esoteric

[Jeff Dalton <jeff%aiva.edinburgh.ac.uk@CS.UCL.AC.UK>]

>> From: Jeff Dalton <jeff%aiva.edinburgh.ac.uk@Cs.Ucl.AC.UK>
>> Anyway, when considering Kate the question is surely whether reincarnation
>> is esoteric for Kate, who is appropriating the notion from outside, not
>> whether it is esoteric for practicing Buddhists.

> Jeff, IED respectfully suggests that you check "esoteric" in
> the dictionary. The word makes no sense in the context of your
> sentence. An idea can't very well be "esoteric _for_" (IED's italics)
> someone who has taken the trouble to learn something about the idea!
> "Esoteric" means "uncommon," "little known," "arcane," "obscure".
> From the context of your sentence, it appears that you are using
> the word as though it means something pejorative, like "pretentious".
> It does _not_ mean "pretentious". And even if it did, it's ridiculous
> to think that Westerners should _remain_ ignorant of Eastern
> ideas lest they be labeled "pretentious". Especially if the
> ideas are as well known and broadly accepted as those associated
> with Buddhism and Hinduism!

Actually, I do know what "esoteric" means, I don't think it means
"pretentious" (why that interpretation?), and I didn't say anyone should
remain ignorant of anything.  You're right about my sentence, in a sense,
but it seems a rather pedantic point.  I should know by now not to leave
any such openings when saying something that might be interpreted as
anti-Kate.

Whether reincarnation is an esoteric notion for Kate depends, I think,
(and, from your message, it would seem you agree) on whether she regards
it as such (or "has taken the trouble to learn something about it").  If
your intent is merely to say that I'm wrong to even seem to suggest such
things of Kate, then I'm willing to be corrected.  (Even though I didn't
actually make any claim about Kate, only about the question being asked.)

However, when westerners refer to reincarnation, they're not necessarily
talking about Hunduism or Buddhism; and when taking parts of Hunduism or
Buddhism out of context it's hard not to distort or trivialize them.  My
own knowledge Buddhism is strictly academic of a certain sort, and I
already know that this is a distortion.  (Basically, the approach was
to treat Buddhism almost as a branch of Philosophy.)

-- Jeff