Review of "Wittgenstein reads Weininger"

[Kevin Solway]

You can read my review of "Wittgenstein reads Weininger" <a href="http://www.theabsolute.net/ottow/wreadsw.html" target="top">here</a>.

Edited by: ksolway at: 6/22/05 18:56

[Leyla Shen]

Quote:Quote:<hr>A sheer absence of thought, and even more, a complete absence of respect for the thought of others, becomes the highly paid craft of the Professor.<hr>

Yes. Not just the thought of others, though. Others, period. The one thing you cannot be in academia is "original."

In reading your essay, I recall one teacher I had in high school; Mr Arvidson. Of all my teachers, I remember and respect him. He taught Australian History. I approached him in the first period -- first time I'd ever met the man-- and said, "I am not interested in this subject and will not be doing the work." Mr Arvidson looked at me for a moment and then replied, "As long as you don't disrupt the class and you understand that you will fail the subject, that's fine." I did, through my own interest, one assignment and got top marks for it. I failed the subject; except with respect to my behaviour -- which was exemplary in that class.

[avidaloca]

The kind of academia referred to in this book review is, as alluded to in the review, no more than a cult after its own self-preservation. It lords over the thoughts of others where that thought could denigrate its precious self. It's no more than a monster crushing anything in its path that might be a threat to it.

The same goes for modern bilingual dictionaries. They crush all life. Look back at <a href="http://home.iprimus.com.au/msd1/muret.htm" target="top">older dictionaries</a> and you will be amazed at the wonders in them.

I guess we just live in an age of self-perpetuating soullessness that is grossly intolerant of anything with a deeper meaning.