I read[1] Pilgrim at Time Creek during freshman year of high school - and boy did I not get it hahaha. Thanks for reminding me of it, sounds worth another go.
[1] I did actually read the words, but everything above the surface-level meanings flew right over my head
Was it assigned? That's way over the heads of the vast majority of high schoolers. Hell, it's over the heads of most university professors, but that's not saying much.
This website is a place for people who want to move past shady thinking and test their ideas in a
court of people who don't all share the same biases. Our goal is to
optimize for light, not heat; this is a group effort, and all commentators are asked to do their part.
The weekly Culture War threads host the most
controversial topics and are the most visible aspect of The Motte. However, many other topics are
appropriate here. We encourage people to post anything related to science, politics, or philosophy;
if in doubt, post!
Check out The Vault for an archive of old quality posts.
You are encouraged to crosspost these elsewhere.
Why are you called The Motte?
A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently,
it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey",
originally identified by
philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial
but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens
this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for
the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired
propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."
On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.
New post guidelines
If you're posting something that isn't related to the culture war, we encourage you to post a thread for it.
A submission statement is highly appreciated, but isn't necessary for text posts or links to largely-text posts
such as blogs or news articles; if we're unsure of the value of your post, we might remove it until you add a
submission statement. A submission statement is required for non-text sources (videos, podcasts, images).
Culture war posts go in the culture war thread; all links must either include a submission statement or
significant commentary. Bare links without those will be removed.
freethought
1yr ago
(text post)
2727 thread views
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Notes -
Pilgrim at Tinker's Creek - Annie Dillard's masterful contemplation of nature and man's place in it.
The Fall - Camus turns on Sarte, heralding the turn of europe against communism. A veritable nesting doll of allegory.
The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber - Hemmingway does battle of the sexes in short-story form!
I read[1] Pilgrim at Time Creek during freshman year of high school - and boy did I not get it hahaha. Thanks for reminding me of it, sounds worth another go.
[1] I did actually read the words, but everything above the surface-level meanings flew right over my head
Was it assigned? That's way over the heads of the vast majority of high schoolers. Hell, it's over the heads of most university professors, but that's not saying much.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link