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The anti-intellectual antidote
Some might call Susan Jacoby a curmudgeon. However, according to a recent article in the New York Times, "Dumb and Dumber: Are Americans Hostile to Knowledge?" Jacoby's outlook is a product of what she sees as a growing anti-intellectualism and down right hostility to scientific rationalism in America today. Jacoby joins a growing number of critics who lament the state of civic, scientific, and humanistic knowledge from elementary school all the way up to the university level.
Posted by Anne D. Neal at March 14, 2008 04:13 PM
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Comments
It doesn't take much searching to see that Jacoby
is correct. Perhaps it is due to a number of things.
One is the reluctance of parents to "grow up" and
take their place as leaders of their children. Another is the usual suspect - Television - which takes so much time. Another is the general coarsening of culture, where attention is always on
the lowest possible denominator. The proponents of political correctness come in for their share of the blame. We are so busy trying not to offend anyone that we miss the basic elements of learning the sometimes necessary things to make proper decisions. Judgments are necessary in order to make sense of life.
I am a retired History professor. Our granddaughter lives with us (she is 13, in 7th grade). When I visit her school, I am appalled at the lack of order in the classes, and at the subject material which they are presented with.
I have lamented these things for years. There doesn't seem to be much hope for positive change.
Doug McCullough
cdmccull@bellsouth.net
Posted by: Dr. Charles D. McCullough at March 14, 2008 04:56 PM
Let's see, the author and commenter both lament a perceived "anti-intellectualism," and yet each makes at least one elementary spelling or capitalization error.
Anne and Charles, you should learn to write standard English.
Posted by: reader at March 18, 2008 10:30 AM