3 ms·
Despite what the other comments are saying, I think this article strikes a perfect tone, and is showing how we as a society can look at the heroes of our past a
by deanCommie 7y ago
Despite what the other comments are saying, I think this article strikes a perfect tone, and is showing how we as a society can look at the heroes of our past and see them holistically - accolades and flaws together.
In the past there were two kinds of Feynman articles:
1) Glowing, without reservation, and notably ignoring some of his sexist views, statements, and actions
2) Conflicted and accusatory - tainting a wonderful educator and brilliant innovator as irredeemable. Someone who we should stop worshipping because of his problematic points of view.
The truth is both. And this article acknowledges and leans into it. We should strive to celebrate the best of Feynman, and apply his joy and wonder of science into our lives. But we should be aware of his more prickly and selfish aspects, and seek to not fall into the same trappings.
I think this article is great, and is a good template for approaching other flawed legends.
- uep 7y agoI generally agree with you, and I like that it doesn't harp on this aspect when talking about his life, but doesn't pretend it's not there either. I am not familiar enough with Feynman's life to hold a particularly nuanced opinion, but it seems like just that one line intentionally taken out of context seems to be the issue. A one-line summary of the same chapter in the book could show that he was a womanizer without taking a particularly inflammatory quote out of context. In an unlikely coincidence, that particular chapter of Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! was one of the few that I had read.