Seconded. I don’t think you’ll get too much disagreement in this community, interestingly enough. We’re all neophiles. But say “modern writers are better than Shakespeare” to most English speakers and you won’t even get an absolute denial macro, you’ll get something more like , as though you’d claimed that apple > 6.
Well, I’d disagree. When I hear “greatest writer ever,” literary merit is certainly a factor, but I also think of things associated with the “greatness” side of the phrase, like impact on culture, fame, and innovation. But I upvoted the post because I think there’s a good point about this being such received wisdom.
Seconded. I don’t think you’ll get too much disagreement in this community, interestingly enough. We’re all neophiles. But say “modern writers are better than Shakespeare” to most English speakers and you won’t even get an absolute denial macro, you’ll get something more like , as though you’d claimed that apple > 6.
Well, I’d disagree. When I hear “greatest writer ever,” literary merit is certainly a factor, but I also think of things associated with the “greatness” side of the phrase, like impact on culture, fame, and innovation. But I upvoted the post because I think there’s a good point about this being such received wisdom.