on Tolstoy, Zionism, and Lawrence Summers
Some thoughts:
Tolstoy needs an editor. War & Peace is just too long. I find myself associating Tolstoy with Austen. Blasphemy? So many names and so much meaningless chatter. . .
I'm discovering some pretty strong arguments in favor of Zionism, as we read through some of the writings of the early Zionists and their supporters. Read the most heart-wrenching poems about the Kishinev pogroms by Tschernikhovsky and Bialik. To think that there was so much worse to come. . . Was disappointed with Herzl's Alteneuland, struck me as something of a childish work of fiction, though I realize it's more of a political statement than anything else, but it's hardly compelling even so. Apparently Ahad Ha'am agreed. He also took exception to the general belief at the time that Zionism would cure the world of antisemitism. He was no fool.
Learning a lot about monkeys, and by extension about myself and my species.
Oh, and I must get this in: Larry Summers. Well, I admit I'm no feminist and yes what Summers said about women was poor judgment on his part. I think free speech is important and that it's fair to explore the possibility of inherent differences between men and women but I think making such comments is unwise and can be hurtful to women who feel personally threatened by a world which, let's face it, is in many ways hostile to them. Personally, I take no such offense but I understand why some would. But he apologized, and he promised to reach out and draw more women into the maths and sciences at Harvard.
That said, I think Summers should be applauded for resisting the pressure to conform to the standards of a very radical element at Harvard--something I think was made most evident when he confronted the issue of antisemtisim on campuses in general and at Harvard in particular. It takes a certain strength of character to do that kind of thing--particularly for a Jewish president at a WASPy Ivy League. And so I think it is a shame he is stepping down.
It is a shame that there is so little diversity of opinion and politics. Apparently diversity on campuses today has more to do with skin color and ethnicity than what really makes us distinct, unique individuals: the way we think.
Oh well.
Tolstoy needs an editor. War & Peace is just too long. I find myself associating Tolstoy with Austen. Blasphemy? So many names and so much meaningless chatter. . .
I'm discovering some pretty strong arguments in favor of Zionism, as we read through some of the writings of the early Zionists and their supporters. Read the most heart-wrenching poems about the Kishinev pogroms by Tschernikhovsky and Bialik. To think that there was so much worse to come. . . Was disappointed with Herzl's Alteneuland, struck me as something of a childish work of fiction, though I realize it's more of a political statement than anything else, but it's hardly compelling even so. Apparently Ahad Ha'am agreed. He also took exception to the general belief at the time that Zionism would cure the world of antisemitism. He was no fool.
Learning a lot about monkeys, and by extension about myself and my species.
Oh, and I must get this in: Larry Summers. Well, I admit I'm no feminist and yes what Summers said about women was poor judgment on his part. I think free speech is important and that it's fair to explore the possibility of inherent differences between men and women but I think making such comments is unwise and can be hurtful to women who feel personally threatened by a world which, let's face it, is in many ways hostile to them. Personally, I take no such offense but I understand why some would. But he apologized, and he promised to reach out and draw more women into the maths and sciences at Harvard.
That said, I think Summers should be applauded for resisting the pressure to conform to the standards of a very radical element at Harvard--something I think was made most evident when he confronted the issue of antisemtisim on campuses in general and at Harvard in particular. It takes a certain strength of character to do that kind of thing--particularly for a Jewish president at a WASPy Ivy League. And so I think it is a shame he is stepping down.
It is a shame that there is so little diversity of opinion and politics. Apparently diversity on campuses today has more to do with skin color and ethnicity than what really makes us distinct, unique individuals: the way we think.
Oh well.
posted by shoshana at 11:18 PM
3 Comments:
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Apparently diversity on campuses today has more to do with skin color and ethnicity than what really makes us distinct, unique individuals: the way we think.
Right on. From my enounters, I found that many (but to be fair, not all) of the kids at Harvard are clones who come in different shades and with varied accents...
you would know that better than i, but i must say my (extremely) limited exposure to harvard students made me think likewise. . .
not to suggest that columbia is really free of what seems to be ailing american academia, but i do feel like the university's celebration of diversity is not entirely inauthentic.. . .
how convoluted was that?
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