69 million page views

There's more here

Reader comment on item: La Rage et l'Orgueil

Submitted by M Bond (United States), Oct 27, 2002 at 10:52

Pipes' review essentially laments that Fallaci is not a specialist or an academic Arabist or Islamicist and that the book suffers from that - without also highlighting the tremendous positives. I have a great deal of respect for Pipes and think he is right here to a limited degree, but I think it is wrong to fail to highlight the genuinely great social and moral verve that Fallaci brings to her writing here.

In some aspects of the overall analysis it can certainly be helpful to come from a perspective that attempts to be objective and academically sound and knowledgeable. However that (attempt at) objectivity also needs to be supplemented with some very sound human subjectivity and moral and social passion and verve.

The former without the latter will become detached and anemic and even inhuman, additionally it risks the unfounded arrogation that it is the final authority and final arbiter of the matter it is investigating with its presumptive, (neo-Cartesian?) reference points or epistemology. The latter without the former can become mob-like and debased and poorly focused and undisciplined. Together they can supplement and mutually work together and guide one another.

Fallaci brings fully warranted human passion back into the picture and while she occasionally goes astray, she much more typically underscores the need for this elemental ingredient to the overall analysis.
Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Submit a comment on this item

<< Previous Comment      Next Comment >>

Reader comments (6) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Reply to commenter A. Pavel [486 words]M BondApr 18, 2005 02:5121702
3Oriana, Italy, Europe [254 words]Andrea ItalyDec 31, 2005 16:5421702
Response to M. Bond [141 words]Pavel A.Sep 29, 2004 22:3417469
There's more here [220 words]M BondOct 27, 2002 10:523334
Well ok, but.... [74 words]M BondOct 23, 2002 23:143240
Unfair generalization [154 words]Carool KerstenOct 15, 2002 22:073095

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)