Percy-L: Literary, Religious, Scientific, and Philosophical Discussion of Walker Percy

["James Piat" <piat1 AT bellsouth.net>]

Wade Riddick wrote:

>  If you look at any given academic journal - especially in an area
> like literary studies - "researchers" are largely asking themselves the
> questions and answering the questions for themselves.  I think you get
> closer to "the truth" when you watch the idiotic freshmen ask their
> professors innocent questions - at least until they're properly
> intimidated.

Dear Wade, Folks-

With Brian I enjoyed your comments.  You've got me wondering though just
what role literary studies and literature in general play in getting at the
"truth".   For example, how does literature get at truth in a way that
physics or scientific approaches do  not.  Is the difference primarily one
of approach, the nature of the truth sought  --or what?

Especially I'm wondering about Percy's views on the distinction between the
scientific and the literary.  Seems to me he held there some truth or
reality accessible to literature and the word in general which is simply not
accessible to science  --and that it is mistaken to hold the two approaches
the same standards or assume they are interchangeable.   Would such a view
imply two different definitions of truth  --or is the "fault"  primarily in
the approaches.    Trying to think about such questions I find myself
quickly becoming confused by the relationship between content and method (as
well as subjective and objective) and I look forward to what other think.

Cheers,
Jim Piat