Rarity

If ten minutes ago you'd tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Brian, do you suppose you'll ever defend James Kirchick of TNR from Kevin Drum of Political Animal?" I would've asked you to kindly leave my office. But, here we are:

James Kirchick rightly takes Jeff Jacoby to task today for a dumb column implying that Isaac Newton couldn't get a university job today because of his religious beliefs.  But what's up with this?

No disrespect to Sir Isaac, but it's not a risky venture to posit that the Newtons of today don't believe in some of the silly things Newton did 400 years ago (like alchemy, and the "domination of an intelligent and powerful Being" over the universe). And, were Newton alive today, I'd like to think he wouldn't believe those silly things either.

Alchemy is indeed considered silly today, but belief in the "domination of an intelligent and powerful Being" over the universe is, um, still pretty widespread, isn't it? Or did I miss a memo somewhere?

I think it's probably accurate to suggest that "the Newtons of today" (oblique way of saying "the world's most brilliant scientists") don't believe in things like ID, which, in fact, are silly. There it is. Me: fair and balanced.

Comments

[William Burns]

Indeed, when I got to the bottom of the article and saw the words "James Kirchick" and realized that I had actually agreed with all he said, it was a moment of indescribable horror.

[Brian]

It's hard to know how to react when it turns out that you were wrong about the things you thought you knew "for sure" about the world.

[JimPortlandOR]

Be not dismayed, guys - broken clock and correct time twice a day, and all.

Actually, looking more broadly at neo-liberals (or whatever we should call folks who get all hormoned-up about wars against Islam and 'defending' Israel), I suspect the phenomena is explicible: they would be neo-cons if their views were less selective. They are more like the normal rational person who can't tolerate heights or being underground: neurotic, not psychotic.

[tracy]

I vaguely remember Kirchick once had a blog item that said, basically, "Racism is bad! Very bad!" What followed were a lot of bemused comments from people complimenting Kirchick on being to think rationally about a subject that, for any other human being, would have been a no-brainer. Says something about the reputation he's managed to build up ...