Fly and the fly-bottle : encounters with British intellectuals

An insightful and somewhat entertaining narrative about one man's exploration into the philosophy of history, which he undertakes by interviewing early 20th century English philosophers and historians at Oxford and Cambridge.

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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19785518-fly-and-the-fly-bottle

In the opening chapter, Mehta chronicles a heated exchange in the correspondence columns of The London Times. The exchange was initially between Russell and Ryle, but others quickly joined the fray. The point of contention was Ryle's refusal to publish, in Mind, a review of Ernest Gellner's Words and Things (1959). The exchange began with a searing letter in which Russell accused Ryle of abusing his position as editor by making consonance with his own philosophical predilections the standard by which other philosophical works were to be judged. Later in that chapter, Mehta recounts an interview with Gellner in which the latter is quoted as saying;

"As far as professional philosophy is concerned, 'Words and Things'ruined my future show more rather than secured it. I attacked the philosophical Establishment, and as long as the present philosophers remain in power, I will never have a position at Oxford college. Whether I will be accepted again in philosophical circles remains to be seen." (Mehta 1961, 38). show less