Let us be clear: there may be intellectuals in Britain, but there are no British intellectualsand
To say, for instance, Paris hasn't bred any worthy intellectuals since Camus ... is at best terribly short-sighted, at worst profoundly ill-informed.So it is fine to make absurd generalisations about the British, but "profoundly ill-informed" to do it about the French? A little consistency please, Madame.
Still, many Guardian readers will love it.
I don't think Camus was bred in Paris either
ReplyDeleteI tried reading some Camus once. It seemed laboriously confused.
ReplyDeleteThe first is not an absurd generalisation, just a statement along the lines that Britain attracts foreign intellectuals, but cannot grow her own.
ReplyDeleteI'm far too ill-informed to comment on the second.
Sorry to add though, I can't stand the Guardian. I can spot poor logic when I see it though...
Well the Camus novels are great.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that with a front row of Foucault, Levi-Straus and Barthes the French can field a pretty formidable pack.
Peter