Gladwell and democratic discourse
In the October 19 issue of The New Yorker, Malcolm Gladwell published one of his trademark essays: interesting though poorly thought out, scantily defended, and designed to do what he does best: sell baby, sell. The title and image lead us to believe that the thesis will be that professional football is as or almost as objectionable as dog fighting. Yet in classic Gladwell style, the first 98% of the article is simply vignettes about how football is bad and, interspersed, about how dog fighting is bad. We are only left with the following closing argument:
There is nothing else to be done, not so long as fans stand and cheer. We are in love with football players, with their courage and grit, and nothing else—neither considerations of science nor those of morality—can compete with the destructive power of that love.
Strong, strong words there. But of course nothing is mentioned of the fundamental distinctions between the two activities: that one involves coercive violence, and another involves the chosen career decisions of full-grown, mentally sound individuals.
Sure, one could argue that the two activities are similar in that young boys are in some way “programmed” to put sport above all else, play while injured, etc and really have no choice given the society they inhabit. This is, in my view, a very poor argument, but it’s one that Gladwell isn’t making. He’s making no argument at all.
So, what is the public philosophy issue? Simply that this kind of poor work is popular not just in local newspapers or alternative magazines, but in The New Yorker and atop best seller lists. The reading public, and specifically, the educated reading public, has strangely accepted that insinuation can pass for argument as easily as assertion and the defense of a position. The importance of a public philosophy project must be to engender a public discourse that fits between two extremes: shrill and acerbic monologue (tea parties et all) as well as a discourse that seeks to take no stance at all and, one would imagine, therefore draw paying customers from both sides.
-John
Related posts:
- Democratic diversity
- Authenticity and the public intellectual
- My ancient Greek wedding
- Democratic ADD
- What is the educational value of intercollegiate sports?
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