SHOULD YOU BE RICH TO BE A…

Dear Said SABBAGH,

…a scientist, were you asking?

Your question could-should be extended into "Should you be rich to be a philosopher?", "Should you be rich to be an author, a writer?", "Should you be rich to be a researcher?"... Not all researchers are scientists, are they?... (And, epistemologically, what is science?).

In the past centuries (meaning, before the 20th...) all scientists, philosophers, writers…, belonged to a caste or another...

This began with the pre-Socratic Greeks: the very first to look at the sky and think, and write works other than accounting or weaponry lists, or "legal" texts either religious or not, and to show or disseminate their works – they did not say "publish" (there was no such thing as a public, really) or "share" (you did not either), in those days…

And it went on with Socrates and the "post-" guys thereafter…

By-The-Way-1, even Diogenes was a wealthy man... He was the son of... a banker...

By-The-Way-2, we may say "guys" in full respect of political and societal correctness, as there were no Ladies involved… Neoplatonist Hypatia of Alexandria was the brilliant exception, and it was seven centuries later than the post-guys or so…

And it carried on this wealthy way through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and the Enlightenment..., and through part of the Industrial Revolution...

The first "cross-border-reputed" "professional researcher" (notwithstanding non-existence of the term yet) was Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), who was "only" a teacher, then a professor (at the age of 45...) at the University of Königsberg, and made a living this way...

By-The-Way-3, in Kant's case you may have said "…to become a scientist…", as he was one indeed, before and on top of being a philosopher and, thereby, a researcher among researchers…

How about now? - What does it cost you to "acquire" college education, in most countries around the world, before you may claim to possibly aspire to become a researcher?

Still, it remains true that you can attain this status – or the ambition thereof - without being really wealthy, or from rich origin: you will resort to bank credit, or side jobs, or support from your employer, or your community, or a mix…

But it will be less easy (if it were any easy at any time in any case…).

So, let aside wealth and "become what you are", as Nietzsche would put it…

By-The-Way-4, none of us would seriously decline being wealthier (or stronger, fitter, or more handsome alike: We may even expend time and effort to magnify these blessed attributes). But most of us see no point in becoming wiser… Says René Descartes, "Common sense is the most widely shared commodity in the world, for every man [a/n or woman] is convinced that he [a/n or she] is well supplied with it…" (1st sentence of the "Discourse on the Method", 1637).

"Human, too human…", as Friedrich would also put it: We often tend to believe we are smart enough…

I do not, personally. Especially now, with some experience. And having come across so many smarter persons. So, I keep trying…

Accordingly, I will endeavor to become a researcher…, so help me God (and Luck, and Hard Work…).

By-The-Way-5, I am rich enough for that…, thank God (and Luck, and Hard Work…).

Deep thanks for your deepest among deep questions, Dear Said…, ethos, logos, phileō and agápaō in it…

BON', Eric BON

https://link.springer.com/journal/11162/60/1?wt_mc=alerts.TOCjournals&utm_source=toc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=toc_11162_60_1&fbclid=IwAR08ferM3b78F3h_a9V81QIWS7V3kYuTbAnhMsnu64PVPbBl7hOs6m69DMo