3 ms·

That describes just about every medieval scholar. Reminds me of pg's essay about philosophy, which (I can independently verify) is mostly true. Though I think

by lg 18y ago

That describes just about every medieval scholar. Reminds me of pg's essay about philosophy, which (I can independently verify) is mostly true. Though I think the field has gotten a lot more rigorous and interesting in the last few decades because philosophers now specialize to the point where they have enough expertise in their area to say interesting things about it. I can't vouch for present-day rabbis, though.

DanielBMarkham 18y ago
Perhaps there is a "Rabbinical Philosophy" course? Somehow I feel there's a Python sketch in there somewhere. Yes. You know philosophy has become specialized when there's a symmetrical relationship between any two topics. We have the history of philosophy, and the philosophy of history. Likewise, we have the philosophy of sociology and the sociology of philosophy. The science of philosophy, and the philosophy of science. I'm hoping to go for the gold and specialize in the sociology of the history of the science of philosophy. I figure there will be one other guy in the world with the same specialty. We can argue by writing papers ad inifinitum. But those medieval guys, sure, they wasted a lot of time. (humor making a point guys)
- lg 18y ago
  I know what you mean. There's a lot of philosophy going on, and the pressure to publish causes even idiots to write big books and papers. But I think you should judge a field by its most ambitious members and ignore the shadow-world of crappy scholars, journals, and departments that prop each other up for the sake of mutual image-boosting. At good departments, philosophers are expected to be in close contact with fields that their work touches, i.e. if you work on philosophy of physics or law or cognitive science, you should be educated in the field and conversant with its practitioners. But apply that 'judge-by-the-most-ambitious' standard to medieval philosophy and you get angels on pinheads. I think the interdisciplinary people make for more interesting philosophers anyway, even when they aren't using that dual law degree, viz. http://books.google.com/books?id=ZcdIsXrmcPwC&pg=PA33&lpg=PA33&dq=ruth+chang+legal+philosophy&source=web&ots=5e8ZyvI-ew&sig=Xp4DklMbpgKXLRcEnrLe0G_qO4A&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=result http://books.google.com/books?id=ZcdIsXrmcPwC&pg=PA33&#3...

by lg 18y ago

DanielBMarkham 18y ago

Perhaps there is a "Rabbinical Philosophy" course? Somehow I feel there's a Python sketch in there somewhere. Yes. You know philosophy has become specialized when there's a symmetrical relationship between any two topics. We have the history of philosophy, and the philosophy of history. Likewise, we have the philosophy of sociology and the sociology of philosophy. The science of philosophy, and the philosophy of science. I'm hoping to go for the gold and specialize in the sociology of the history of the science of philosophy. I figure there will be one other guy in the world with the same specialty. We can argue by writing papers ad inifinitum. But those medieval guys, sure, they wasted a lot of time. (humor making a point guys)

lg 18y ago
I know what you mean. There's a lot of philosophy going on, and the pressure to publish causes even idiots to write big books and papers. But I think you should judge a field by its most ambitious members and ignore the shadow-world of crappy scholars, journals, and departments that prop each other up for the sake of mutual image-boosting. At good departments, philosophers are expected to be in close contact with fields that their work touches, i.e. if you work on philosophy of physics or law or cognitive science, you should be educated in the field and conversant with its practitioners. But apply that 'judge-by-the-most-ambitious' standard to medieval philosophy and you get angels on pinheads. I think the interdisciplinary people make for more interesting philosophers anyway, even when they aren't using that dual law degree, viz. http://books.google.com/books?id=ZcdIsXrmcPwC&pg=PA33&lpg=PA33&dq=ruth+chang+legal+philosophy&source=web&ots=5e8ZyvI-ew&sig=Xp4DklMbpgKXLRcEnrLe0G_qO4A&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=result http://books.google.com/books?id=ZcdIsXrmcPwC&pg=PA33&#3...