"Squeezing David Hume’s big toe (and other ironic ways to honor the naive skeptical tradition)"

[Htom Sirveaux]

Last edited Sat Aug 23, 2014, 02:10 PM - Edit history (1)

As you probably know, the idea of “tradition” has not received great press in the modern age. In particular the appeal to a grand tradition as the legitimation (or partial legitimation) for a specific knowledge discourse is categorically rejected as naive and question-begging.

(SNIP)

David Hume has long served as a sort of de facto patron saint in the traditions of skepticism and humanism, his words quoted with something approaching reverent awe. That in itself is ironic enough.

Then I visited Edinburgh in 2000. And after visiting Hume’s statue on the Royal Mile I watched with bemusement as one person after another approached the statue and reached out reverently to squeeze the bronze big toe. The echo with parishoners walking forward to receive communion was striking.

(SNIP)

The sculpture, Sandy Stoddart, commented on the practice:

“It is ironic that an atheist and rationalist should have his toe adored by the masses. But I deliberately stuck the big toe out over the plinth so that the public would interact with it. I knew this would happen, and now I hope this will become a fine Edinburgh tradition.”

http://randalrauser.com/2012/06/squeezing-david-humes-big-toe-and-other-ironic-ways-to-honor-the-naive-skeptical-tradition/

Hume was quite a genial guy, so he probably would get a good laugh out of this.

I should also note that (a) I don't think that the author is calling skeptics "naive", but referring to how traditions in general are characterized in the modern world and (b) whether he is or not, I would not have used this title if it were my blog post, because of the risk of people taking offense over it.

[edhopper]

1. Sounds like just a fun thing to do

I doubt any skeptics would feel they are communing with the spirit of Hume.
It's more like kissing the blarney stone or coins in Treve Fountain.
Much different than communion or the adoring of stautes of baby Jesus (I've seen faces rubbed smooth by the faithful)
False equivalency.

[Htom Sirveaux]

2. Kissing the Blarney Stone is said to endow one with the "gift of gab"

and dropping coins in bodies of water was originally an offering to gods related to the water (or actually dwelling there) in exchange for wishes.

Is it acceptable for even skeptics to do these things, and also to squeeze Hume's big toe, as long as they either don't know/remember how they originated, or don't take the associated tradition too seriously? Looked at it from another angle, are rituals only appropriate if the feeling they give you is fun, and not hope, or transcendence, or other positive emotions typically associated with religious ritual?

[edhopper]

5. I was only saying

I see this bit of touristy fun very different from the religious rituals the author cites.
About the other stuff you raise, I wouldn't use acceptable, people are free to do what they want.
It's not about the feelings that they give, it's about the belief that is associated.
Like I said, doing tghis doesn't communicate with Hume.

[Htom Sirveaux]

6. I agree, there is a substantive difference in the reasons for those rituals,

but rubbing a toe for "good luck" would not appear to pass skeptical muster any more than actually communicating with Hume would, and that's the reason why the toe is so popular, particularly with philosophy students who have exams.

[edhopper]

7. That is true

if they are doing it for a laugh, or to acknowledge their respect for Hume, that is one thing.
If they really think his toe is a rabbit's foot, that is woo like any other woo.

[Brettongarcia]

3. Grammar: "sculptor," not "sculpture."

The sculptor of the sculpture of course, probably did it as a joke. Or an ironic reference.

By the way? Hume's realist rival (and directly, Berkeley's), Samuel Johnson, claimed that he had "refute"d skepticism regarding the material world. By kicking it with his toe: "Thus!"

So in addition to an ironic reference to religious idol-worship, this sculpture has another ironic resonance; one relating to philosophy.

A clever sculptor, actually. There are several layers of meaning here.

[Htom Sirveaux]

4. I had forgotten about the Samuel Johnson thing.

Someone should ask the sculptor if they had that in mind.
-
Also, this raises an interesting point: people who consider themselves artists might have different reactions to attempts to find hidden, unintended meanings in their art (textual or not) than those who are trying to communicate using logos. If you did your textual thing with an author-as-artist, that might go over much better than doing it with someone like me when I am not trying to communicate in an especially artistic way. It also might go over better if you were using it to point out positive, clever things that they unintentionally did, versus using it to undermine them.