Re: reflections on flamages and plain speech

John Young writes:
 > [Professor Alexander's forfeit is to:]
 >
 > Once again Tom Alexander claims to remark a contrast between
 > Peirce and  Dewey on the aesthetics/science relationship and
 > once again I fail to find  any substantive distinction being
 > drawn, and in its place only literary  flourish.  Tom has in
 > the past taken such a criticism as being of the nature  of a
 > personal insult.  Perhaps he will this time explain precisely
 > why it is  supposed to be of that character.  Here is what I
 > find problematic in his  approach: that at the crucial point
 > where we might find a geniune
 > philosophical opposition to be explored, there is nothing one
 > can actually  get one's teeth into (pardon the mixed metaphor).
 >  I regard this as a  legitimate critical consideration.  I
 > could of course be wrong.
 >

It's interesting...my personal reaction to the above is a weary sigh
and...doesn't this guy know how to ask questions or is he just trying
to avoid saying he doesn't understand and...couldn't this be concisely
summarized as, "Tom, I don't understand the distinction you're drawing
between Pierce and Dewey.  It seems to me they are similar because
[insert omitted reason here].  What am I missing?"

While it doesn't seem like much of a flame to me (I have endured
repeatedly being called "shit-for-brains, "moron," and various other
nasty names) it doesn't sound pleasant, either.

I suppose my reaction is almost aesthetic--why brawl when we could be
dancing?  And why so many brawls, anyway--what are we so angry about?
By the way, I'm not reacting to you, John, in that way; I find your
writing provocative in a communicative way.  That, alas, isn't most
flames, which seem to me indicative of difficulties in communication
and, sometimes, active obstruction.  Then there is outright
intimidation; one never is quite sure if verbal abuse may be followed
by physical force--I have quit at least one discussion because of a
concern with potential violence.

John, why is this your issue?  Have you come under fire for flaming?

Randolph

(Only look up the definition and pronounciation of "bransle." :-)