I'm surprised when I read rude references to Terry Eagleton, which I do from time to time. It's true, he does appear to be a Marxist, but I think perhaps he only is because he knows it's annoying. The reason I think this is because he writes so well and so intelligently - and, better still, often quite amusingly.
For instance, in a review of a book about Thomas Aquinas in the 5 December edition of the London Review of Books he manages a wonderful aside. Explaining Aquinas's view of God, this is what he says:
"God is not in Aquinas's view some kind of being, principle, entity or individual who could be reckoned up with other such entities. He is not even some kind of person, in the sense that Piers Morgan is arguably a person."
I got to meet him and see him speak when I was at Rutgers -- he spoke to a room with about 20 graduate students in literature. Some left feeling quite enlightened; others headed straight for the bar. I think I did both.
ReplyDeletei'm hoping you mean Terry Eagleton; if we've got to the stage where Piers Morgan is lecturing graduate students, our civilisation is doomed. While I've got you, I'd like to wish you and your family a very happy Christmas and new year
ReplyDeleteYes -- Eagleton, indeed! Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you and yours too, Zoe.
DeleteIt seems odd that they should gave given Eagleton the book to review. If they wanted a lapsed Catholic, why not Anthony Kenny, who has spent his adult life teaching and writing philosophy? Is Kenny retired?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure Eagleton is actually lapsed but, leaving that aside, a) maybe Kenny was busy? b) a change is as good as a holiday? c) Eagleton did a good job, I thought, and elucidated some of Aquinas's thinking for me; my only other encounter with Aquinas was via Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, which didn't really do as good a job in that regard.
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