In Competition No. 2977 you were invited to submit a selection of meaningless, pseudo-profound statements.
Bullshit was defined in a 2005 essay by the philosopher Harry G. Frankfurt as being characterised by a lack of concern for the truth, as distinct from a deliberate intent to deceive (i.e. lying). Which makes this the ideal comp for the post-truth era.
Or is it? Brian Murdoch wasn’t so sure: ‘Given the great pseudo-profundities of the past (“Credo quia impossibile” [Aquinas, T.], “Dasein hat sein zu sein” [Heidegger, M.], “Brexit means Brexit”,’ he writes, ‘what else is there to say?’
Quite a bit more, it seems. The invitation drew a large and accomplished entry. I’m not sure if any of you looked for inspiration to the New Age Bullshit Generator, an online resource for those with a New Age product or service to hawk, which at the click of a mouse offers up such gems as ‘By unfolding, we grow.
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