I guess we can agree then that Marx was an anti-intellectual. On Mon, Apr 19, 2010 at 4:58 PM, david buchanan <[email protected]>wrote:
> > > Platt said: > The quotes from Wiki used here are challenged on their sites. In the case > of anti-intellectualism, its "neutrality is disputed." One would think an > honest intellectual would include that caveat. But alas . . . > > > dmb says: > > Yea, any Wikipedia article that touches on controversial topics like > politics will have such a caveat. I think it goes without saying because > everybody already knows that. > > The question is, does the article on anti-intellectualism actually describe > what we see and hear? > > Sure it does. It describes what anti-intellectuals say around here just > about every day. That wikipedia page should have your picture on it. > > The article also supports the Pirsigian contention that fascism and other > forms of social level authoritarianism are driven by anti-intellectualism > above all. > > Oh yea, I forgot. You and Bo don't care what Pirsig thinks. He's only an > expert on the MOQ and anti-intellectuals don't respect expertise. > > Nevermind. > > > > > dmb quotes Wiki: > > > > > > An expert is someone widely recognized as a reliable source of > technique or > > > skill whose faculty for judging or deciding rightly, justly, or wisely > is > > > accorded authority and status by their peers or the public in a > specific > > > well-distinguished domain. An expert, more generally, is a person with > > > extensive knowledge or ability based on research, experience, or > occupation > > > and in a particular area of study. Experts are called in for advice on > their > > > respective subject, but they do not always agree on the particulars of > a > > > field of study. An expert can be, by virtue of credential, training, > > > education, profession, publication or experience, believed to have > special > > > knowledge of a subject beyond that of the average person, sufficient > that > > > others may officially (and legally) rely upon the individual's opinion. > > > Historically, an expert was referred to as a sage (Sophos). The > individual > > > was usually a profound thinker distinguished for wisdom and sound > judgment. > > > Experts have a prolonged or intense experience through practice and > > > education in a particular field. In specific fields, the definition of > > > expert is well established by consensus and therefore it is not > necessary > > > for an individual to have a professional or academic qualification for > them > > > to be accepted as an expert. In this respect, a shepherd with 50 years > of > > > experience tending flocks would be widely recognized as having complete > > > expertise in the use and training of sheep dogs and the care of sheep. > > > Another example from computer science is that an expert system may be > taught > > > by a human and thereafter considered an expert, often outperforming > human > > > beings at particular tasks. In law, an expert witness must be > recognized by > > > argument and authority. > > > Research in this area attempts to understand the relation between > expert > > > knowledge and exceptional performance in terms of cognitive structures > and > > > processes. The fundamental research endeavor is to describe what it is > that > > > experts know and how they use their knowledge to achieve performance > that > > > most people assume requires extreme or extraordinary ability. Studies > have > > > investigated the factors that enables experts to be fast and > accurate.[1] > > > > > > > > > Anti-intellectualism is the hostility towards and mistrust of > intellect, > > > intellectuals, and intellectual pursuits, usually expressed as the > derision > > > of education, philosophy, literature, art, and science, as impractical > and > > > contemptible. In public discourse, anti-intellectuals usually perceive > and > > > publicly present themselves as champions of the common folk — populists > > > against political elitism and academic elitism — proposing that the > educated > > > are a social class detached from the quotidian concerns of the > majority, and > > > that they dominate political discourse and higher education. > > > As a political adjective, anti-intellectual variously describes an > > > education system emphasising minimal academic accomplishment, and a > > > government who formulate public policy without the advice of academics > and > > > their scholarship. > > > > > > Dictators, and their dictatorship supporters, use anti-intellectualism > to > > > gain popular support, by accusing intellectuals of being a socially > > > detached, politically-dangerous class who question the extant social > norms, > > > who dissent from established opinion, and who reject nationalism, hence > they > > > are unpatriotic, and thus subversive of the nation. Violent > > > anti-intellectualism is common to the rise and rule of authoritarian > > > political movements, such as Italian Fascism, Soviet Stalinism in > Russia, > > > Nazism in Germany, the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, and Iranian theocracy, > en > > > route to establishing the national totalitarianism. > > > In the 20th century, intellectuals were systematically demoted or > expelled > > > from the power structures, and, occasionally, assassinated. In > Argentina, > > > the biochemist César Milstein reports that when the military usurped > > > Argentine government via the 1962 coup d’État, they declared that “our > > > countries would be put in order, as soon as all the intellectuals who > were > > > meddling in the region were expelled”. In Brazil, the educator Paulo > Freire > > > was banished for being ignorant, according to the organizers of the > coup d’ > > > État of the moment.[1] > > > Extreme ideological dictatorships, such as the Khmer Rouge regime in > > > Kampuchea (1975–79), killed potential opponents with more than > elementary > > > education. In achieving their Year Zero social engineering of Cambodia, > they > > > assassinated anyone suspected of “involvement in free-market > activities”. > > > The suspected Cambodian populace included professionals and almost > every > > > educated man and woman, city-dwellers, and people with connections to > > > foreign governments. Doctrinally, the Maoist Khmer Rouge designated the > > > farmers as the true proletariat, as the true representatives of the > working > > > class, hence the anti-intellectual purge. (cf. Great Proletarian > Cultural > > > Revolution, 1966–76) > > > Governmental anti-intellectualism ranges from closing public libraries > and > > > public schools, to segregating intellectuals in an Ivory Tower ghetto, > to > > > official declarations that intellectuals tend to mental illness, thus > > > facilitating psychiatric imprisonment, then scapegoating to divert > popular > > > discontent from the dictatorship (vide the USSR and Fascist Italy, cf. > > > Antonio Gramsci). > > > Moreover, anti-intellectualism is neither always violent, nor > oppressive, > > > because most any social group can exercise contempt for intellect, > > > intellectualism, and education. To wit, the Uruguayan writer Jorge > Majfud > > > said that “this contempt, that arises, from a power installed in the > social > > > institutions, and from the inferiority complex of its actors, is not a > > > property of ‘underdeveloped’ countries. In fact, it is always the > critical > > > intellectuals, writers, or artists who head the top-ten lists of ‘The > Most > > > Stupid of the Stupid’ in the country.” [2] > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > > The New Busy think 9 to 5 is a cute idea. Combine multiple calendars > with > > > Hotmail. > > > > > > > http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?tile=multicalendar&ocid=PID28326::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_5 > > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > > > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > > > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > > > Archives: > > > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > > > http://moq.org/md/archives.html > > > > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > > Archives: > > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > > http://moq.org/md/archives.html > > _________________________________________________________________ > Hotmail has tools for the New Busy. 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