Schoepenhauer and the trolls

[sawyl]

Meant to mention this yesterday: Tim Adams had an interesting Observer piece on internet anonymity, trolling and, yes, Arthur Schoepenhauer:

Put your name to something and your words are freighted with responsibility. Arthur Schoepenhauer wrote well on the subject 160 years ago: "...when a man publicly proclaims through the far-sounding trumpet of the newspaper, he should be answerable for it, at any rate with his honour, if he has any; and if he has none, let his name neutralise the effect of his words. And since even the most insignificant person is known in his own circle, the result of such a measure would be to put an end to two-thirds of the newspaper lies, and to restrain the audacity of many a poisonous tongue..."

Whitehead was right: philosophy really is just a series of footnotes to Plato.