No Polite Shadow-Fencing

 At Second Story Books today, I looked into a volume of biographical sketches by Isaiah Berlin. The most promising name, I thought, was J.L. Austin, and the beginning of the essay did not disappoint. The two decided to teach a class on the thought of C.I. Lewis, which started such that

 Austin opened by inviting me to expound a thesis. I selected Lewis's doctrine of specific, sensible characteristics -- what Lewis called qualia--and said what I thought. Austin glared at me sternly and said, 'Would you mind saying that again.' I did so. 'It seems to me', said Austin, speaking slowly, 'that what you have just said is complete nonsense.' I then realised that this was to be no polite shadow-fencing, but war to the death -- my death, that is.

Still,

There is no doubt that Austin's performance at our class had a profound and lasting effect upon some, at any rate, of those who attended it. Some of them later became eminent professional philosophers and have testified to the extraordinary force and fertility of Austin's performance. for a performance it undoubtedly was: as much so as Moore's annual classes held at the joint meetings of the Aristotelian Society and Mind Association. Slow, formidable and relentless, Austin dealt firmly with criticism and opposition of the intelligent and stupid alike, and, in the course of this, left the genuine philosophers in our class not crushed or frustrated, but stimulated and indeed excited by the simplicity and lucidity of the nominalist thesis which he defended against Lewis.

Probably I should have purchased the volume this morning, perhaps I will yet.