we might refer, if solely for the sake of convenience, as ‘Grinches’) beat a somber path from denial of Santa’s being to condemnation of a joyous tradition. Unable to see Santa within the limited horizons of their own pinched perspectives, they conclude that to assert the right jolly old elf’s existence would be but a lie.  Zealous defenders of the creed that (almost all) lying is wrong, they dutifully don the self-imposed shackles of a selective moral rectitude only to haunt our decked halls with mirthless intent. Fortunately, life-affirming children of all ages naturally resist such negativity. Young hearts that swell with anticipation of the immanent arrival of Kris Kringle, Sinter Klaas, or Old St. Nick, know very well that there are many more things between heaven and earth then are dreamt of in the Grinches’ philosophy. But a world that sustains the existence Santa is not without its own ethical imperatives. A society that sanctions the expectations that belief in Santa raises, incurs the obligation to meet them as extensively as possible. Join us as Joseph Biehl suggests that the better course for us would not be to forsake and slander Santa, but rather to become his most trusted and faithful helpers, cheerfully bringing the spirit of the season—the true spirit—to those who need it most.

Thursday, December 22 at 6pm. This event is part of the Philosophy Series at The Cornelia Street Café, located at 29 Cornelia Street, New York, NY 10014 (near Sixth Avenue and West 4th St.). Admission is $10, which includes the price of one drink. Reservations are recommended (212. 989.9319)

Joseph Biehl is the Founder and Executive Director of the Gotham Philosophical Society, the mission of which is to bring philosophy into the everyday discourse of the city. Dr. Biehl earned a B.A. in philosophy from St. John’s University in Queens and a Ph.D. from the Graduate School and University Center, CUNY. He is especially interested in the connections between our ideas of truth and belief, belief and choice, and choice and identity, as well as the personal relationships and political conditions that help shape them.