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Oct. 4th, 2009 09:57 pmhttp://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2009/09/22/holt1789/morgenbesserisms/
The American philosopher Sidney Morgenbesser (1921-2004) was an odd case. For decades he held the prestigious John Dewey chair in philosophy at Columbia University. Before that, he was mentor to Hilary Putnam. Yet he rarely wrote anything. Instead, like Socrates, he was known for his viva voce philosophising. He was also known for his ‘zingers’.
...
Here are some ... Morgenbesserisms that are told and retold among philosophers:
‘Professor Morgenbesser, do you believe in Mao’s law of contradiction?’ a student asked.
‘I do and I don’t.’
‘Professor Morgenbesser, why is there something rather than nothing?’
‘Oh, even if there was nothing, you still wouldn’t be satisfied!’
Morgenbesser to B.F. Skinner: ‘So, you’re telling me it’s wrong to anthropomorphise humans?’
Morgenbesser on pragmatism: ‘Great in theory, doesn’t work in practice.’
Morgenbesser was also a rabbi, which helped him see the Jewish side of philosophy.
Jewish ethics: ‘can’ implies ‘don’t’.
Jewish logic: if not p, what? q maybe?
Jewish decision theory: maximise regret.
The American philosopher Sidney Morgenbesser (1921-2004) was an odd case. For decades he held the prestigious John Dewey chair in philosophy at Columbia University. Before that, he was mentor to Hilary Putnam. Yet he rarely wrote anything. Instead, like Socrates, he was known for his viva voce philosophising. He was also known for his ‘zingers’.
...
Here are some ... Morgenbesserisms that are told and retold among philosophers:
‘Professor Morgenbesser, do you believe in Mao’s law of contradiction?’ a student asked.
‘I do and I don’t.’
‘Professor Morgenbesser, why is there something rather than nothing?’
‘Oh, even if there was nothing, you still wouldn’t be satisfied!’
Morgenbesser to B.F. Skinner: ‘So, you’re telling me it’s wrong to anthropomorphise humans?’
Morgenbesser on pragmatism: ‘Great in theory, doesn’t work in practice.’
Morgenbesser was also a rabbi, which helped him see the Jewish side of philosophy.
Jewish ethics: ‘can’ implies ‘don’t’.
Jewish logic: if not p, what? q maybe?
Jewish decision theory: maximise regret.
