Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Wieseltier v. Pinker

Leon Wieseltier had only one peer of his generation that I am aware of, and Chris Hitchens sadly died of Head and Neck cancer a few years ago.

Wieseltier, who very publically demolished Dennet's 2006 Breaking the Spell, and Rosenberg's 2011 The Atheist guide to Reality, is coming after the Harvard Psychologist, Steven Pinker. I haven't read Pinker at all, personally, and frankly have very little interest in doing so, but I have read some of his wife, er, 3rd wife, Rebecca Goldstein (36 arguments for the existence of God: A work of Fiction is one of the worst books I have ever read: Hugely derivative, dull, and, well, just awful). Pinker espouses the faith of Scientism, and Wieseltier, much like he has done with Rosenberg, is pointing out the obvious.

Here is the link to the article in it's entirety.

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/114548/leon-wieseltier-responds-steven-pinkers-scientism

Much like anything Hitchens has written, this is entertaining and worth the read -- particularly for those that have a street-level understanding of just how silly it is to even feign utility in the humanities, from a scientism POV... Hence, why Dawkins is brilliant in his honesty. Even Rosenberg ("humanities are nothing we have to take seriously, except as symptoms." and "the consistent atheist should be a nihilist") has turned a honest cheek. But Pinker, unlike Rosenberg (a top-notch philosopher), unfortunately, just can't seem to bring any integrity into his thought processes and worldview. And, unfortunately, those that can't think for themselves get routinely taken for the ride.

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/114548/leon-wieseltier-responds-steven-pinkers-scientism

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