I find those criticisms somewhat valid, but not all that damning. After all... the same could be said of Pirsig.
On Thu, Aug 28, 2014 at 12:35 PM, david <[email protected]> wrote: > Is Randy Auxier the author of an academic book of philosophy or an > internet troll? How did this stuff make it past the editors?! He says, "the > current state of professional philosophy and a great deal of science is > "sociopathic" and compares individuals in philosophy and science to Hitler! > He says, "these little fascists of the intellect ensconced within their > tiny domains of thought who are engaged in the academic and educational > equivalent, cleansing the Reich of human thought of whatever strikes them > as impure" with "whatever the Zyclon B of their pet theories happens to > be." Jeez. Hyperbolic much? Even the friendly critics complained about > this unprofessional rhetoric... > > > Jacquelyn Kegley says, "Auxier is sarcastically critical of James and > Dewey" and "one would wish that points made by Auxier could be made with > less venom". > > > "I found large portions of the book harsh and unduly polemical in tone in > what I conceive is a markedly un-Roycean way as far as the nature of > American culture, politics, and history are concerned. I reread Royce's > essay, "On the Limitations of the Thoughtful Public in America". Auxier > does not discuss this essay, and I find it an antidote to much of what I > see as his frequently intemperate criticism. Auxier is also scornful > about many of his fellow philosophers, although his book shows that he > has learned more from both the analytic and continental schools than he > is ready to admit. In sum, the book is worthwhile but erratic in its > writing and argument with sections of great insight alternating with > portions of unclarity and diatribe." -- From Robin Friedman's review of > Auxier's book. > > > He also seems to be cherry picking and otherwise trying too hard. > > > > John quoted from Time, Will and Purpose by Randy Auxier: > > > > The problem of the sociopath is precisely the failure to credit the > > *value* of the possible experience of others, and the metaphysics that > > follows from such a condition fails to credit the possible reality of > > the same. Only with such a perverse move can there be a "problem of > > other minds" and other pseudo problems which 20th century philosophy > > so often occupies itself. The real issue is not the reality of other > > minds, but the tendency among some to trust ungrounded abstractions > > above concrete experience, deemed "the philosopher's fallacy" by James > > and Dewey. More pointedly, all forms of abstractionism and > > reductionism are sociopathic and we lament that this is the current > > state of professional philosophy and a great deal of science, both > > social and natural. ... The human being who strives to be a person by > > serving institutions that have been warped risks taken into himself or > > herself the defects of purpose and memory that are immanent in the > > activities of the institutions themselves. Thus one can, under the > > right circumstances, get individuals such as Hitler, who thinks he is > > serving the genuine purposes of the Fatherland by purposing policies > > that destroy the very cause he sought to advance, or one can get > > scientists such as Dawkins and E.O Wilson, or philosophers such a > > Dennett, these little fascists of the intellect ensconced within their > > tiny domains of thought who are engaged in the academic and > > educational equivalent, cleansing the Reich of human thought of > > whatever strikes them as impure. They tell human beings, without > > apparent shame and without any hint of humility, that we are nothing > > more than our biology or our physical aspects, or whatever the Zyclon > > B of their pet theories happens to be, and often this is not even > > recognized as a fundamental assault on human dignity and the full > > range of the human experience. > > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > Archives: > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > http://moq.org/md/archives.html > -- "finite players play within boundaries. Infinite players play *with* boundaries." Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org/md/archives.html
