[lit-ideas] No Viva Voce -- Strawson gets a Second
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2007 00:20:15 EDT
Geary writes he wrote an essay on Heidegger on "the holy".
>I can't begin to remember what I wrote, but I,
>like Paul, got a 'B' with no comment. But unlike Paul, I knew not to
>look a gift horse in the mouth. Tom Nenon taught the class
Perhaps the most famous "B" in the history of English Oxford philosopher was
that given to P. F. Strawson. The tragedy is so well narrated by his tutor,
the Scots philosopher Mabbott ("Oxford Memories", Thornton -- reference
provided to me by Mrs. Grice, "Not the sort of book Paul would read, though"):
"The younger examiner marked Strawson's paper first class, the older marked
them middle second class. This of course was the classic case for a long _viva
voce_ examination. But in July 1940 the country was expecting invasion. So
it was thought wrong to require candidates to travel back to Oxford for oral
examinations, So these _viva voces_ were abandoned. Then there was nothing to
be done but to average the marks of the two examiners; and inevitably they
came out high second class, and Strawson got a Second." (p.109).
This taught Strawson a lesson though. In 1968, when he was a candidate for
the Chair of Metaphysics, he _took_ it. This was, according to many, the main
reason why Strawson's former tutor, H. P. Grice had then to settle in the San
Fransisco Bay. Little did he know that Berkeley would soon also be expecting
invasion. But that's the story for a longer day.
Cheers,
J. L.
Committee for the Qualification of Honoris Causa Litterateurs,
College de France, etc.
J. L. Speranza, Esq.
Town:
Calle Arenales 2021, Piso 5, St. 8,
La Recoleta C1124AAE,
Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Tel. 54 11 4824 4253
Fax 54 221 425 9205
Country:
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Calle 58, No. 611,
La Plata B1900 BPY
Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Tel. 54 221 425 7817
Fax 54 221 425 9205
http://www.stmichaels.com.ar
jls@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
http://www.netverk/~jls.htm
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