There's no question, for him, that I torture him by means of philosophy – by presenting myself, however parodically, however laughingly as a philosopher, I torture W., who would never simply present himself as a philosopher, for whom the expression, the philosopher, is an honorific - a title that could only be bestowed upon one who thoroughly deserves it like a crown of laurels, one who deserves to be carried upon all our shoulders – I torture W. by calling myself, in all my lightness, a failed philosopher, or even a would-be philosopher, for my qualification of my relationship with philosophy leaves, nonetheless, that relationship intact.
Philosophy will survive me, of course -but W., whose relationship to philosophy is much less secure, much more precarious, if indeed it is a relationship at all, if indeed W. is not completely deluded about the possibility of such a relationship, which may well be the case, which probably is the case – W. may not survive.
Lars Iyer's Blog 