Hi Ray, I'm not sure what your message has to do with the declining standard of universities, but if we're into anecdotes, here's a little story from my time in industry. Being in charge of quality control of many different systems and departments at the tractor factory where I worked 40 years ago I would wander around the whole place pretty well continuously keeping my eye on things. One day, when in the paint-spraying department, I noticed a couple of car-sprayers at a ouija board during a break. (Paint-spraying was then such a horrible job that sprayers would take frequent breaks to breathe some decent air.) One of the sprayers at the ouija board was obviously in a great amount of stress and another onlooking sprayer told me that he was trying to get in touch with his father with whom he'd had a terrible row and who had recently died before they could make it up. Of course, I considered that the oiuja board was as nonsensical as astrology, tarot cards, and what-have-you. However, later in the same shift I was wandering by again and the same guilt-ridden paint-sprayer happened to be taking a break. I asked him whether he'd got in touch with his father and he said No. So I asked him whether I could partner him at the oiuja board and we'd try again. I'd never used a ouija board before but the first few minutes at it confirmed my view that almost subconscious movements of the hands were actually moving the pointer to the letters. I was actually quite impressed by how sensible some of the "answers" seemed to be! No wonder that so many people become convinced about the validity of ouija boards. After a few minutes, my paint-sprayer friend started asking for his father, and then, very carefully, with hardly any conscious effort at all, I made sure that he made contact. Then, finally, he asked his father "Do you forgive me?" and I made sure that the answer was "Yes". The paint-sprayer started weeping with joy. That was one very happy person and on subsequent occasions he'd frequently tell me how glad he was that I'd helped him to made contact. Well, all I can say is that this was a deceitful act of mine that I have never been ashamed of. I had an aunt-in-law who was an astrologer. She was a highly intelligent woman with a fantastic sense of humour and well respected for her wisdom among her many friends. I'm sure that her astrology sessions were always hepful to those who consulted her. I suppose the moral of all this is that I'm sure that many of those in the astrology and mysticism business are, in fact, acting as useful therapists to those in their circle. And, when considering the myriad theories and varied practices of so many apparently "qualified" psychotherapists, psychiatrists, psychoanalysts and so on today in the therapy game, then astrology, tarot cards and ouija boards are probably just as useful for many who are distressed. But I still don't agree that universities should give doctorates in these subjects! But, I'm afraid, in this increasingly anti-rational, anti-scientific age it probably won't be long that some universities will stoop to this. Keith Hudson At 10:53 13/08/01 -0400, you wrote: >Sounds like a Tempest in a Teapot to me. There were three voice teachers >in a graduate jury in a premier conservatory judging a particular older >Mezzo-soprano. She was 28. The first teacher commented on what a >beautiful voice the student had. (probably her student). The second >teacher said that it was the ugliest voice she had heard all day. The >third teacher merely mused and said that it might be a beautiful voice if >she had good instruction. > >You have similar discussions over here about vitamins. For years the >scientists tried to do a double blind test on the use and efficacy of >vitamins and came up with zip. They said the same thing about trace >minerals in aquariums and dance therapy for injuries. What changed the >world was that salt water aquariums became very popular and with $500 fish >dying because of a lack of trace minerals. The industry ignored the >science and went with what worked. As for vitamins and dance therapy, it >was million dollar athletes. When you invest 28 million dollars in an iron >clad contract for an athlete and he gets injured then medical theory goes >out the window. You must be practical. The same is true for singers who >were told by Otto-Laryngologists not to worry about a cold. There >developed a whole new specialty in OL that concerned singers. They now use >vitamins and most of the other remedies that science still can't prove. >Of course the regualr OL world calls them quacks and envies there high fees >and lack of dependance on HMOs and Insurance. If a cold means that you >will lose $50,000 for a concert at Carnegie Hall then you will be willing >to spend the $250 to $500 necessary to get you functioning. Myth, Smyth, >if it works then that is what matters. Let the scientists grow up and >figure out why. They can start with Ronald Reagan's schedule and why IT >worked. > >The interesting thing about Astrology is that no one points out it being >culture bound. Or that popular Astrology switched several years ago from >moon signs to sun signs because it fitted daily columns in the media. >Everyone assumes that underneath we are all the same even if we have >different stories and different views of the stars. But that would get us >back to an Indigenous discussion and away from "objectivity" so I won't go >there except to agree with Clifford Geertz that even alleged "common sense" >is really "local knowledge" and to point out that at the Princeton Institute >where Geertz now and Einstein formerly worked it was the scientists who >refused to allow Geertz to study the culture of science. They called such >a study "unscientific." Maybe we should just say that everything is >political and let it go at that. > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Keith Hudson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "Ed Weick" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Monday, August 13, 2001 9:31 AM >Subject: More details: Re: The Rotting Universities > > >> Hi Ed, >> >> At 08:31 13/08/01 -0400, you wrote: >> >As for the woman at the Sorbonne who wrote the thesis on astrology, I >would >> >be curious about what she wrote on. For example, perhaps she is a social >> >historian interested in the role astrology played in peoples lives or in >the >> >decisions made by the ruling classes. I doubt very much that she was >> >granted a degree in astrology, but then I suppose anything is possible >these >> >days. >> >> More details (according to The Times): >> <<<< >> A number of French scientists have joined a call for Mme Teisser's >> doctorate to be revoked. They have poured scorn on her 900-page thesis, >> entitled "The epistemological situation of astrology through ambivalence >> fascination/rejection in post-modern societies." >> >>>> >> >> . . . and here's a bit more: >> <<<< >> Bernard Lahire, Professor of Sociology at the elite �cole Normale >> Sup�rieure, said in his report of the affair: "It is not that this is a >bad >> sociological thesis. It is one that has a total absence of sociology in >it. >> It only defends the point of view of the astrologer and lacks anything >that >> can be called scientific. . . . [The Sorbonne has become] a refuge for >> lecturers without rigour and who are sometimes explicitly anti-rational." >> >>>> >> >> Oh, and there was something else about Mme Teissier -- she once advised >> President Mitterand on the conduct of the Gulf War. >> >> So help us! >> >> Keith Hudson >> >> >> >> ___________________________________________________________________ >> >> Keith Hudson, General Editor, Calus <http://www.calus.org> >> 6 Upper Camden Place, Bath BA1 5HX, England >> Tel: +44 1225 312622; Fax: +44 1225 447727; >> mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> ________________________________________________________________________ > > > ___________________________________________________________________ Keith Hudson, General Editor, Calus <http://www.calus.org> 6 Upper Camden Place, Bath BA1 5HX, England Tel: +44 1225 312622; Fax: +44 1225 447727; mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ________________________________________________________________________
