Joyce vs. Johnson, 1/15/20

More news.

Joyce:

Andrew Joycesays:
January 14, 2020 at 2:13 am
Queer coping is when a known homosexual gets triggered when a homosexual idol is systematically critiqued and, unable to moderate the emotional response, but also unable to write a full length rebuttal, resorts to long-winded by ultimately meaningless comments designed to claim intellectual victory (and psychological relief) where none exists. When it comes to queers, they’re a lot like wasps or hornets. Just rattle the nest and watch them come out. They can’t help themselves.

I was warned about the cabal in the early 2000s.

Johnson:

Greg Johnsonsays:
January 14, 2020 at 5:40 am
Ryuji Tsukazaki’s remarks are devastating because Joyce’s essay leans so heavily on arguing that “Mishima was a profoundly unhealthy and inorganic individual,” and Tsukazaki argues that such remarks are rather beside the point, because such people are often quite insightful and can make true statements. Joyce admits that his argument is ad hominem. But the argumentum ad hominem is one of the informal logical fallacies.

Yes, argumentum ad hominem, just like calling Sallis “crazy and bitter” instead of responding to the comments left on your blog, never mind “banning” people who critique your ideas and your behavior.

Tsukazaki also points out that, contra Joyce, Mishima wrote plenty about politics. Indeed, about one-fourth of Mishima’s 43-volume collected works consists of non-fiction, including political statements, and even his writings on literature, art, and culture have political import. 

That doesn’t invalidate Joyce’s thesis.

Andrew Rankin’s recent book Mishima, Aesthetic Terrorist, is the first book in English to discuss much of this material with an eye to its political and philosophical content. No genuinely scholarly discussion of Mishima’s political import should omit mention of it. Rankin’s book was published in 2018, so Joyce had no excuse not to cover it.

True, Joyce’s essay could have been more complete.  He should write a follow-up, with a focus on answering Johnson.

This essay rather blots Joyce’s reputation as a scholar.

No, it doesn’t.

Zman commentator:

Epaminondas
None of this will prevent a future, more determined version of Trump to turn over the political table. He walks among us now. In fact, the new, more fanatic morality will make Trump 2.0 stand out even more sharply from the rest. If you think you’re seeing the elites panic now, just wait.

Sounds familiar.

Consider this Mexican-looking greasy Afrowop.  Just like Der Movement is full of insincere grifters, so is the gaggle of “anti-racists.”