[Buddha-l] Buddhism and Psychology research

[Dan Lusthaus]

Erik,

>as a philosopher words like ´usually´ and the absence of reference make
>me very suspicious. So please reveal your sources.
>erik

The first person to bring that list to my attention was the chair of the 
German Department at Grinnell College, where I taught several kalpas ago. I 
was surprised at the time. I have encountered the same list in print and 
conversation subsequently on numerous occasions. Pretty much over the years 
whenever the topic would come up anyone knowledgeable on German stylists 
would recite the same list (not the same list as fiction writers, but with 
overlap -- though some might consider the writings of Luther, Nietzsche, and 
Freud pure fiction). Luther, because he created vernacular literary German 
with his Bible translation; Goethe is the German equivalent of Shakespeare 
to English literature; anyone who has read Nietzsche in German would not 
question his ranking - his musicality and evocation of profound ideas with 
"everyday" language is unrivaled (he was a master rhetorician, as Paul de 
Man, Harold Bloom and countless others have explained). Same for Freud (who 
was an avid fan of Nietzsche).

You are free to start a blog or petition to create a new list with different 
rankings, and have Freud demoted on your list. Have fun.

Dan