The Hungarian Philosopher Affair: On "Magyar" On White Collar Crime

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Note: It has subsequently become apparent that "Istvan "MAGYAR" has been posting under a false name; his real identity remains To Determine.

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"MAGYAR" (full posting):
“The scholars have received grants totaling 440 million forints—about $2 million—to support dozens of research projects, postdocs, and students" This is just false. The fact is that an overwhelming majority of the money went into the pockets of well-connected and well-paid philosophers having two, three or in Vajda's case five other sources of income. This happened either through personal accounts or personal businesses, and frequently with an obvious violation of the law. The money didn't go into philosophical research. So before writing an article like this, one should perhaps explore the facts instead of asking one obviously biased philosopher, Bodnar, who is also listed in one of the projects. The recipe is well-known: ask the one who says what you want to hear, don't bother if he is part of the plot.”
   “The evidence is entirely public, has been made so by the condemned press on the government's side. A move which the press on the left would never have made, as these facts are true but harmful to their favourite intellectuals, most of the time personal friends of the editors themselves. One should just think about the regular dinners Heller has with the editor of the "independent" Nepszabadsag.”
   “So, what Harnad and Bohannon say is just ignorance. They don't mention the money that was pocketed by these philosophers through contracts signed with themselves, with their very own businesses, etc. All these facts are public, including the amounts that landed in their hands. And at least Harnad should be able to read Hungarian... especially if he is organizing resistance against what? A legal investigation... obstructing justice? If the facts made public by "MAGYAR" Nemzet were false, there should have been a lot of legal cases initiated, but there are none. Why not if all these facts, unknown to these combative intellectuals here, are false? So, contrary to Nyiri, we do know facts: stated by the press and undisputed by these philosophers. (By the way, there are several other projects and other businesses under investigation as well, not only philosophers' and historians'. So, watch out, there may be some other white-collar criminals needing your support.)”

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Quote/commentary on "MAGYAR" posting:

"MAGYAR":
“The scholars have received grants totaling 440 million forints—about $2 million—to support dozens of research projects, postdocs, and students" This is just false. The fact is that an overwhelming majority of the money went into the pockets of well-connected and well-paid philosophers having two, three or in Vajda's case five other sources of income.”

HARNAD:
Reminder to the reader in this litany of allegations: Is this a claim that the law has been broken (CRIM)? Or that there were practices that were permissible under the current funding system that ought to me made impermissible (MOOT)? Or is this just a generic complaint that researchers have received more funding than I think they deserved (COMP)?

"MAGYAR":
“This happened either through personal accounts or personal businesses, and frequently with an obvious violation of the law.”

HARNAD:
Surely whether or not there has been “an obvious violation of the law” (CRIM) is for the courts to decide. Apart from that, all we have here is a confident accusation of criminality (PRO).

"MAGYAR":
“The money didn't go into philosophical research. So before writing an article like this, one should perhaps explore the facts instead of asking one obviously biased philosopher, Bodnar, who is also listed in one of the projects. The recipe is well-known: ask the one who says what you want to hear, don't bother if he is part of the plot.”

HARNAD:
It is not clear whether under these circumstances either PRO or DEN are a reliable source of facts.But is it obvious that if a philosopher is “listed” in one of the projects this means he is biased, or “part of the plot” (what plot?). Is this fact obvious in the same way that there has been “an obvious violation of the law” (CRIM)?

"MAGYAR":
“The evidence is entirely public, has been made so by the condemned press on the government's side. A move which the press on the left would never have made, as these facts are true but harmful to their favourite intellectuals, most of the time personal friends of the editors themselves. One should just think about the regular dinners Heller has with the editor of the "independent" Nepszabadsag.”

HARNAD:
The government-side press has been public about the alleged evidence of the alleged crime (PRO). That is undisputed. There is some difficulty, however, in following the logic of what follows: Should the non-government-side press (DEN) have accepted those allegations as proven? Should it have published an admission of guilt (CRIM)? Perhaps a disclosure of the cost of the dinners? What is the point?

"MAGYAR": “So, what Harnad and Bohannon say is just ignorance. They don't mention the money that was pocketed by these philosophers through contracts signed with themselves, with their very own businesses, etc. All these facts are public, including the amounts that landed in their hands. And at least Harnad should be able to read Hungarian...”

HARNAD:
It is not at all obvious to what extent these are either facts or public. But what is most non-obvious of all is whether they are crimes (CRIM), i.e., illegal. And if they are not illegal, whether they ought to be made illegal (MOOT) – or whether instead they were legitimate uses of the awarded funds to pay for salaries or the conduct of research, and simply became the object of complaints (COMP) from those who were not awarded funds. None of this is at all obvious, whether or not one reads Hungarian, and regardless of whom one listens to. One can nevertheless form one’s own provisional judgment, and that can indeed be based on something that is obvious: That there is no basis – obvious or subtle -- for concluding that any crime (CRIM) has been committed; and hence that those who argue that it is obvious that a crime has been committed (PRO) are obviously wrong. Their motive is unclear, but it is clear that the accused philosophers (and any others who become similar targets) need to be defended against such confident allegations of “obvious” criminality.

"MAGYAR":
“...especially if [Harnad] is organizing resistance against what? A legal investigation... obstructing justice? If the facts made public by "MAGYAR" Nemzet were false, there should have been a lot of legal cases initiated, but there are none. Why not if all these facts, unknown to these combative intellectuals here, are false?

HARNAD:
It is not clear whether Mr. "Magyar" is alleging that the drafters and the signatories of the Open Letter are obstructing justice. (If so, I don’t plan to try to sue him for libel!) As stated in the Open Letter, erroneous, hyperbolic and tendentious public assertions are made all the time in the media, worldwide, and are and should be ignored (especially when they are about (and by) researchers!). In Hungary today, though, it seems that certain kinds of tendentious public assertions (PRO) are not only given heed, but even acted upon (perhaps even encouraged) by the authorities. I know no reason not to have confidence in the freedom of the courts in Hungary; the grounds for confidence in the freedom of the press are perhaps not quite as firm. But is Mr. "Magyar" suggesting that if things are alleged in Magyar Nemzet that makes them facts? Or is it things that are alleged without a subsequent libel suit that thereby become facts?

"MAGYAR":
"So, contrary to Nyiri, we do know facts: stated by the press and undisputed by these philosophers. (By the way, there are several other projects and other businesses under investigation as well, not only philosophers' and historians'. So, watch out, there may be some other white-collar criminals needing your support.)”

HARNAD:
We would have to watch out indeed, if this were to become the way that facts are now determined in Hungary. Our Open Letter was not written to obstruct justice, but to try to preserve it – from this.

Stevan Harnad
American Scientist Open Access Forum