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Based on what is in the article I wouldn't call this a very strong thesis. "[...] numerous persuasive similarities. Both characters held chairs at small provin

by Luc 8y ago

Based on what is in the article I wouldn't call this a very strong thesis. "[...] numerous persuasive similarities. Both characters held chairs at small provincial universities; both won appointments on the basis of outstanding early work; both had interests in astronomy; the two were of similar appearance" These coincidences are supposed to be persuasive? I know several people like that. Plus the photograph and the illustration are nothing alike! "[...] Boole was a man of high morals and excellent character, a social reformer, religious thinker and family man. The new book by MacHale and Cohen presents extensive arguments that may account for the dramatic contrast between the two characters." I haven't read the book but that's some damning praise. The arguments are not persuasive, but at least they're long!

Y_Y 8y ago
MacHale is _the_ expert on Boole, and a wonderful man. Without reading the book though, I do suspect motivated reasoning on his part.
winchling 8y ago
Come come, surely it must be the case that either Moriarty was based on George Boole or he wasn't. Tertium non datur!
silverbax88 8y ago
Doyle's inspiration for his stories was always based in his own experiences and people he knew. Hound of the Baskervilles was written after Doyle visited Devonshire. He admitted in his later years that the most glaring mistakes were when he wrote about places or occupations which he had no real history with - for example his geography in describing the United States is wildly incorrect (forgivable in the sense that at the time, the US was a backwater nation and England was the center of Western civilization) or in Silver Blaze, where he learned later that some key plot points were not accurate because he knew so little of horse husbandry. It's really not much of a reach to assume that he based his most notable characters on people he was very familiar with in his own life. The character of Watson is clearly based on himself, reacting to the genius of Homes and even Moriarty.
evrydayhustling 8y ago
Plus what about that one paragraph where Doyle went to school with two actual Moriarty-s who were also gifted mathematicians?? Let's hear more about those guys.

by Luc 8y ago

Y_Y 8y ago

MacHale is _the_ expert on Boole, and a wonderful man. Without reading the book though, I do suspect motivated reasoning on his part.

winchling 8y ago

Come come, surely it must be the case that either Moriarty was based on George Boole or he wasn't. Tertium non datur!

silverbax88 8y ago

Doyle's inspiration for his stories was always based in his own experiences and people he knew. Hound of the Baskervilles was written after Doyle visited Devonshire. He admitted in his later years that the most glaring mistakes were when he wrote about places or occupations which he had no real history with - for example his geography in describing the United States is wildly incorrect (forgivable in the sense that at the time, the US was a backwater nation and England was the center of Western civilization) or in Silver Blaze, where he learned later that some key plot points were not accurate because he knew so little of horse husbandry. It's really not much of a reach to assume that he based his most notable characters on people he was very familiar with in his own life. The character of Watson is clearly based on himself, reacting to the genius of Homes and even Moriarty.

evrydayhustling 8y ago

Plus what about that one paragraph where Doyle went to school with two actual Moriarty-s who were also gifted mathematicians?? Let's hear more about those guys.