Wednesday, January 05, 2011

What about partial credit?

[Empson] belonged to and became president of a society called the Heretics, membership of which was conditional on a willingness to reject ‘all appeal to authority in the discussion of religious questions’. Visiting speakers were of the calibre of G.E. Moore and Bertrand Russell, who told the meeting that the Ten Commandments were like an examination paper and should bear the rubric: ‘Only six need be attempted.’
-- Frank Kermode, reviewing volume one of John Haffenden's biography of Empson.

1 comment: