Reappraising a common insult.
Why is “philistine” a term of abuse? Is it an ethnic slur? Who is out there defending the rights of any remaining Philistines? In his jovially self-deprecating way, the deputy editor may recently have planted the seed of a movement. In his review of the After Impressionism exhibition at the National Gallery (Herald, May 2023) the P word turns up twice, doubling Captain Haddock’s output.
There is more to the Philistines than meets the eye – or the ear. Although the spelling is different, the English pronunciation is very similar to the Arabic word for Palestine: Filastin. Names are important. Look at the fuss over the spelling of Cezanne/Cézanne. The numerous labels on the walls of the After Impressionism exhibition are trigger warnings for members of the Académie Française and others with strong feelings on the subject.
