The Cult of Ignorance in America Anti-Intellectualism

[MattinBama]

I went ahead and looked it up. You may think that a response rate of 51% is low, or that things have changed significantly within the 7 years that this was written, and therefore not representative of reality. If that is the case, I would be interested in any information you can come up with that would back up the claim that "you cannot be a participant in the academy and be a believer."

Maybe he meant Belieber? In which case I 100% agree with him.

 

[Tidewater]

I didn't think that was in question, but yes, all are absurd. That said, there are more than 20 million students in American colleges, and your attempts to frame these as anything more than fringe examples is equally absurd.

These are just high-profile and extreme examples. I only mention them to show what poll respondents were thinking of when they responded unfavorably about American college and universities. I seriously doubt that these same respondents were picturing a civil engineering student studying how much weight a bridge could bear when expressing that negative opinion.
But if it feeds your belief that all Republicans are so much stupider than you, then go with it.

 

[2003TIDE]

I would be interested in any information you can come up with that would back up the claim that "you cannot be a participant in the academy and be a believer."

 

[Tidewater]

no.
Yes, if they want to. Yes. Not necessarily. Yes (in fact, it should be recognized even if it's not Shakespeare, which more or less was the idea). More to the point, Does replacing Shakespeare's portrait in any way lessen Shakespeare's fame? I don't think so.
Yes. No. (Really, those students are complete morons.)

My own personal experience was that professors that were left of center tended to wear their hearts on their sleeves ("Black is the new president," one professor proudly stuck to his office door, and another in a class on the American Revolution, lectured the students on how ignorant John McCain was) and those who were right of center tended to be close-lipped about it (not that they were afraid to express their political views, just that they did not think it was proper for them to do so).
Which is not to say that I ever suffered in a class due to my political beliefs, I just followed the example of the more conservative professors and took care not to express a political opinion on current affairs. Those views were nobody's business and they were not germane to the topic at hand.

 

[Tidewater]

Here is a slightly off-topic article.
Google paid millions of dollars to US & UK professors who were writing on topics related to Google's business interests.
Some of the offending professors acknowledged the funding, other did not.

 

[2003TIDE]

Here is a slightly off-topic article.
Google paid millions of dollars to US & UK professors who were writing on topics related to Google's business interests.
Some of the offending professors acknowledged the funding, other did not.

I'm not sure I care as long as it is disclosed. It is lack of disclosure that really irks me.

 

[CajunCrimson]

I'm not sure I care as long as it is disclosed. It is lack of disclosure that really irks me.

Do you feel the same way about Cigarette Companies who do "studies" who claim that Tobacco isn't addictive? As long as they disclose it - it's cool?

 

[CharminTide]

But if it feeds your belief that all Republicans are so much stupider than you, then go with it.

No idea where you got this from my responses, but I'm glad you accept that your examples were extreme. High profile stories do tend to skew poll results, but that hardly makes them representative of reality.

 

[2003TIDE]

Do you feel the same way about Cigarette Companies who do "studies" who claim that Tobacco isn't addictive? As long as they disclose it - it's cool?

Why do you troll so much? Having a bad reading comprehension day today? I think my statement is pretty clear. As long as it is disclosed, I'd hope people aren't so dumb they can't figure out how much weight to give it.

Those were internal studies anyway. Apples and Oranges.

 

[Tidewater]

No idea where you got this from my responses, but I'm glad you accept that your examples were extreme. High profile stories do tend to skew poll results, but that hardly makes them representative of reality.

The OP presented an article that Republicans are anti-intellectual and embrace the "Cult of Ignorance." The poll was presented as evidence. I merely presented an alternative explanation of skepticism about American college and universities. Respondents may have had incidents like the ones I presented in mind when they expressed they skepticism of American college and universities. I do not believe those identifying as Republicans in that survey would be opposed to genuine college study, just the moonbattery examples of which I presented.

A colleague of mine strongly suggested that when I am dealing with people whose ideas I oppose, extraordinary efforts are required to avoid miscasting their ideas into ways that make my ideas seem more palatable to myself. It takes extraordinary efforts to attempt to see things from the point of view of one's opponents. I'm not sure the author of the article in the OP did so.

Otherwise one might end up like Steve Martin.

 

[CajunCrimson]

Why do you troll so much? Having a bad reading comprehension day today? I think my statement is pretty clear. As long as it is disclosed, I'd hope people aren't so dumb they can't figure out how much weight to give it.

Those were internal studies anyway. Apples and Oranges.

Not meaning to troll. Not sure why what I typed riled you up so much.....

From my observations -- it seems that if one's ideology agrees with an article/paper/study -- then it doesn't care how/why the "expert" was included to give their opinion. If one's ideology doesn't agree, then anything to discredit the "expert" matters supremely.

The "Cult of Ignorance" has a stranglehold on a good portion of the left and the right.

The fact that as long as the professor's opinions may have been compromised by a paycheck -- (as long as there is clarity about the paycheck on the last paragraph of the last page) -- it's all good -- seems to play a role in the development of "The Cult"

 

[pcfixup]

Here is an anecdotal example

https://www.christiantoday.com/arti....to.students.lending.christian.book/64023.htm

But more than ones who get fired or denied tenure, etc ... there are a lot of believing profs who are retiring and being replaced by non-believers or apostates

https://www.jstor.org/stable/2112158?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

The rise in fundamentalism doesn't help.


Basically ... nominal believers are being replaced by either fundamentalists or apostates .

 

[2003TIDE]

The fact that as long as the professor's opinions may have been compromised by a paycheck -- (as long as there is clarity about the paycheck on the last paragraph of the last page) -- it's all good -- seems to play a role in the development of "The Cult"

Someone always funds the research. The government, private companies, individuals, etc. What's your solution just don't do research? Do you even have a solution?

Like I said. I have no issue with it as long as there is full disclosure.

 

[CajunCrimson]

Here is an anecdotal example

https://www.christiantoday.com/arti....to.students.lending.christian.book/64023.htm

But more than ones who get fired or denied tenure, etc ... there are a lot of believing profs who are retiring and being replaced by non-believers or apostates

https://www.jstor.org/stable/2112158?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

The rise in fundamentalism doesn't help.


Basically ... nominal believers are being replaced by either fundamentalists or apostates .

My Dad was a University Professor who passed away in 2010. He had been an Education Professor for 40 years. He was a believer -- though for him "the details" probably varied from most Christians. But, he often spoke of the erosion of Faith in education -- and the long-term damage it would do. Not because he felt "faith" should be included in the curriculum....but because with an absence of faith, morals will begin to erode.

He often felt that when we quit teaching people how to "think" -- and instead taught them how to "learn" - educators figured out quickly -- that morality now had no foundation -- and they could create their own foundation.....and changed what people valued. The power that was created was impossible to overcome.

2 generations later -- the reason non-believers are replacing believing profs -- is because there just simply aren't very many believers left in Education. They are pretty much all gone. Most remaining are in private Christian-based institutions.

 

[CajunCrimson]

Someone always funds the research. The government, private companies, individuals, etc. What's your solution just don't do research? Do you even have a solution?

Like I said. I have no issue with it as long as there is full disclosure.

Some research is balanced -- with experts from both sides (paid or not)......

Is research with a one-sided pre-determined result - still research? Or is it just propaganda disguised as such.

 

[2003TIDE]

Some research is balanced -- with experts from both sides (paid or not)......

Is research with a one-sided pre-determined result - still research? Or is it just propaganda disguised as such.

Apparently you don't know how scientific papers are published and what peer review means or you wouldn't ask that question.

 

[CajunCrimson]

Apparently you don't know how scientific papers are published and what peer review means or you wouldn't ask that question.

I understand the system that has been created, yes. My father wrote several. But, most of what is published is opinionated garbage, with slanted facts. It's created with designs to keep the masses ignorant.

And today's works that are peer reviewed -- are just people signing off on like-minded opinions.

 

[2003TIDE]

are just people signing off on like-minded opinions.

Consensus is the word you are looking for

 

[92tide]

Consensus is the word you are looking for

you must be new here.

 

[jthomas666]

I understand the system that has been created, yes. My father wrote several. But, most of what is published is opinionated garbage, with slanted facts. It's created with designs to keep the masses ignorant.
And today's works that are peer reviewed -- are just people signing off on like-minded opinions.

You are doubling down on the sweeping generalities today, aren't you?