Do you hate Harry Potter and his Crock of C***?

[August Borms]

I hate all books, so yes, I do hate Harry Potter.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Cruddy

I've thought about it... go on, email or PM me a copy if you want an opinion.

As if the kind of writing that suits philosophy papers would count as creative writing. I don't have a scanner handy to convert such literary gems as "Plato's Treatment of Weakness of Will in The Laws, or "Knowledge and Belief in Republic V".

Here's an excerpt from something else (a draft proposal - somewhat unedited).

I said that I will claim that Plato is, at root, an anti-representationalist philosopher - a philosopher for whom the notion of representation presents a problem to be solved rather than an opportunity to solve other problems. This would place Plato, somewhat incongruously, alongside a number distinguished 20th Century philosophers working in the Analytic tradition. I mean by this such philosophers as W.V. Quine, Donald Davidson, Richard Rorty and Ludwig Wittgenstein.

Philosophers who do not work in the area of ancient philosophy often say to me that they have to deal with the philosophical baggage left behind by confused thinkers such as Plato: such entities or quasi-entities as, eyes of the mind, blank tablets, faculties and mental representations of reality. Whatever the accuracy of other charges, I do not agree that Plato is a naïve representationalist, and so I will show that there is ample evidence to the contrary. However, it must be noted that, unlike the other distinguished thinkers I mentioned above, Plato does not, I believe, completely abandon the notion of representation. I will contend that, like them, he believes that if there is such a thing as knowledge, it cannot be a representational state; but unlike them, he believes that representation does have a legitimate place in an account of the world, which is that it is characteristic of non noetic modes of cognition. Furthermore, I want to suggest that Plato?s peculiar views on knowledge are the result of his acceptance of a certain type of anti-representationalist argument combined with his desire to formulate a coherent and plausible epistemology. Although, the foregoing might make it sound as if the thesis will be taken up with comparisons of Plato?s views with those of these other philosophers. I want to point out that this will not be the case: the views of other philosophers will only be invoked where their ideas make some worthwhile and unique contribution to understanding the Platonic position.

Bored yet?

[Agathon]

Actually, we were at a bookshop yesterday where everyone, even my own wife , was buying the Goblet of ****e or whatever the latest one is called.

There was a large queue of people; all of whom had the Potter book. But there was this one guy who kept calling his errant child in what could be described as an increased volume of liberal reasonableness, "Geoffrey, come stand by Daddy - Geoffrey come here - Geoffrey...."

The book this man was buying? - "How to Discipline Your Child".

[Agathon]

This is more like it. "Cultural Infantilism"

http://www.spiked-online.com/Articles/00000006DE0C.htm

[DaShi]

Will this rift finally bring about the demise of Apolyton?

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Agathon
Actually, we were at a bookshop yesterday where everyone, even my own wife ,

Why didn't you share your opinion of her buying the book before hand?

[Agathon]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Why didn't you share your opinion of her buying the book before hand?

She knows what I think of HP, but doesn't care. Unlike the people on this thread.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by gunkulator
Can't believe such an obvious troll has made it to four pages already

Neither can I

[mindseye]

Some children's books are fine (e.g. The Little Prince, for a sappy sentimentalist like me), but if you find that you are reading little else, maybe you should be concerned.

[gunkulator]

Originally posted by Agathon

Originally posted by gunkulator
Can't believe such an obvious troll has made it to four pages already

Neither can I

Well at least you're an honest troll.

[GePap]

I used to "hate" HP without reading it, for many of the reasnons stated here. Then, in my unemployment, I ran out of reading material, an my sister hapened to won the four books, so I said, why not? I finished the 4 books in the next 3 days.

Is HP great literature? No, and Rowling does not make any great insightfull comments or discoveries, nor does she experiemnt with no narrative styles or anyting else. But she is a excellent story teller and creates a well defined world that fuly surrounds you, is fully fleshed out. HP is like Star Wars, it ain't one of the "greats" based on its artistic value, but rather that it captures something almost universal and grips the audience.

But if you need ot be special by hating HP, go ahead Agi. We can;t deny you your chance ot be special, now can we?

[Immortal Wombat]

Originally posted by Agathon
Bored yet?

I quite enjoyed that. What happens next?

[JohnT]

I thought he was special 'cause he changed his flag.

[GePap]

Nah...too many posters do that as is.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Agathon
Bored yet?

May I edit your writing? It would probably be a quarter shorter if you were more concise.