Apology for Quietism

Apology for quietism

A Sotto Voce Symposium Part 1

Jeffrey M. Perl, Paul J. Griffiths, G. R. Evans, Clark Davis

Introduction: “More Trouble than They Are Worth” It is by now a tradition in Common Knowledge to justify ways of life and thought that are in general disrepute and to reassess words that have been abused. This journal has offered symposia on “Platonic insults” (“rhetorical,” “sophistic,” “casuistical,” “pharisaic”), on antisocial thinking, on types of relativism, and recently on a range of terms and practices (such as disinterest, proverb-based ethics, and parrhesia) that have become “devalued currency.”1 The present symposium will reconsider quietism, quietist, and quietistic, words often used, unthink- ingly, with intent to insult or degrade. A random survey of books and articles, in fields across the humanities and human sciences, found these terms keeping poor semantic company. Quietism is said to be a “blind alley,” a “danger,” a form of “complacency” (or despicable “luxury” for those who “can afford it”): a contempt-

1. “Platonic Insults,” Common Knowledge 2.2 (Fall 1993): ism’?” 13.2 – 3 (Spring–Fall 2007): 214 – 455. “Devalued 19 – 80. “Unsocial Thought, Uncommon Lives,” 12.2 Currency,” 14.1 (Winter 2008): 29 – 142; 14.2 (Spring (Spring 2006): 214 – 304; 12.3 (Fall 2006): 379 – 502; and 2008): 208 – 95; and 14.3 (Fall 2008): 380 – 471. 13.1 (Winter 2007): 33 – 112. “A ‘Dictatorship of Relativ-

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(Winter (Winter Common Knowledge 2 Harold Bloom, Bloom, Harold - vari and Theognis, Zeno, Antiphon, mind in had He 1998 three varieties of varieties quietism three in. set alienation and invective that clan, selfand justice, and truth preference value,including forrival peaceover every quietism is more or less inoffensive. It is when quietists the clarify degree of their siderable genre. Kafka, presented his alternatives as aJew, as presented alternatives his “profound siderableexpressed Kafka, genre. con a of evidence more are Woolf) (Leonard matters” “nothing Picabia)and have they do.” other to livethings than “Every convictionis illness” (Francis an way the to resigned more seem they “because milieu, same the much in said principle. acting is Hamlet changes,” the “to will refusing self,”while own his in permutation every accept “to Willing symptom). a not describes it as “disinterestedness or quietism” (not cognate a strategy, in other words, and presumed is caution where with up defeatism or comes cowardice. Defending quietism” Hamlet’s circumspection, Harold “alleged Bloom phrase The ism.” ible “refuge” when “refuge” ible dom from desire ( and free whoapproved uninvolvement, honoredof indifference, Greek thinkers Berlin Isaiah “healthy-minded.” as century) seventeenth the in condemned IX Experience Religious one question for him: “So you, too, like fruit cake?” fruit like too, you, “So him: for question one War, Great only the had during Lenin Walser, Robert meeting on that known Wilde’s, Oscar but is of it remark a as confirmable not be may evenings” many areofbetter understood too action. takes “Socialism as responses to futility the hearties (by but cowardice and associated dandyism with were centuries) that twentieth and nineteenth the attitudes in instance, for mean, I undefined. atively relbut remain ofquietist subjects less positions literally academic specializations, adjective. the worn have that of view points secular on and quietistic; Jain and other Indic, Taoist, Zen) that have been described, accurately or not, as precursors; on world religions (Gnostic, Eastern Orthodox, early Hasidic, Shi’ite, mostare properly andmedieval Western well as so called, on as early Christian early-eighteenth-century Roman Catholic and Protestant forms of and quietism that seventeenth- the on lines, these along papers, for call editors The tories. with quietism. with ): ): Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human the of Invention The Shakespeare: 186 – The articles following in the firstinstallment ofthissymposiumintroduce Each religious form, and most political forms, of quietism have become become have quietism of forms, political most and form, religious Each 214 . 2 Quietism is not without admirers, then. William James, in Varieties in of James, William then. admirers, without not is Quietism 1998 ), ), 3 Understood as a philosophy taking peace as its highest value, value, highest its as peace taking philosophy a as Understood 1 Common Knowledge Common . apatheia , defends Miguel de Molinos’s theology (which Pope Innocent — all ammunition gone ammunition all , — apragmosyne broadly cultural religious, political,

Walser,” Walser,” Robert of Fiction The Voice: Small “Still Kunkel, See conventionality”). of burlesque (“a burlesque of edge the “beatific quietism,”though it isunbeatifically poised at 4 . Benjamin Kunkel calls this diffidence of Walser’s of diffidence this calls Kunkel Benjamin , ataraxia New Yorker — ), which are values now associated “there is nothing left but quiet but left nothing is “there — by by , August , August 4 “I like trees,” CatherWilla not acting 6 , 2007 — , — 68 on considered on considered – and their and his their 71 , at 68 – 69 . - - - - - on 02 October 2021 by guest Downloaded from http://read.dukeupress.edu/common-knowledge/article-pdf/15/1/1/397574/CK151_01_Perl.pdf “Nothing to be done” is how postmodern theater began, and to Estragon’s open Estragon’s to reply: and Vladimir has Beckett began, line, ing theater postmodern how is done” be to “Nothing gion, has written a surprising essay, “Emptiness,” in which he owns that he is “not “not is he that owns he which in enough”empty “Emptiness,” essay, surprising a written has gion, mysticism. of religious vocabulary the to central terms are “conform”) “evade” (unlike moreand “nothing” and principled profound. and “Withdraw” the seems ideaa Jesuit) whose of was (although uninvolvement de Certeau Žižek order “to evade,” it he shrewd and Still, is notwas describing behaviors. timorous deteaches, Certeau among lessonsis how saidthe history that, “to conform” in may suggest nothing,”tenor she the hears of defeatism. Yet “do” speaks, spoken aquietist as mends: “do recom nothing” and Žižek “withdraw.” Therefore, When an activist like Nussbaum suspect. is hears “do resistance or criticism for motive every then it, in participation of form a is system a to opposition If violence? in implicated if even our fraternal acts, our means of expression, are and our ways of thinking everything. And I resumed the struggle. the resumed I And everything. tried haven’t yet you reasonable, be Vladimir, saying, me, from it put I’mto come beginning round to that my opinion. life I’ve All tried to the breathe.”time, own I can to our Closer corner,a content that in quietly very stand should and myself, with common in fatigue” and asked: have “What I common in Jews? with I have hardly anything 5 evil.” with collaborates “it that being verdict her version, latest its in tude “ mir But which follows, at the stage direction, most a eyebrow:authorizes raised Vladi Foucault in philanthropic practices, so Žižek finds a blood lust for profit, for more more for profit, for language. of lust structure blood the a in signs, finds linguistic more ever Žižek and so practices, philanthropic in Foucault much as Lévi-Strauss before him found systemic violence in binary and thinking, “systemic” is writes, SlavojŽižek Violence, resist. they that injustices the sustain fundamentalists, or liberals whether ofinjustice, critics that whoargue those among is annoyed, most is Nussbaum whom by quietist hip Butler,the he wants us to learn, as he about has learned lately, that “few activities are less talking effortful keep to is insight, this for criticized) (whom has he reality quietists hip the elide it.”crediting Without “to ways sure the among that realize to come lic 6. July (accessed Nussbaum.pdf . , February February , Martha Nussbaum, “Professor of Parody,” “Professor Nussbaum, Martha Slavoj Žižek, Žižek, Slavoj broods, musing on the on struggle musing broods, Meanwhile, Leon Wieseltier, a political and journalist yet student of reli “Hip quietism” is the name that Martha Nussbaum has assigned this atti this assigned has Nussbaum Martha that name the is quietism” “Hip 22 , and “nothing” , may and imply “nothing” perform (London: Profile, Profile, (London: Violence , 1999 — the the “habit of being for discourse” “hard him to break. , final paragraph, www.akad.se/ paragraph, final , 28 , 2008 ). . . . .” . . . 2008 New Repub New ). via activa via - conspicuous New Republic 7 . Leon Wieseltier, “Washington Diarist: Emptiness,” Emptiness,” Diarist: “Washington Wieseltier, Leon has become gag. a running stillness. When Michel Michel When stillness. , June , June 6 What is to be done 11 , 200 8 , 56 ” 7 . 5 He has Judith — and and - - - - -

Perl • Apology for Quietism: Part 1 3 on 02 October 2021 by guest Downloaded from http://read.dukeupress.edu/common-knowledge/article-pdf/15/1/1/397574/CK151_01_Perl.pdf New York Review New 8 . Common Knowledge 4 Daniel Mendelsohn, “The Truth Force at the Met,” the at Force Truth “The Mendelsohn, Daniel , June , June of Philip Glass as “mortificiations” ofthe lust “to do”things he defends“Emptiness,” weekmonotony,operas as the silencein and lethargy, likewise? figured be itself, action even activists, activism, Could instincts. lively of paralysis will, the of diseases maladies, dark features quietism portraying in they they are sometimes called creatures these if description, gothic the given ask, to wants “The responsible citizen, the responsible critic: they are sleepless creatures.” One ideas is never over.” Of the company he must keep there, Wieseltier complains: in Washington, a world capital “of rationality,”instrumental where “the battle of as as a remedy heThe for magazine helpsfast talk. to edit, importantly importantly stated” passesfor history,” from “the gladiatorial combat of opinion, of transient things “away switches,” the to ‘off’ he play” turn from the what great will game. “Hitting than speech”; and he informs his readership that, at least “for now,” he is “refusing drân problems, insoluble on knots” Mendelsohn stage, writes thereterribleare “Unless of action. imitation an as drama of Greekdefinitions Mendelsohnagainst defense isaprofessional in and of he classicist, Glass turns that audiences talk inevitably about their experience of experience abouttheir inevitably talk audiences that stage on doings bad of generate Westernrequirement the to is ‘plot’.” tend ingrained deeply So don’t men “good adds, Mendelsohn know,” we as “For Einstein). no plot” in operas (like those of Glass) that concern good people (like Gandhi and ofbadness” that moved to emphasize Aristotle of theprimacy plot, but “there is for the characters a in play or opera “to do.” It is “the inherent interest dramatic Bj of standard analytic philosophy. He argues that philosophers like John McDowell, corrosive effect of “quietist,” “minimalist,”the “deflationist” on claims thinking claims. Simon Blackburn, a philosopher unaverse to claiming, is dismayed by the the in West peace militates against and isquiet. required A tothinker broadcast an intellectual with arsenal itsall own, and of even intellectual life the structure Eastern.” “vaguely end, the in but, at first” “boring the as Beach Rorty above Richard all, description versus expression, or of any other significant kind. significant other any of or expression, versus description value, versus fact secondary, or primary of whether distinctions, of away ing ø rn Ramberg, Huw Price, Robert Brandom, and other post-Wittgensteinians , from which the word 12 Daniel Mendelsohn appears to think so. In an essay published the same same the published essay an In so. think to appears Mendelsohn Daniel Our culturally inflected preference for drama, trauma, and noise comes comes noise and trauma, drama, for preference inflected culturally Our , 2008 , 24 – 28 .

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on 02 October 2021 by guest Downloaded from http://read.dukeupress.edu/common-knowledge/article-pdf/15/1/1/397574/CK151_01_Perl.pdf as Rorty understood it, is more than metaphorical: more than is it, understood Rorty as connection, That religion. and philosophy of quietisms the between there draws that is the most significant forthis symposium, because ofthe connectionthat he be incompatible or even opposed “linguistic practices” to “co-exist peaceably, side (not side function peaceably, “co-exist to practices” by side”; and he “linguistic suggested that to opposed do otherwise is even to or “develop social norms” whose incompatible be gothic the churchyard). means What he no saidby (and was, “simply,”square public the that of we can allow usual, what as appear to speaking, was Rorty But political contexts, that what quietistswould bring us is the “peace of the grave.” orpeacemaking peacekeeping. One does hear, now and though again, in mainly abadge as ofof amatter is honor:intellectual description, on Rorty’s quietism, forapproach the to philosophy he that preferred. Then he refashioned label the name a as work, his discredit to meant “quietism,”insult an accepting of point 10 titled collection published recently a to introduction his in Leiter, Brian Philosophical Papers Philosophical Press, Press, trouble than they are worth. are they than trouble more become have theology, Christian in topics many like philosophy, modern of ideas central the of many that suggests also study it such But as just currency, t gained certain why notions shows these why understand us helps culture of the world.of representations of Study contain the history that guage” notion of “the world,”or “the mind” “lan called and entities of shadowy what the world is like.” Perhaps, suggest, itthey isto time give up the “representing of notion the to on hold to want really we whether ask to is response quietist The like.” worldis the what represent to minds outfigure how to square best the our neurosciencewith ofability our to try philosophers and brain, the about us tell “Neuroscientists that assertion Leiter’s Consider . . . employs. one vocabulary the on dent depen part large in is importance of One’ssense important. thinks one what of function is a problematic For one finds what illusory. them are colleages activist our by studied problems the that say to hesitate I do, would as camp, quietist the in of themselves who think people Most respect. one in misleading is account Buthis . . . accurate. largely is camps two these between standoff the of account Leiter’s quietists.”. . that . I think and “Wittgensteinian world into “naturalists” are are problems for problems latter of the Neither instituted. Christ sacraments howmany orabout substance, divine the embody can wine and blood Eucharistic in a world of fact are no more unreal values of thanplace the about questions questions view,of point aboutquietists’] From[the how the . Richard Rorty, Rorty, Richard 2 The Future for Philosophy It is Rorty’s essay “Naturalism and Quietism,” among his last published, published, last his among Quietism,” and “Naturalism essay Rorty’s is It 007 ), ), 147 – result 59 everybody (Cambridge: University Cambridge Philosophy as Cultural Politics Cultural as Philosophy , at heological notions became as important as did. they as important became notions heological , mind you: function you: mind , – 149 , but their parochial character does not render character , but parochial their 50 10 . , divides the Anglophone philosophical philosophical Anglophone the divides , , vol. vol. , ) is to “let us gang up on people.” upon gang “let us to is ) 4 of of unreal ...... - -

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Common Knowledge 6 political, and soteriological on ofthe effects balance the examinee’s life. For that contribution salutary have will all, at attempted is answer an if that, exam the on question one the is It time. our of examination midterm the on question this put Rorty — memory. Rorty’s Jeffrey M. Perl M. Jeffrey Just how much trouble is an idea an is trouble howmuch Just

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to our lives, this symposium is dedicated to Richard — any idea, even a central idea central a even idea, any — pedagogical, pedagogical, — worth? worth?