Joseph Epstein and the ‘Dr.’ Controversy
13th December 2020
Some authors append “Ph.D.” to their name in their tagline and sometimes even in their byline. Editors routinely delete it. Likewise with “Dr. Jones” in running text. It’s Ms. Jones, if the publication is old school. If not, Firstname Jones on first mention and just Jones after that. Granted, some publications are generous with the honorific “Dr.” and “Professor.” They’re not the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times.
Some people think that calling someone who has a doctorate “Doctor” is gauche. Others think that not to call the person “Doctor” is disrespectful. I’m with the former group. I always felt that “Dr. Kissinger,” for example, was somewhat cringey. How often have you read or heard “Dr. Daniel Patrick Moynihan”? Once, just now?
That, more or less, was Joseph Epstein’s argument in this opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal. Or so I thought. To judge from the tsunami of reaction against it, most people disagree with his position.