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St Hugh's College, Oxford OX2 6LE Telephone Oxford (0865) 57341
Dear Henry,
I am not particularly in sympathy with Malcolm's general philosophical position, but I think Making Names is really quite an attractive book. It is in no way crazy. It is very easy to read. Malcolm has a real gift for informal exposition.
The book is not particularly strong or original philosophically speaking, and there are some tensions in Malcolm's position. (In particular, at certain points 'Cause' uses arguments, or forms of argument, that could be turned against him at other points, where they do not feature.) But Malcolm is very clear and he knows what he's talking about. If it were suitably rewritten, I think Making Names might prove extremely effective as an introduction to philosophical problems and procedures. But perhaps it should be tested on a philosophical virgin.
There are stylistic problems however. And it's rather old-fashioned in its terms of reference. If the informality is going to draw people (especially younger ones) into the story and thereby into the thought, it needs to be brought up to date. As it is, it's a period piece, set in 1970 (Malcolm may find this hard to give up, since it's partly a book about himself). I'd completely forgotten that 'bird' could mean 'girl'. Also - its male-to-maleness is really very pervasive; this seems problematic to me, given the book's potential audience.
I don't see the point of the names 'Cause' and 'Effect'. And when the two of them get on first-name terms, they call each other by name too much.
Finally - I don't think much of the last chapter. It delivers very little. The semi-archaic language of the play is unnecessary. Perhaps the dramatic climax, if there must be one (in order for someone to say something like what Orestes says on pp. 8.34-35), should happen within the lives of the two characters, not in a play.
So: philosophical content, procedure etc. are fine for an introduction. The dialogue form also works well, on the whole, but needs some rethinking in its details.
Yours ever, Galen
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