4.0497 Humanists Anti-Intellectual; Humanists Mad (2/42)
Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Mon, 17 Sep 90 22:02:35 EDT
Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 4, No. 0497. Monday, 17 Sep 1990.
(1) Date: Thu, 13 Sep 90 17:45 EST (31 lines)
From: <NMILLER@TRINCC>
Subject: Notes from the underclass
(2) Date: Fri, 14 Sep 90 14:56 PDT (11 lines)
From: KESSLER <IME9JFK@UCLAMVS.BITNET>
Subject: Re: 4.0487 Languages and Learning
(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 13 Sep 90 17:45 EST
From: <NMILLER@TRINCC>
Subject: Notes from the underclass
A curious thing: on the east coast a distinguished humanist who
writes a good deal about the middle east and who seems to be
unable to write on _any_ subject without dragging in Israel as
the arch-villain; on the other side of the continent another
distinguished humanist who can never end his weekly Phillipic
without some kind comment about social scientists: one week dogs,
another week camels. With bad breath yet.
As a longtime member of friend Kessler's bestiary, I write not so
much to protest as to raise a serious question. Or a question
seriously. We _think_ we understand the anti-intellectualism
that leads, for instance, to the gutting of foreign-language
study. But how do we account for humanist anti-intellectualism?
Certainly, competition within the academy for scarce goods leads
to hard feelings. But that's not where the dog lies buried.
While I don't have an answer, I've been intrigued by a clue that
it seems to be limited largely to England and the United States.
Maybe Canada.
Whatever the explanation, it surely involves an examination of
Western intellectual history. Having picked up my spectacles
many years ago, I would urge attention to the connections between
that history and that of class relations. Those with other
perspectives will I trust speak for themselves.
Norman Miller
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------310---
Date: Fri, 14 Sep 90 14:56 PDT
From: KESSLER <IME9JFK@UCLAMVS.BITNET>
Subject: Re: 4.0487 Languages and Learning (4/163)
MAD? CB? EVEN GLORIOUSLY MAD? I weaved through all this
correspondence and dove off the edge, and this is the first time I hear
everything I write gloriously mad. I thought it was entertaining, or
meant to be. The tweedy puffpuff profs, a costume put on by grad
students in English, surely it is not a straitjacket? Mad? I can tell
any hawk from any handsaw, no matter what midden the breeze wafts from.
Thanks, CB for the characterization. Kessler