Well said! Good thoughts. Since, you bring this up at the same time as I have been thinking about it, I feel obligated to add my current thoughts now, even though they are as yet not fully developed.
I also just started reading Walter Isaacson’s biography of Ben Franklin and have been reading a few article about the so-called “Republic of Letters” which existed outside of the academy, made real scientific progress, and was contributed to by both academics and enthusiasts alike. Here are some of the dynamics that seemed to make the Republic of Letters and the British clubs work:
1) a drive to invite promising people to the group, even if they are not up-to-speed yet.
2) those personal, friendly invitations go to up and coming writers and thinkers who still have enough slack in their time to join a new community. People at the beginning of their career are the life of an organization.
3) an expectation that members not just observe but also write, share, and present essays, and host occasional focused discussions.
Well said! Good thoughts. Since, you bring this up at the same time as I have been thinking about it, I feel obligated to add my current thoughts now, even though they are as yet not fully developed.
I also just started reading Walter Isaacson’s biography of Ben Franklin and have been reading a few article about the so-called “Republic of Letters” which existed outside of the academy, made real scientific progress, and was contributed to by both academics and enthusiasts alike. Here are some of the dynamics that seemed to make the Republic of Letters and the British clubs work:
1) a drive to invite promising people to the group, even if they are not up-to-speed yet.
2) those personal, friendly invitations go to up and coming writers and thinkers who still have enough slack in their time to join a new community. People at the beginning of their career are the life of an organization.
3) an expectation that members not just observe but also write, share, and present essays, and host occasional focused discussions.