Eric Hoffer

The longshoreman philosopher. He is on the list of notable autodidacts (a category to which I would like to belong).

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This post is going to be put on the three related blogs (Truth Engineering, 7'oops7, FEDaerated [already mentioned in the context of autodidactism]) each post tailored to the context of the blog's theme) indicating a change of tone and of focus. I was in San Francisco during the time (1967-70) when Eric walked the streets, pondering matters, and ran across him from time to time. His most popular book was a nice read but did not resonate with me (those T-issues [Anselm as an example] that cause so many problems; these are best skirted around many times (mind you, did not say ignore entirely)), however I have always respected the guy and his work.

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This itinerant citizen saw more of the American experience than did 99.999% of his cohorts and those of subsequent times.  And, he was 1st generation. It is probably fortunate that he ended up on San Francisco (where the song writer left his heart). I would bet that Eric did not associate much (if at all) with the beat view (which, if you look at it closely, are of the fortunate sons [thanks, CCR] - wait, there I go again [by character, cannot guarantee descending into the mocking stance which has become so prevalent -- why is that?]).

We'll go on about the travels of Eric from time to time. For instance, he spent several years in skid row of Los Angeles. I worked at the Union Rescue Mission (early 1960s; recently, I looked at the website and was saddened to hear that now they're dealing with families - not older, derelict men) for a couple of years.

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If the USA is going to mean something, it won't be via military might (if I add, not by that alone, will you keep off the reflexive hero worship thing that forces many to rant interminably?). Rather, this country has many ways to continue (or to try to attempt) to be the "city on the hill" (if only John Winthrop knew). People like Eric [and many other types, but not financial pirates] will be key.

Too, his self-learning was important. How does one test the knowledge of such types? Well, truth engineering will deal with that. To boot, the independent view that we all need [the inverse of this view is the politician whose saliva kicks in at the sight of (or the thought of) a buck (or any other money) -- there I go again, except I'm waiting to see how Elizabeth W. pans out [a note arrived today with the subject that she needs a partner])] was one of Eric's many qualities.

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This is only a start. Let's not forget Eric (Jul 1902 to May 1983) and his kind.

Remarks:

07/09/2013 -- Was there a time when father knew, whether all or most of the time? Many sons railed against that, GEK III, for instance. Some sons had absent fathers, who were no more than some ideal without any material substance. Some sons even followed their fathers. All sorts of positions along an axis. However, there is something new, now. An insidious overlay is threatening us; its origins come from advances in prowess that are less understood than those who practice think is so. Have we left serfdom to a feudal lord behind in order to be wrapped in a more dense veil? The key notion is quasi-empicisism and its being ignored.

05/14/2013 -- Capitalism magazine published, 10 years ago, Thomas Sowell's The Legacy of Eric Hopper.  Praise be the Internet!

Modified: 07/09/2013