August 27, 1998
I enjoyed your 1994 essay on Philosophy as a Blood Sport. I am 44 and
working as a school social worker (M.S.W.). I took several philosophy
courses during my B.A. years and have witnessed the combativeness of which
you speak, both between professors and between students. I remember being
energized by strong debate and argument when there was an air of mutual
respect between the participants. However, at those times when there was an
air of rudeness or arrogance on the part of the participant(s) it left me
angry and turned off.
I have also witnessed a competition and insularity between most
faculties... a kind of silent combat. For the most part the philosophers
knew little of what the biologists (I cite these two faculties only as example)
were up to and we students were assisted in compartmentalizing our studies.
So often I found ideas raised by one faculty relevant to matters taught in
another yet there was little to no effort at integration (except our own
private efforts).
I wonder if things have improved much with the upsurge of post-modernism,
the idea that "you're right from your side and I'm right
from mine" (a Bob Dylan lyric) ... with less combativeness and more openness
to the stories and realities of others.
I am thinking of returning for my Doctorate and just wonder how inviting a
place university is these days.
Jim Emptage
email: jim_emptage@csi.com
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