Pavlov and heroes

[Swan - Linda]

	A list member called me on it and
I want to apologize for referring to Pavlov's ideas on the conditional
or conditioned reflex as crackpot. He was a distinguished scientist and
physiologist. What I was thinking of (and I expressed myself abominably)
was his later application of concepts derived at the neuronal level to
higher mental activities and psychiatry. His "laws" of irradiation, 
induction, etc. as propounded in "The Book" seem to me to be made to order for
Pynchon's caricaturing. In fact, he didn't _have_ to caricature it or 
change hardly a word.

	Another respondent felt that I was careless in referring to
TP as "our hero" on the grounds that he is after all a mortal and needs
to be judged as one. I agree with this criticism. I guess I could 
claim I was speaking facetiously, but more accurately it was again a
case of careless word usage. To paraphrase someone (Brecht?) we don't
need heroes and heaven help us if we do.

				L.