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WHAT IS THE DAILY MUSE?
The Muse is a free email newsletter which brings the
important, interesting, and creative thoughts of history's greatest philosophers
and writers to your inbox every morning. Each newsletter contains a
thought-provoking quote on a particular theme. See the home
page for more basic information.
WHAT ARE THE QUOTES ABOUT?
The quotes are organised by theme. Every fortnight we
select a new theme, and the quotes for that fortnight all relate to the theme.
Themes range from broad traditional philosophical topics (such as knowledge,
belief, and human nature) to specific contemporary issues (such as terrorism,
the environment, and feminism). Between these two poles we include a range of
topics from areas as diverse as political science, economics, and history.
The Daily Muse is prepared to tread in any field where there are interesting
and stimulating ideas. Here is a selection of planned themes for 2004;
see our calendar for a more detailed schedule of upcoming themes.
| Belief |
Human nature |
The internet |
| Democracy |
Feminism |
Moral dilemmas |
| Metaphysics |
Love |
Modernity |
| Knowledge |
History |
Patriotism |
| Aesthetics |
The family |
Terrorism |
| Sex |
Eastern philosophy
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The environment |
| Existentialism
|
The law |
Philosophy of mind |
WHAT SORT OF QUOTES ARE
INCLUDED?
We draw the quotes from a variety of sources. Most quotes are taken from
the writings of well-known philosophers and authors, but there are no firm
boundaries on what we include. We will sometimes extract quotes from the works
of lesser-known writers, or writers in other fields (such as history, or
economics). We may even quote people who are not writers at all, such as
politicians or entertainers, if we feel that their words contribute to an understanding of the
theme. See our index of authors for a list of people whose words have been
featured in the newsletter in the past. Wherever possible, we rely on the writer's complete work rather than on
anthologies and collections of quotations.
WHAT ELSE IS INCLUDED IN THE
NEWSLETTER?
Apart from the quote itself, and the source of the quote, a
newsletter may also include (i) biographical information on the author of
the quote, if the author is not well-known, and (ii) explanatory notes,
if we feel that additional information is needed in order for the quote to be
properly understood, or if the quote needs to be placed in context. Generally,
however, we prefer to choose quotes which are quick to read and easy to
understand.
HOW OFTEN IS THE NEWSLETTER
SENT?
The Muse is dispatched every
weekday. For the moment, we have decided against dispatching 7 days a week.
No newsletter is sent on Saturday or Sunday, and no newsletters are sent over
Christmas and New Year (see our calendar for more details).
CAN I DISCUSS THE QUOTES WITH
OTHER SUBSCRIBERS?
Yes! Each newsletter includes a unique link which takes you
directly to the discussion page for that quote. We encourage readers to share
their personal response to the quote, and engage in discussion and debate with
each other.
WHO RUNS THE MUSE?
The Muse is a service of the Classics Network, a leading
online provider of information on the humanities. The
Muse is edited
collectively by the Classics Network Editorial Team, although the Team sometimes
invites a 'Guest Muse' to edit the newsletter for a fortnight. A Guest Muse is
usually an expert in a field relating to that fortnight's theme. If you're
interested in volunteering to become a Guest Muse, please read our Guide for
Guest Muses.
IS THE MUSE FREE?
Absolutely. We do not and we never will charge to send the
newsletter. We may in the future place paid advertisements in the newsletter in
order to cover running costs, but we guarantee that these advertisements will
never be obtrusive or offensive.
HOW MANY PEOPLE
SUBSCRIBE TO THE MUSE?
The Muse is has only recently been
launched (November 2003). We will provide subscription numbers and a
geographical breakdown of subscribers in early 2004.
DO YOU SELL SUBSCRIBERS' EMAIL
ADDRESSES?
We will never share your email address with anyone else. If you subscribe
to the Muse, you will receive the
Muse (and very occasionally announcements relating to the
Muse) and nothing else, ever.
WHAT DOES AN ISSUE OF
THE MUSE LOOK LIKE?
See below for a sample issue.
WHAT DOES YOUR NAME/LOGO MEAN?
The Muses were the Greek goddesses who presided over the arts and
sciences, and who were thought to inspire poets and philosophers. Our logo is a lyre, symbol of Terpsichore, one of the nine muses, set
against the sun, which represents the fact that the inspiration we offer comes
daily!
HOW DO I SUBSCRIBE?
Simply enter your email address on our subscription page.
HOW CAN I FIND OUT MORE
ABOUT THE MUSE?
You are welcome to contact the muse.
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