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The death of French intellectualism & thought is overplayed. One needs only tune in to French TV or radio stations to convince herself that France's obsession
by fra 11y ago
The death of French intellectualism & thought is overplayed.
One needs only tune in to French TV or radio stations to convince herself that France's obsession with public intellectuals is alive and well.
This is the country where, a year or two ago, a well regarded historian committed suicide in Notre-Dame de Paris as a political statement; and where Bernard-Henry Levy and Michel Onfray are best selling authors.
- ekianjo 11y agoBernard-Henry Levy is a clown and viewed like that by many french folks as well.
- oh_sigh 11y agoDoes quality of ideas matter? Maybe the French public love their intellectuals, but are the intellectuals producing high quality ideas? For example, the suicide you mention was in opposition to, among other things, gay marriage.
- bane 11y agoI've found that in any culture that prizes some quality, a vast number of "posers", who are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing, inevitably appear. What's hot? Artists? Okay, I'll put colored squares on oversized canvases, hobnob in the best parties and call myself an artist. Philosophers? No problem, I just write 2 or 3 hundred pages of absolutely incomprehensible word vomit and then refuse to answer any questions about the meaning. Sculpture? I can learn basic welding skills. It can be very very difficult to separate the cream from the crap in abstract fields.
- joe5150 11y agoThat Dominique Venner was "well regarded" tells us all we need to know about the French public's "intellectual" interests.