Wittgenstenians are not a worthy enemy.
I stick with my pride
From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Omar Kusturica
Sent: 28 April 2015 15:41
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: The cult of personality
Btw secret handshakes, stealthy meetings in the attic etc. are features of
secret cults. Wittgensteinians are not a secret cult but a public one with a
pretty good standing in the academia so they would hardly need such things. Yet
the insider-outsider idea does seem to be strong, and it seems that there are
group codes that go with this, as we might expect. For example, it has been
argued here that I can't understand Wittgensteinians - this is a debatable
claim but if true then it shows that there is a sort of a group version of
''private language' at work.
I am off to a conference with the lions in the garden now.
O.K.
On Tue, Apr 28, 2015 at 11:09 AM, Adriano Palma
<Palma@xxxxxxxxxx<mailto:Palma@xxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
The Wittgenstein cult is funny, to be sure.
The man was an interesting character though wholly unpleasant
From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
[mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]
On Behalf Of Omar Kusturica
Sent: 27 April 2015 23:55
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: The cult of personality
I'd suggest that W.'s biography still lacks some crucial details. (Our Geary
might be surprized to learn that there are very similar requirements for
godheads in various religions):
- Virgin birth - this is absolutely a must. No godhead was ever begotten by a
mortal man, although the body of a mortal woman may be used as a wessell of
God's will. We can't have W. being born in an ordinary, prophane way.
-Dangerous prophecy - when W. was born, some sage must informed the King of the
land of imminent danger. The King should then take steps to kill the dangerous
child. There are several different ways to keep the child alive - raised by
shepherds is the recommended version, but raised at Cambridge might perhaps do.
-Tested by the Devil - in some way or other this must happen. Perhaps this is
why is W. is said to have given his money to relatives who were already rich.
Older versions had it that he chased the merchants out of the temple.
-Crucifixion - this is highly recommended but if the godhead is not willing to
die in pain, perhaps he can sacrifice a plant instead.
-Resurrection - absolutely a must
There is more, but for now these are the necessary (but not sufficient)
conditions
On Mon, Apr 27, 2015 at 11:37 PM, Robert Paul
<rpaul@xxxxxxxx<mailto:rpaul@xxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Omar wrote
*Well, the implication was somewhat different. No, W. wasn't Stalin or Hitler -
he didn't kill millions of people, he only talked a lot of nonsense - but the
personality cults might have remarkable similarities nevertheless. Celebrating
the birthday of a man who has long been dead strikes me as being much in those
lines.
Robert replied
You simply leap to the conclusion that those who study and have studied
Wittgenstein, belong to a cult (complete with secret handshakes, signs, and
words). Perhaps they meet by moonlight in basements and attics to...do whatever
they do, in your story. They're slyer than sly, more circular than der Wiener
Kreis, and have been known to kidnap Heideggerians and hold them for ransom. A
bad bunch—especially because their books, papers—and even their speech—is
completely unintelligible. And these behaviorists in disguise, are this way
intentionally. They do it on purpose! Do you think G. E. Moore died a natural
death? Well, think again. Nothing is as it seems with these people—think of
that Duck-Rabbit! Would bona fide biotaxonomists create a rabbit that might be
a DUCK? Perhaps this will be clear to you; perhaps not. I'll only say this: if
you encounter a lion in your garden and when it speaks, you CAN understand it,
well...you really don't want to be there. Go inside, dial 999-AUGUSTINE, and
wait.
Robert Paul
