Charles Darwin Bernhard Karlgren Studies
Charles Darwin Bernhard Karlgren Studies
Would you agree that Darwin’s character or temperament or personal qualities have something to do with his achievements? If so, what are the important personal qualities? What about Karlgren? He wasted years on work that led no where, and ended his life a bitter man. Does he have lessons for us – if Darwin gives us an example to strive after, does Karlgren suggest things we should avoid? To get some direct sense of what sort of man he is, you might want to take a quick look at his first paper, “Yin and Chou in Chinese Bronzes” (BMFEA8, 1936, pp. 9-156, on reserve in the Art Library: DS 714. S7), if you have lots of time and patience! Ask yourself what you make of the article as a whole. Do you have in your mind any particular model for scholarly writing? An idea of the kind of paper you want to write? Is this it? If not, why not?
