Getting Hitch’d
by westwood
So I was reading an issue of Vanity Fair that happened to drop into my unsuspecting hands. Which led me to read another issue. Then another. And another.
(no, I probably wouldn’t admit that I.R.L.)
And you know what I realized? Out of all this greasy-fingered perusing into the addictive and intrusive details in the lives of celebrities and people who have been deemed as being worth reading about simply because they have a lot of money, I realized that Christopher Hitchens is a stand up guy. I’ve been impressed by his writing for a long time, but I felt like his essays in the magazine were a singular source of brilliance merged between pages of eye candy and fluff. And a good excuse, in case someone caught me reading it (“I swear I just wanted to read Hitch’s article, no I wasn’t looking at the page on Kate Middleton’s parents, you’re gravely mistaken.”)
Whether or not you like his point of view, there is one thing you must admit: Hitch is damn good with the cutting through the crap. He looks at a situation, pares it down to its bare bones, and points out the inconsistencies and moronic assumptions underlying major institutions. How does he do this? The trick is an old one, and he’s got a cleaver much mightier than the pen and the sword. He’s got Occam’s razor and he’s damn good with it. Which I had been intending to talk about here, but I realized that Hitch is so rad he deserves his own post (so we’ll chat about razors and slicing next time). And all this brings up a very important question that we’ve thought about before. But none of you gave me a satisfactory answer, so I ask again, what or who is a philosopher?
Christopher Hitchens almost qualifies as a philosopher. He’s got the credentials… logic, teaching, essays, battling a terminal disease, being ahead of his time… but he’s missing one key component necessary for philosophical immortalization. He’s still alive. Sadly, not for much longer. So lets be mindful of his words while he’s still here, cackle as he slices and dices his next intellectual victim, and hope there is someone waiting in the wings to carry forth the razor.
However, I am pretty sure that Hitch deserves inclusion in the philosopher’s club based on the following photos alone.
What do you think? Is he a philosopher? If not, who qualifies? Does one have to be dead to be regarded as a truly great thinker?
Filed under: existentialism | 9 Comments
Tags: atheism, cancer, chris hitchens, christopher hitchens, death, existentialism, hitch, logic, occam's razor, ockhams' razor, philosopher, philosophy, smoking, vanity fair
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Recent Comments
I once read a Vanity Fair article about an artist which I did appreciate.
Thank you for a very well written piece about someone I was unfamiliar with.
To be considered a philosopher may require two things. One, your name must be in the lesson plan for Philosophy 101, and two, nine out of ten people can not spell, let alone pronounce your name, or carve it correctly on the grave marker should the already dead qualification fly.
Good point. Not writing in English seems to help, as well.
I’m unfamiliar with Christopher Hitchens work, however according to your Wikipedia source on him, well…he certainly seems interesting. I think we all have a bit of a philosopher inside of us if we are brave enough to “go there.”
Thanks for introducing me to this character, I’ll keep an eye out next time I pick up a Vanity Fair:-)
Thanks also for stopping by The Compassion Fashion Project…much appreciated.~Meredith
Thanks for the kudos to Hitchens. I love his stuff.
As to what makes a philosopher . . . I have no idea. I do think that people do not consider one to be a great-thinker unless death, serious illness, or bodily malformation are involved. Consider Hawkings. Would the world think as highly of him if he were not confined to his wheelchair? I’m actually not being glib here.
I think that most humans are reluctant to confer brilliance on an individual who is still living lest that person begin to think too highly of him/herself. Remember how outraged everyone was when Obama won the Nobel? The other thing to consider is that the living still have time to make fools of themselves, which tends to negate greatness.
By the way, I love Vanity Fair.
Fantastic answer. I hadn’t considered the Hawkings thing, but you are right. I think perhaps the fact that he is somewhat reminiscent of a robot certainly helps add to his intellectual credibility.
Also, I feel validated that someone as smart as you likes that magazine too!
Gee, I think I might be blushing…
Spent a good amount of time listening to NPR interviews with him. My favorite line (of many): “The universe doesn’t know that we’re here and it won’t know when we’re gone.” I find that so strangely life-affirming….
-Lynn@skydiaries
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