All Great Men Are Dead...And I Don't Feel So Well..."

(This was one of my Mother's favorite sayings).

Anyhow - I thought you might find the following links interesting:

http://wasm.us/Edwards%20Obit.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Edwards_(philosopher)

They tell of the life and times of worldclass Paul Edwards, who was my undergraduate Philosophy Instructor (main one of several, over several semesters) at NYU, and without doubt the dominant influence in whatever intellectual "smarts" and skills I ever developed thereafter; my belief in analytic philosophy to this day; my lifelong love of "Bertie;" my dedication to "language" still as THE problem which besets mankind and not to something else called "philosophy" as such; and whatever devices and ploys I use in argument and debate (with you or others). And (of course) an abiding skepticism and agnostic stance toward any and all religions....

I think (as you can appreciate) these lessons learned in another day and another age have often been misunderstood by our past mutual "discussants," and may be more understandable to you....

Edwards was a fantastic guy - and "personally" had doings with Wittgenstein and Russell and tales of the Vienna Circle (he was a Viennese Jew himself...) which he related in class. He was a solopsist, too (which I think the articles omit). And he taught at NYU in the early 50's when I was there (instead of or in addition to the 60's, as the articles fail to note). When he lectured, he often got fixated on something or other and would sort of freeze in front of us (and this is true!) ... would often drool saliva (!) sometimes before he snapped back. He was a genius unparalleled and it was many years before I had any inkling of what an honor it had been to be chosen for his classes...!

I remember his musings about his organon accumulator (I presume you surely know of Wilhelm Reich) and I have always just thought this was pure eccentrisism. Floaters in front of eyeballs and "collected" on refrigerator surfaces (Reich tells us) are sexual energy of the Universe - cut me some slack, please! LOL! But an accumulator was found in his belongings! Mon Dieu! (A white bathtub works as well you know - provided you lay in it out in bright sunlight somewhere... Just thought you would like to know that in passing...).

bernie-the-accolyte

(whose journey is never done)