Five kinds of schooled fools (Stulti docti)
	Click on picture of fool to see bigger fool. The Reader The Moralist The Computer The Administrator Substitutes reading for living. Has no real life other than reading about it. In Ecclesiastes, the Preacher says that books are many and reading too many of them wearies the soul. Some argue that texts do not refer to anything outside themselves (critical theory), or that it is not possible to know what any symbol means (play of signifiers). These nonetheless show continuing connectedness to reality by cashing their paychecks, etc. Mistakes knowing about a thing for being responsible for it. Since he knows about everything, he imagines he is responsible for everything. Consequently carries the weight of the world on his shoulders [in theory, at least...]. (Likely a student of Emmanuel Levinas.) Note: Sometimes believes everybody else should carry the weight of the world on their shoulders, too. (Not to be mistaken for the self-righteous who volunteers to take on the burden of making others shoulder the whole burden!) Fascinated by solving puzzles. Will work on most challenging puzzle he can get funding to solve (except often goes off on a tangent solving some puzzle he finds more challenging even if it's not what he got funded to work on...). Does not think about consequences except in terms of even more challenging puzzles to solve ("progress"). Other than tech manuals in his own field, reads only science fiction. (homo technologicus) Weighs everything under the sun and the wisdom of the ages, in the light of improving his school's balance sheet. (Takes pride in his leadership in advancing the arts and sciences; correctly understands that without his selfless efforts, there would not be any schools, and all learning would be lost.) The Assayer (Tester) Measures knowledge. The Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey (ETS)(501)(c)(3) maintains standards. Pictures from Sebastian Brant's Ship of Fools (1494). Note: taxonomy as shown is not exhaustive.   Go /Return to reflections on my doctoral dissertation process (Toward a place for study...).   Leisure is the basis of culture (and education). What I believe ("The net").  [View intro!] See also my page on Civilization and its Discontents.   Show me Hieronymus Bosch's painting: Ship of Fools! "Shipwreck with Spectator" (Life as a journey...). Float away! Dies irae  (This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a sacrilegious cartoon...). Think about the a-mentia of The West in our time. Listen to the peremptory discourse of petty power.... Meet Oscar!     Start making sense! Take a NYS DMV eye test! Visit Villa Pizza (with pepperoni and cheese...).   Read about something dumb I did.     RYO: Create our own cartoon! Go to puns and riddles. Also: Just So Stories, &: Stuff. Go/Return to Medieval "morality play" The Summoning of Everyman (1485). Do you know the eight deadly sins? (& The 11th Commandment?).   What's new on this website? Go to website Table of Contents. Return to Brad McCormick's home page. Return to site map (Or try: Borgean index...). http://www.cloud9.net/~bradmcc/fools.html Copyright © 2001-2006 Brad McCormick, Ed.D. bradmcc@cloud9.net 23 January 2022CE (2022-01-23 ISO 8601) v004