scolfin OP t1_j5tuk1f wrote
I will say that it's deeply ironic for this argument that books are the reading format of record taking the form of an essay in The Atlantic Monthly, although to say that would be an admission that I should probably subscribe to Ploughshares like I've been planning to for several years (they had just finished selling a bundle with several other journals I'm interested in when I last checked and haven't had another these last few years).
There's also remarkable vitriol for effective altruism buried in the later part of the essay, which I somewhat suspect is due to his identifying his low-paid career providing privileged young adults with lessons in recreation as his main form of altruism.
BairnONessie t1_j5twqzv wrote
It must be too late cause I'm not making head, nor tail, of anything you wrote...
scolfin OP t1_j5u02aq wrote
Basically, he's writing how books are the only worthwhile form of the humanities in a respected journal of thought with a strong history of literary, philosophical, and analytical output.
The second part is that he seems oddly hostile toward the idea that altruism should be judged by what it does for the world, which may be because it very much discounts the benefit of a monastic lifestyle of self-sacrifice, which is how academics often see themselves.
Quiet-Tone13 t1_j6baufb wrote
>Basically, he's writing how books are the only worthwhile form of the humanities
This is very much not what he writes. His argument is about how Kanye, SBF, and McElwee's complete dismissal of the value of books is connected to a larger cultural trend of anti-intellectualism. He thinks that this anti-intellectualism is linked to other trends (egoism, effective altruism) that are potentially harmful.
tedyasso t1_j5twlre wrote
So you posted a link to an article about people who don't like to read books, and then took the time out of your day to take a shit all over the article's writer and his career choice to be a writer because you disagree with one of his points? Fascinating. *slow clap*
scolfin OP t1_j5tz5d1 wrote
More noting an interesting implication in the premise and an oddly vitriolic aside about something basically everyone else would say is harmless at worst.
tedyasso t1_j5un7lj wrote
I didn't pick up any vitriol. You're mostly just making yourself look super judgey, so congrats on letting us all know you don't respect writers.
Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments