About a year ago, when I pointed out his woeful ignorance regarding political philosophy, Mark Levin responded with a Facebook vulgarity that appears to be S.O.P. on his simplistic level of Beltway Blowharding. I responded with an invitation to him to take my philosophy course this year — at no charge, if he’d leave his vulgarity at the door. He didn’t take me up on it.
Recently I observed that Levin’s ignorance not only abides but multiplies. This time his acolytes rush to assail me. I have committed the spectacular and secular sin of revealing their Object of Worship’s facile embrace of legal positivism that, on inspection, condones Hitler’s barbarisms — and I didn’t say that, Hans Kelsen did. One Levin-Lite goes so far as to assure me that I should be grateful for the 15 minutes of fame bestowed upon me by His Foul-Mouth Worship’s Facebook post.
Well well. Mr. Levin should have taken the course after all. Right on cue, we’re reading Augustine this week, and here’s what he says about fame:
But whosoever, without possessing that desire of glory which makes one fear to displease those who judge his conduct, desires domination and power, very often seeks to obtain what he loves by most open crimes. Therefore he who desires glory presses on to obtain it either by the true way, or certainly by deceit and artifice, wishing to appear good when he is not. Therefore to him who possesses virtues it is a great virtue to despise glory. [City of God, Book V, Chapter 19]
Certainly a word to the wise. Or, as Levin’s worshipers address him, “O Wise One.” Him too.
11:49 am on March 16, 2012
