Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Ted Hoffman · 11-04-2007, 11:50 PM

Perhaps Gibson would like to Email Carrier's professor to determine whether Carrier is actually working on his thesis and whether it is publishable?

Perhaps the professor could also provide some useful comments on Carrier's nerdiness? And he could also probably tell Gibson something about how much human experience shows nerds dont make good historians?

Etc etc?

Johnny Skeptic · 11-05-2007, 01:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ted Hoffman

Perhaps Gibson would like to Email Carrier's professor to determine whether Carrier is actually working on his thesis and whether it is publishable?

Perhaps the professor could also provide some useful comments on Carrier's nerdiness? And he could also probably tell Gibson something about how much human experience shows nerds don't make good historians?

I contact Richard Carrier from time to time via telephone and e-mail. He recently told me that he is working on his Ph.D. thesis. I think that his thesis is about about military history of some kind.

What is nerdy about Richard Carrier?

Ted Hoffman · 11-05-2007, 03:37 AM

Quote:

What is nerdy about Richard Carrier?

Dr. Gibson's scholarly training and astute mind informs him that a person presented as having "many" intellectual or academic accomplishments in a short period may result in that person being perceived nerdy.

judge · 11-05-2007, 04:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ted Hoffman

Quote:

What is nerdy about Richard Carrier?

Dr. Gibson's scholarly training and astute mind informs him that a person presented as having "many" intellectual or academic accomplishments in a short period may result in that person being perceived nerdy.

Well, the NYT article might be guilty of presenting him as nerdy.

Quote:

is a type recognizable to anyone who has spent much time at a chess tournament or a sci-fi convention or a skeptics’ conference. He is young, male and brilliant, with an obsessive streak both admirable and a little debilitating.

I think there are plenty of young brilliant males , though who don't hang out at sci fi conventions or play a lot of chess (not that there is anything wrong with that).

I have never been to a skeptics conference but was not aware they fitted any stereotype.

Ted Hoffman · 11-05-2007, 05:17 AM

debilitating? whats that all about by the way?

Johnny Skeptic · 11-05-2007, 06:14 AM

http://teladesign.com/ma-thesis/glossary.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by teledesign.com

Nerd - A computer expert by aptitude and not mere training. Usually male, under the age of 35 and socially inept; a person whose tremendous skill with operating or designing computer hardware or software is exceeded only by his, rarely her, passionate love of the technology.

Toto · 11-05-2007, 06:19 AM

Debilitating - "To sap the strength or energy of; enervate."

I suspect is used in the sense that the journalist here feels comparatively weak in the face of Carrier's energy. He is amazed that Carrier has the chutzpah to send his elder, Anthony Flew, a questionaire, or to try to rescue this senescent philopsopher's reputation.

Toto · 11-05-2007, 06:22 AM

Let's not get too far off track. If you have met Richard Carrier, you know that he is anything but socially inept. The NT Times writer was just trying to add a little human interest to this philosophical question.

I have emailed Carrier about this thread, and he might stop by.

JoeWallack · 11-05-2007, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeffrey Gibson

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toto

Richard Carrier in NY Times

I wonder if anyone else thinks it's ironic that your link brings up an an article about an extremely prominent philosopher (who does not self publish nor write, as seems possible, his own blurbs) who has apparently abandoned and rejected the metaphysical naturalism that RC upholds.

And what's with this "in the time that he hasn't finished his dissertation...". Should we detect a dig against RC -- a chastisement for not paying attention to what he should be paying attention to -- lurking there?

In any case, Toto, can you tell us the name of the press that will be publishing RC's forthcoming book?

Jeffrey

JW:
And RC was about 30 when he began preaching. And people were amazed because he taught as one with authority. And the Professors and Scholars sought to destroy him out of ...

Joseph

http://www.errancywiki.com/index.php/Main_Page

Jeffrey Gibson · 11-05-2007, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toto

Carrier's book is his PhD thesis. I assume you know how that sort of thing works at a place like Columbia University, Dr. Gibson?

Apologies. I had the impression that his to be published book and his thesis were separate entities.

And yes, I do know how "that sort of thing works" at Columbia and elsewhere, having had direct experience of the process.

Perhaps that is where the confusion lies. I had the impression from what you wrote that the "to be published" book was to be published before RC's was awarded his degree (assuming that he passes muster). As my direct experience informs me, one does not generally line up a publisher for, let alone publish, one's thesis before it is accepted by one's dissertation committee and one's has one's degree in hand.

Jeffrey

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11-04-2007, 11:50 PM	#41
Ted Hoffman Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: "" Posts: 3,863	Perhaps Gibson would like to Email Carrier's professor to determine whether Carrier is actually working on his thesis and whether it is publishable? Perhaps the professor could also provide some useful comments on Carrier's nerdiness? And he could also probably tell Gibson something about how much human experience shows nerds dont make good historians? Etc etc?

11-05-2007, 05:17 AM	#45
Ted Hoffman Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: "" Posts: 3,863	debilitating? whats that all about by the way?

11-05-2007, 06:19 AM	#47
Toto Contributor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Los Angeles area Posts: 40,549	Debilitating - "To sap the strength or energy of; enervate." I suspect is used in the sense that the journalist here feels comparatively weak in the face of Carrier's energy. He is amazed that Carrier has the chutzpah to send his elder, Anthony Flew, a questionaire, or to try to rescue this senescent philopsopher's reputation.

11-05-2007, 06:22 AM	#48
Toto Contributor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Los Angeles area Posts: 40,549	Let's not get too far off track. If you have met Richard Carrier, you know that he is anything but socially inept. The NT Times writer was just trying to add a little human interest to this philosophical question. I have emailed Carrier about this thread, and he might stop by.

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