THE ACADEMY ISN’T A GOOD FILTER Many revolutionary thinkers in history have not

THE ACADEMY ISN’T A GOOD FILTER

Many revolutionary thinkers in history have not written from inside the academy. Machiavelli, Spinoza, Hume, Marx, Rousseau, Darwin, Spencer. Sure Aristotle, Plato, Smith, Kant. But the issue is one of time to write not occupation. It’s just that teaching makes it a bit easier to make time for writing.

I regret not joining the philosophy department but I kind of doubt I would have come to these conclusions from within the discipline.

Maybe others. But not these.