[lit-ideas] Re: The cult of personality
- From: Donal McEvoy <donalmcevoyuk@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2015 04:18:09 +0000 (UTC)
Before people decide to leave altogether, allow me to observe that most modern
email programs make it possible to see only messages from people with whom you
wish to remain in contact. You can stay a member of the group and quietly
cease to pay attention to offensive individuals.>
Allow me to add that you can cease to pay attention to anyone - with or without
using a modern email program, you can do it for many other reasons than that
they are "offensive", and you can do it while deceiving yourself it is merely
because they are "offensive".
That said, it is clear to me that Adriano has, time and again, gone beyond the
bounds of acceptable comment (as well as the bounds of sense). This is a price
we pay for an uncensored list and of course raises the question whether it is
worth paying. It also raises the question whether Adriano should continue to
exact this price: I suggest he and everyone would be better off if he gave his
invective a break - say for a year or two.*
Dnl*This would at least give greater prominence to my own over the same period.
On Tuesday, 28 April 2015, 2:49, John McCreery <john.mccreery@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Before people decide to leave altogether, allow me to observe that most modern
email programs make it possible to see only messages from people with whom you
wish to remain in contact. You can stay a member of the group and quietly cease
to pay attention to offensive individuals.
Cheers,
John
On Tue, Apr 28, 2015 at 9:24 AM, Omar Kusturica <omarkusto@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
We have had one member here who constantly wished to discuss Heidegger, meaning
mostly biographical information. (No substantial idea by Heidegger was ever
discussed in all those years.) Finally it was pointed out to him in a somewhat
blunt way that Heidegger's toilet life isn't all that interesting, at which he
left the list righteously offended. Perhaps more of those farewell messages are
coming.
O.K.
On Mon, Apr 27, 2015 at 11:55 PM, Omar Kusturica <omarkusto@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
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> 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
--
John McCreery
The Word Works, Ltd., Yokohama, JAPAN
Tel. +81-45-314-9324
jlm@xxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.wordworks.jp/
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