The gods must be crazy: The denial of descent in academic scholarship

Abstract

In this work, we expand the literature of discontent with academic scholarship by showing how our malaise is grounded metaphorically in the uncritical celebration of “up” and the vilification of “down.” We then historicize these metaphors through classical Greek poetry and philosophy to rediscover how flowing back and forth between Apollonian upness and Dionysian descent produced creative conditions for living well. We eventually revisit the academy and offer some general ways we might live these ancient truths more fully in our own scholarly lives.

Key words:

• scholarship
• Dionysus
• Apollo
• tuche
• techne