We publish this letter with permission of Daniel Dennett.
February 1, 2011
Open Letter to Professor Jozsef Palinkas, President, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Dear Professor Palinkas
I am writing to withdraw my endorsement of the Open Letter of January 28 addressed to you and bearing my signature, among many others, regarding the treatment of philosophers in Hungary. I have received a torrent of messages both condemning and supporting it, and as I have become better informed about the circumstances, I recognize that I simply do not know enough about the specific issues to have a responsible opinion about how the principles enunciated in the letter, to which I do fully subscribe, should be applied in this situation.
Many of those who also signed the letter may, because of their much more direct and voluminous knowledge of events in Hungary, be in a position to attest to the facts that inspired the writing of the letter in the first place, but I am not, and for this I apologize to all my friends and colleagues, both in Hungary and around the world, who may have taken my signature as a guarantee I was in no position to give.
I have been saddened to experience the level of vituperation and distrust now poisoning the academic world of Hungary, which I had come to admire so much. I feel that I must withdraw my signature in order not to be drawn into this polarized atmosphere. I hope this deplorable interlude will soon end, with a fair and objective finding regarding all the charges and countercharges, allowing vigor and clarity to be restored.
Sincerely,
Daniel C. Dennett
University Professor and Fletcher Professor of Philosophy, Tufts University
Honorary Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
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