Spot of nice writing from a British columnist, who reflects on the special respect in France for intellectuals like Claude Lévi-Strauss:
Yes, Britain has scholars and pundits. But on the intellectual spectrum they enjoy a status somewhere between being and nothingness. France’s “intellos” serve as the moral conscience of their age, speaking freely on the political and social mood. Intellectuals lift the national debate. They fertilise political thought. A country too embarrassed to embrace them is, well, too stupid by half.
November 5th, 2009 at 11:34PM
Oh indeed that is true. And so, on the eve of the Algerian war of independence, CLS could say, based on his touristic experiences among Muslims in South Asia:
"If one were looking for a barrack-room religion, Islam would seem to be the ideal solution: strict observance of rules (prayer five times a day, each prayer necessitating fifty genuflexions); detailed inspections of cleanliness (ritual ablutions); masculine promiscuity both in spiritual matters and in the carrying out of organic functions; and no women" (403).
Sure, I’ll accept every charitable interpretation of this quotation. But read chapters 14-16 as well as the final two of Tristes Tropiques and try to defend him then. (And so curious that the earliest English translation of it excluded those – Islamophobic – sections.)
As Hervé-Pierre Lambert says: there, CLS is "more Orientalist than Structuralist."
A country that so popularly embraces intellectuals is too pretentious by half. A country that so blythely embraces intellectuals – see Sarkosy’s sterile and banal remarks – is too politically, intellectually and morally capricious by half.
November 6th, 2009 at 3:59PM
I was not aware of these assertions by CLS. My opinion of him is now much more positive than before.
Yes, one of the central problems that we all face in this world of ours is Islamophobia, whatever exactly that is. How about some applause for someone who has the guts to call it like he sees it?
November 6th, 2009 at 6:52PM
Well Tom, when you take what you estimate to be the genetic, cultural and moral failings of a people within a limited cultural context or geography, or of those who speak a particular language, and then extend your evaluation to a much larger group of people based on a few or single cultural traits – religion in this case – that, my cosmopolitan friend, is objectifying, that’s stereotyping, that’s bias, and that’s bigotry.
And, if you read the sections of TT to which I referred, in which CLS suggests that Muslims (or let’s just even say South Asians) are dirty, effete (or latently or manifestly homosexual), have despicable manners, lousy taste, and are perennial losers, I’d like to think you wouldn’t have responded with such banjo-plucking, uh, quaintness.
But go ahead, now give us an anecdote about the filthy habits of that wog at work that just goes to show that CLS knew of what he spoke.
November 6th, 2009 at 10:46PM
I seem to have touched a nerve, in sensitive Jack, who appears was just itching for a chance to assert his moral superiority! Well, Jack, my crusader-for-the-oppressed friend (crusading, of course, from the safety of Canada and "the academy" as many insipid academics prefer to call their place of employment), you are in the right geographical location in our troubled world, because you certainly possess all the righteous indignation of the most morally superior people on the face of the earth – the Canadians. Ah, the protectors and defenders of the downtrodden, except when it comes to actually standing up and doing something about REAL injustice and REAL intolerance (not the difference of opinion kind of injsutice and intolerance…). Always ready to jump in and fight back against a snide or sarcastic comment (see my comments above), but not much more.
As an aside – for others reading this post – didn’t know that Canadians are so morally superior? Just ask them – they’ll tell you. And academics, like Canadians, who generally have never had to do any of the heavy lifting in the world, come by these grandiose self-assessments quite naturally.
Bigotry? Well, I can tell you for certain I’m not one that buys into the West bashing, self loathing, multi-cultural crap that passes for high-brow thinking (and of course scholarship) these days. But why bother even asserting to you that I’m not a bigot, because you have already decided that I am one. (A quaint, banjo plucking one in fact. But hey Jack, isn’t that culturally insensitive and intolerant? No, of course not, not if it’s YOU making the comment. You and you colleagues are most likely still snickering into your latte about that banjo comment!)
And the reason that you have decided that I am a bigot is because I don’t hold views, developed as you have done over years of sitting on your backside thinking mighty and powerful thoughts, that are the EXACTLY THE SAME as yours. By definition, I must be a hateful, objectifying, stereotyping, bigot. Done!
It’s very amusing to me how the world’s most hateful, bigoted, rigid, violent, intolerant (now there’s an interesting word for you – where have I heard that one before?), and extremist religion has enlisted the Western left as its protector from any criticism, or indeed, any discussion. As you know, the hunt for "Islamophobia" is more than a cottage industry. It wins headlines and dollars. And for academics, there’s the added benefit of probably a few papers and trips to conferences in there too….
Because they hate the West, our poor oppressed Muslim brothers (and the sisters they own and abuse), have found in the Western left ready and willing apologists for any outrage or offense that they perpetrate. Yet, if someone in the West should, say, draw some insulting cartoons, the clucking of the chickens about the need to be tolerant and sensitive is deafening. (The cowardice is palpable.) However no such clucking when Christian crosses are immersed in urine, or some other offense is commited against a group whose members will not blow themselves up or fly planes into buildings. (And before you smugly conclude that, ah! he’s a poor deluded Christian, let me tell you that I’m not. Raised Catholic, non-believer now.)
So, go ahead, please continue to advocate for and fight (?) to protect from ANY criticism or sarcasm or snide comment a religion (the religion of peace!) that is at war with nearly every society or nation in which it is present, or which large numbers of its members border, without consideration or appreciation for the benefits of the culture and heritage that has created a system whereby phony crusaders like yourself have no-accountability, full time jobs for life. Uh, hey, now that you mention it, maybe that culture and heritage isn’t so hot after all!
And of course the ultimate irony escapes you, Jack the sensitive and indignant. When Islam comes to dominate the world, and it will eventually because that is Islam’s goal and the West is weak and not up for the contest, you and others like you, the deep thinkers of Western culture, the protectors of the oppressed, will be the first ones thrown into the pit and stoned.
So, uh, sensitive, uh, Jack, just settle down and go grade some papers. Be patient, I’m sure some Islamophobia will turn up in your neighborhood, and then you’ll have something more to, uh, think about.