[lit-ideas] Re: Daughter of a Female Dog


On 23-Jun-09, at 8:14 PM, Walter C. Okshevsky wrote:
1. Let not secondary/critical commentary on the work of a genuine philosopher interfere with your study of that philosopher. This maxim is doubly obligatory in the case of Kant ... since no other philosopher has had more crap written about him than he.
An interesting claim. May I respectfully nominate others for this 'crown'? 

1. Plato
2. Descartes
3. Heidegger
4. Wittgenstein
For those about whom particularly interesting - or 'smelly' (depending upon how far you want to take the metaphor) - crap has been written (i.e., quality over quantity), I would nominate: 

1. Berkeley
2. Hume
3. Goedel
No doubt a longer reflection would result in alterations and extensions of both lists.
Your "typical comments" sound, alas, all too familiar. In those long- ago days when I marked papers, I would hand out a mimeograph (I told you the days were 'long gone'!) with a numbered key, and then just write the appropriate numbers in the margins of the papers. Often little other commentary was necessary or, alas, affordable.
I would also clearly distinguish between assignments which had a pedagogical purpose and those which were ('merely') evaluative. Assignments of the former type would receive (often extensive) commentary (where warranted or required); those of the latter type would merely receive a grade. (This distinction was not only clear to me; it was also made clear to the students.) I was also willing to discuss any assignment, aspect of a course, or, indeed, ALMOST any topic in personal one-on-one meetings with students. It surprised (and, yes, saddened) me how few availed themselves of this opportunity (even for instrumental - i.e., grade-raising - purposes.)
Thanks to you Mr Okshevsky, and Mr Enns, for stimulating bitter-sweet memories. 

Karl Trogge
Hamburg
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