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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/385.On_Bullshit?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="On Bullshit" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1156913179m/385.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/385.On_Bullshit?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">On Bullshit</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/219.Harry_G_Frankfurt">Harry G. Frankfurt</a><br/><br/>
  <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/979276?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
  rating: 5 of 5 stars<br/> “One of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much bullshit. Everyone knows this. Each of us contributes his share. But we tend to take the situation for granted. Most people are rather confident of their ability to recognize bullshit and to avoid being taken in by it. So the phenomenon has not aroused much deliberate concern, nor attracted much sustained inquiry.”
<br/> 
<br/>    The remainder of this massive 67 page tome is equally on-point as the above opening paragraph. Frankfurt’s premise is simply that bullshit is a greater enemy to truth than lying. In order to lie, one must acknowledge the truth. Bullshit does not require any regard for the truth, nor any care for what the truth actually is. Therefore, the bullshit and bullshitter are at greater odds with truth than a flat out lie. His final argument that “sincerity is bullshit” is, I believe, a very interesting and important observation. I’ll leave that little morsel of treasure for you to discover when you hopefully take the very brief, but very well-spent time necessary to read this book.
<br/> 
<br/>    I’d love to hear your reactions and thoughts to the book. I loved it and wish our educational system was progressive enough to consider it for required reading lists (although I’m certain the title alone removes that possibility.) Heaven forbid we encourage children to think, question, and seek. Here’s a great opportunity for you to do just that. Now get!
  <br/><br/><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/74419?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

ryan's review
rating:

bookshelves: read_philosophy
recommended for: everyone.
status: Read in January, 2007

“One of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much bullshit. Everyone knows this. Each of us contributes his share. But we tend to take the situation for granted. Most people are rather confident of their ability to recognize bullshit and to avoid being taken in by it. So the phenomenon has not aroused much deliberate concern, nor attracted much sustained inquiry.”

The remainder of this massive 67 page tome is equally on-point as the above opening paragraph. Frankfurt’s premise is simply that bullshit is a greater enemy to truth than lying. In order to lie, one must acknowledge the truth. Bullshit does not require any regard for the truth, nor any care for what the truth actually is. Therefore, the bullshit and bullshitter are at greater odds with truth than a flat out lie. His final argument that “sincerity is bullshit” is, I believe, a very interesting and important observation. I’ll leave that little morsel of treasure for you to discover ...more

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message 1: by k.wing

06/24/2007 06:31AM

do you own this book and could i borrow it?