tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058072377999486184.post4229691087168187907..comments2023-12-29T18:13:21.495-06:00Comments on pink scare: "Armchair Bullshit"Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058072377999486184.post-1800822684897691692010-07-06T21:30:27.385-05:002010-07-06T21:30:27.385-05:00I resent that the Times calls The Stone an "o...I resent that the Times calls The Stone an "opinion" section, soliciting philosophers to opinionate on hot-button issues in the way that Sartre and other intellectuals were invited by French political leaders to expound on current events back in the 1940s. Calling it an "opinionater blog" risks single-handedly destroying the doing of philosophy. To philosophize is not to give an "expert" opinion on current events, nor is it to offer the sort of pseudo-critical sociology that offends everyone. Conversely, the blog becomes elitist when it asks the legitimate philosophical questions: what subjects are fit to be addressed in this forum? What is the proper role of philosophical intervention? These questions were posed by Nancy Bauer following reader’s outrage that she could criticize Lady Gag without presenting empirical evidence, as if this is what philosophers should do. The philosophical moment arises when it ceases to be an opinion blog, or when Bernstein starts Hegelising about the meeting point between politics and metaphysics within an ideology. The prompt “Let’s talk about American Independence” is the worst sort of armchair philosophy: Tell us, wise experts, about our society, it’s problems, and so on. The task of philosophy is to invent the problems. <br /><br />So I give credit to Bernstein for formulating real philosophical problematics and NOT simply opinionating in the ways the Blog encourages: “take our hot-button issue and give your opinion because you’re a famous philosopher, etc.” <br /><br />And shame on Cohen for his arrogance. Even if Bernstein’s piece were armchair bullshit, what then? Is rigorous, academic Hegelianism the point of a popular newspaper? If so, NYT should change it’s blog title to: THE STONE: TRUTH.dnwnoreply@blogger.com