Most of you are already aware that campuses around this continent have been infected by a disease known as post-modern (I admit I have no idea how modern can go postal) relativism and revisionism. It must be quite the frightening ordeal for a sane, professional and responsible scholar to coexist with such bullshitters as well as proponents of the preposterous intelligent design gibberish.
What will it take to stabilize the situation? Or has this always been the case in place of higher institutions where a group of pseudo-thinkers take over and impose their quack, quack inventions?
On my humble part, I thought about Eastern Europe. A region that's always played a major, if not under stated, role in Western history.
As it stands, it's hard not to think we've entered a Second Dark Age. At every internet corner we find new "texts," "documents" and "theories" about the inherent arrogance and racism in Western culture from its religion to science. Piece by piece an attempt to rebuild our history in a particular mold is curently taking place.
As I was saying. Eastern Europeans aren't buying much of any of this. They've been through this sort of stuff under communism. They can spot a second rate second-hand car salesman from two feet away. It's not surprising they see democracy and capitalism in a different (positive) light from us given their experiences.
This is why there's hope our intellectual heritage and traditions will be preserved in this region until the present crop of inte-shnooks are thrown into the wind never to be seen or heard again.
In North America, Alan Sokal is one academic with enough courage to call out the pretenders in what became Social Text affair. He published a piece of gibberish work titled, "Transgressing the Boundaries: Towards a Transformative Hermeneutics of Quantum Gravity" which was ate up, swallowed and published by a journal run by relativist theorists.
It was written in a way such that any true thinker worth their salt would have spotted the incoherence with the math theories. The editors at this rag didn't and the rest is history - to be revised of course.
Sokal has been a welcomed and vocal force in confronting the scourge known as relativism. Here's a link to "Postmodernism and its problems with science."
I'm surprised blogs have not jumped on this important issue and event.
Many far out opinions and teachings first aired in universities or their ancestors through the ages are now accepted wisdom. I will, and as a libertarian you should, defend the right to free expression and the right to make a fool of oneself even if one does so unconsciously.
ReplyDeleteRelativism, revisionism and all isms are part of our life and a very good judgement exercise.
You're right and I do.
ReplyDeleteBut bullshit is bullshit. The stuff peddled by relativist is a far cry from legitimate thinking.
It's garbage and it shouldn't be corroded our schools. I doubt their theories will ever be commonplace in the halls of intellectualism.
It is bullshit and most likely will never be common place...butI have confidance that our youngsters are sharp enough to resist. Except for a few, we did when in school, they are as, if not more, intelligent than we were.
ReplyDeleteAs the German guy told his Italian friend in an old radio sitcom: "Shmile Luigi!"
I don't know Paul. I generally take that stance but I listen to everyday conversation with friends, family or at other functions and mumbo-jumbo seems like it's an accepted fact.
ReplyDeleteIt's not uncommon for people to take the relativist approach.
Maybe there will be a generation to turn their back on all this. That's why I think Eastern Europe will lead on this front.
Wait and see, most people need something solid to lean on.
ReplyDeleteYes, people in the end know what is solid and what is rubbish. In any case, the right to free expression is important. For example, I might be wrong, but to me creationism is not intelligent, although I think these people should be free to express their thought.
ReplyDeleteI also confess I don't quite understand your fight against relativism. I'm sure I'm missing some point.
Vale
I'm not discussing freedom of expression. The practitioners of modern relativism are a bunch of pretenders talking nonsense. They have every right to spew their idiocy absolutely. BUT They should be taken straight on and should not be leaders in educational faculties. That's my problem.
ReplyDeleteWhy do I hate relativism?
Strange, but things are indeed "relative" in some cases.
But, taken to its logical end relativism is ridiculous and attempts (wittingly or not) to basically reduce or deconstruct history without thought to laws of nature, science and so on. They eschew basic tenets and just dive right into silly frivolous rhetoric based on paper tiger theories and equations.
Read Derrida or Chomsky. It's nonsensical stuff. Focault too. I read it and can't understand (and I ain't a stupid guy) half of it and the other half my bull shit tentacles perk up.
In other words, they lack vision or substance and many of these "academics" are every bit as intolerant are far right-wingers.
None of these groups would know what "truth" is if it came up and bit them in the ass.
Oh wait, according to relativist there are no universal truths or principals.
I would suggest read that post modern as anti-science link.
The best quote I read about is this:
"Relativism disables judgment."
Forgive my delay.
PC, people need something to lean on is true. But how to kick out the morons littering the halls of academia? I shutter to think how many kids have been infected by this virus.
Commentator, these kids have parents and a background. They most likely have developped a critical sense of their own and are capable of differentiating good from bad...and this very early on in life. I have confidence in our young ones, 97% of them are basically sound. The other 3% could wreak havoc but some are redeemable.
ReplyDeleteAre those arbitrary figures? ;<)
ReplyDeleteGen-X and Gen-Y seem to be more optimistic. I'm reading something right and now and may consider posting.
These numbers are from rather year in year out statistics from Youth Protection authorities and courts. It has been this way for several decades.
ReplyDeleteIn the learning field, the stable stats indicate between 10% and 15% have learning difficulties which is not to say that they have behavioural problems.