"The Four Horsemen"

[Mudhammam]

What can you say? Probably not much. What will you say? Probably more than necessary.

Mediocre minds quote dead philosopher instead of saying anything in their own words. Ironically Old Fred would hate him.

They also seem to think of themselves as qualified to compare writers whom they admittedly haven't read:

mostly Harris, since I didn't really read the other guys' books much) . . . Dennett, I don't know much about, but the fact that he's a philosopher is a definite plus for me.

The Discourses of Epictetus are brought to mind . . .

For indeed generally every faculty is dangerous when it comes into the hands of those who are without education and without real force, for it tends to exalt and puff them up. For how would it be possible to persuade the young man who excels in these arguments that he ought not to become dependent upon them, but to make them depend upon him? Instead of this he tramples under foot all we say to him and walks among us in a high state of elation, so puffed up that he cannot bear that any one should remind him how far he has fallen short and into what errors he has lapsed.