Midge Decter was a major figure whose historical importance has been obscured for many reasons (including, ironically, a sexism she herself supported). One big achievement was she invented the whole rhetorical strategy of "making up a guy to get mad at."
-
-
Yes. I remember I once called her a "doughty polemicist", and David Landes took offense because he thought I had called her a "dowdy polemicist". A very sharp and learned mind—although one running off-the-rails at many turnings...
-
Her books on Lord Acton and Darwin are good as are some of the essays. I thought Moyn's recent lecture on her was good. It's strange that she went from writing a good book on Darwin to becoming an apologist for intelligent design.
- Show replies
New conversation -
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.