Category: books

(new 3QuarksDaily-column)

The most charitable, forward-looking take on the science wars of the 90s is Stephen Jay Gould’s, in The Hedgehog, the Fox, and the Magister’s Pox (2003), a delightful book about dichotomies between the sciences and humanities. His diagnosis is primarily that scientists have taken too literally or too seriously some fashionable nonsense, and overreacted; and if everybody can just calm down already, things will be alright and both sides could “break bread together” (108). Gould saw the science wars themselves as a marginal and slightly comical skirmish, almost a mere misunderstanding. “Some of my colleagues”, he said,

“have become legitimately disturbed by a few truly silly and extreme statements from the ‘relativist’ camp, largely made by poseurs rather than genuine scholars, and have mistaken these infrequent sound bites of pure nonsense for the center of a serious and useful critique. Then, falsely believing that the entire field of ‘science studies’ has launched a crazed attack upon science and the concept of truth itself, they fight back by searching out the rare inane statements of a few irresponsible relativists […] and then presenting a polemic defense of science, ultimately helpful to no one”. (99)

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(new 3QuarksDaily-column)

Rutger Bregman’s Humankind: A Hopeful History is a clearly written argument if ever there was one. Bregman believes humans are a kind species and that we should arrange society accordingly. The reason why this thesis needs intellectual support at all is not that it is particularly profound or complicated, but that there are so many misunderstandings to be cleared away, so many apparent objections that need to be overcome.

You have already thought of those objections, or you will if you take half a minute. Bregman confronts many of them squarely. He looks at historical atrocities, social-psychological experiments such as the Stanford prison experiment, and famous anecdotes about human cruelty or indifference, patiently explaining how we should look at these in a different light. The anecdotes turn out to be less damning to human nature, and the experiments more flawed than common perception has it.

Of course, this leaves, well, human history. Bregman is aware that his beloved humans have committed all kinds of horrific acts of violence over the millennia. This is a problem for his thesis, and it remains one. Though the book does present an attempt to explain all the violence in a way that lets human nature off the hook, I do not think that this attempt is satisfactory.

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“Bradley, I want you to go with me to the lawyer, and I want you to go with me to the hairdresser, I must get my hair rinsed. I think I can do just that, it won’t be too much for me. Then I think I’ll rest.” (299)

In the first part of The Black Prince, Bradley Pearson wants to get away from London to start writing the great work of art he believes he has in himself. He sees himself as a puritan; art is not something produced lightly and easily, but is the fruit of discipline and ascetic preparation. This high-minded view of art and the artist stands in contrast to that of his friend and rival Arnold, a successful writer whose success Pearson resents and with whom he often clashes. “‘Art isn’t chat plus phantasy. Art comes out of endless restraint and silence.’ / ‘If the silence is endless there isn’t any art!’” (50)

Continue reading “A Sacrifice to a Dark God: Iris Murdoch, The Black Prince“

Ik heb dit weekend twee boeken gelezen die in mijn systeem allebei onder de categorie ‘zelfhulp’ vallen: James Comeys A Higher Loyalty en Jordan Petersons 12 Rules for Life.

Continue reading “Twee manieren om je rug recht te houden James Comey, A higher loyalty; Jordan Peterson, 12 rules for life“

Ik heb Gloria Wekkers Witte Onschuld gelezen en ik vond er dingen van. Veel dingen, dus – komt ‘ie – blijkbaar heeft het een snaar geraakt. Welja.

Continue reading “Een paar onschuldige reflecties Gloria Wekker, Witte Onschuld“

A butler on leave travels through the English landscape – an outwardly tranquil environment, whose greatness lies in its “very lack of obvious drama or spectacle” (29); an explicit image of the dignified professional that our butler, Mr Stevens, has endeavored to be during his entire life. A great butler, he theorizes, embodies dignity, a virtue resting on the imperturbability of his person and on the moral status of the household that he serves.

Continue reading “A Study of Dignity Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day“

President Lincoln’s son Willie has died, and has now joined the ghosts at the cemetery. Most of the ghosts have stayed behind because they were not ready to move on – with the exception of the reverend Everly Thomas, who thought he was ready but who has fled from judgment at the last instant. Most of the ghosts have not accepted the fact that they have died, believing vaguely but strongly that whatever was on their mind when they were taken from the world can still be achieved. They will still be able to sleep with their wife after healing from their injury and getting out of the ‘sick-box’; or they can yet reverse their ill-advised suicide attempt.

Continue reading ““His heart loved goodness most.” George Saunders, Lincoln in the Bardo“

Eddy’s homoseksualiteit is lot, is een onweerstaanbare natuurkracht, die zich praktisch vanaf zijn geboorte manifesteert; en dat in een omgeving waarvoor voor zijn soort mensen volstrekt geen plaats is. Niet dat er door de stoere jongens in het dorp geen homoseksuele handelingen worden verricht, maar aan hen kleeft dat niet; “de misdaad bestaat niet uit het doen, maar uit het zijn. En vooral uit het eruitzien als” (150). Eddy is een open boek voor zijn omgeving, en als hij probeert via vriendinnetjes te bewijzen dat hij normaal is, houdt hij niemand lang voor de gek; zijn lichaam weigert dienst in bed, zelfs wanneer hij zich voorstelt overweldigd te worden door potige mannen. Zijn poging laat alleen een gekwetst meisje achter.

Continue reading “Van wie is het verhaal? Édouard Louis, Weg met Eddy Bellegueule en Geschiedenis van geweld“