The Sheila Variations

Stone Age Philosophers

In case you have not encountered the "librarian with a question" email which is now circulating the web and the blog-world, here is the deal:

A librarian (an American librarian) wrote the following email to an Australian author:

Subject: librarian with question
Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2003 12:11:08 -0400

Dear ____

I am a librarian trying to answer a reference question from a student. I found on the Web reference to a book you have written on the history of Australian philosophy and thought perhaps you could assist me. Could you provide a name(s) of any ancient Australian philosophers or educators pre-200 B.C.? The student is looking for information on ancient philosophers or educators that impacted modern education.

With a name, perhaps I can find more information in other sources.

Thank you very much for your help.

"Information in other sources..."

Uh ... the "other sources" would probably be cave drawings, ma'am. Are you down with that? Are you aware that Australia didn't exist pre-200 B.C.? Or even in 200 A.D.? Or even in 1300 A.D.? Or even in 1787?....

This is not to say that the Aboriginal people did not have philosophy, obviously. But the librarian clearly is asking out of ignorance, thinking that she will find an Australian Pythagoras somewhere on the books. She has no idea what Australia is, how Australia came to be, what its history is, and also, WHAT THE HELL is going on, in general.

Who knows, I may be reading too much into the email. It's probably not even real. God willing.

via Tim Blair

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