March 11, 1998
Dear Norman,
What a relief to read your paper 'Philosophy as a Blood Sport'.
I say it was a relief, because I wondered if my assessment of
the various (though limited) philosophy colloquia I have attended
was the result of my own intellectual timidness, or whether I
was right in feeling that the practice of reading papers in
philosophy was in fact an inordinately combative process. Of
course while it is a relief in this sense, it is distressing too
to think that this appears to be the state philosophy is in, both in
and outside Australia.
Cheers,
Jane A. Doe
Note: the author's name and address have been withheld at her request. --Norman Swartz
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