A lovely little thinker but a bugger when he's pissed

LarryC — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 09:46:57 -0800

"This book runs the full gamut from the mediocre to the ludicrous to the merely bad." So begins philosopher Colin McGinn's review of Ted Honderich's On Consciousness. "It is a pity that his own efforts here are so shoddy, inept, and disastrous." The harsh words are the latest conflict between the radical externalist and new mysterian views on consciousness, but Honderich traces the disagreement to a conversation the two men had 25 years ago: "I suggested to him that his new girlfriend was not as plain as the old one, and I could see the blood drain out of his face." The feud is discussed at the philosophy blog Leiter Reports. (I don't actually know a thing about philosophy but I do so love a good academic pissing match. Apologies if I have misused any of the terms.)

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A lovely little thinker but a bugger when he's pissed