Quote by Ihab Hassan
We rarely quote nowadays to appeal to authority... though we quote sometimes to display our sapience and erudition. Some authors we quote against. Some we quote not at all, offering them our scrupulous avoidance, and so make them part of our white mythology. Other authors we constantly invoke, chanting their names in cerebral rituals of propitiation or ancestor worship.
Summary
This quote argues that in contemporary times, we no longer quote people merely to rely on their authority or credibility. Instead, quoting is done to showcase our own intelligence and knowledge. Some authors are quoted as adversaries, their views challenged, while certain authors are completely ignored, effectively excluding them from our collective knowledge. On the other hand, there are authors we frequently reference, revering them through intellectual homage or venerating them as our intellectual ancestors. The quote highlights how quoting has evolved from a means of supporting arguments to a demonstration of intellect and selective cultural remembrance.
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By Ihab Hassan
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