I have a question. Only here you need to read it – people do not read very well, and therefore often answer not to what is asked, obeying the internal laws that make them see what is not.
This is not a question of fashion. It’s the other way around. The question is something like this: please, tell me the authors who were able (at least a little) to turn public opinion? Move? Thus – from my point of view – successful authors.
Limitations. I would like modern ones. You can show Darwin, but this is a slightly different age and a different society. I would still have people from the XXI century. Or at least the end of the twentieth century. Another limitation. There is Dawkins or Diamond or Deutsch, the authors are very successful. And there are about a hundred thousand more successful ones. Why are they not interesting to me at all? Because they are walking with the wind. The wind of time blows in their sails, they are indeed skillful writers and have made good use of the wind, and among all others, also going in the wind, they are successful. They won the competition, but that’s not my question at all. I’m not interested in this success. I wonder which of those walking the wrong wind, against the wind of history is successful? Who could turn the clock around a little bit?
I think the authors are “cognitive”, not artistic, not fictional writers. Because I’m not sure that I understand the meaning of the arts well, maybe someone will be named to me, but I’m not sure that he is right upwind. For example, actionists – they, according to them, are against the wind of time, but as for me – precisely and only against the wind. You can argue for a long time whether, for example, Pelevin exposes or not – but as for me, a fashionable author, of course, is very in line and does not mind at all. I would like clearer examples – therefore non-fiction is desirable, these are popular books, philosophical, journalistic – that is, those where the author directly says: the world is like this, you have to do it like this.
And finally, I still wanted to know about those who could. It is not so difficult to name the names of those who stubbornly do not give up, do not bend and shove against the wind, hold on to their unfashionable beliefs. However, their work leaves no trace. As soon as it is published, the book disappears – and the last news about it is the announcement of the publishing house. Like, soon, and now – meet! And that’s all. There will be no reviews, there will be no citation, left and disappeared. – This is not interesting, since I am interested in the question – is it possible to cope with this in general? In a cognitive way. Not to involve in a religious sect, not to infect with a certain aesthetics, but to explain and influence with the help of ideas and concepts.
When I thought about it, I could not remember who could be named here. But I am not good with examples, I could easily not remember even the most obvious. So: which of the modern authors – scientists, philosophers, popularizers, journalists – those who try to explain and be understood – could go against the wind, say something that the wind of time does not have – and nevertheless is successful, understood and won the attention of the masses ?
