Posted on 06/02/2021 11:39:06 AM PDT by karpov
Colleges and universities used to proclaim that their mission was to give students a broad education that would expand their intellectual vistas—one that would open their minds. Most still say that, but the sad truth is that what passes for higher education these days often does the opposite.
Many professors and some whole academic fields instill in students the habits of mind that betoken fundamentalism rather than free inquiry. They want students to conform to their views and rebuke them for disagreeing or even asking the wrong questions.
The growing problem of fundamentalist thinking is the focus of Minds Wide Shut: How the New Fundamentalisms Divide Us by Gary Saul Morson and Morton Schapiro. The authors are, respectively, a professor of arts and humanities at Northwestern University and the president of that university.
In their book, they write that the nation’s peace and progress is endangered by an atavistic mindset in which people base their beliefs on some inerrant text (sacred or secular) that purports to answer all questions. Because that text cannot be wrong, those who follow it see all evidence as confirming their belief system and regard anyone who disagrees as foolish or evil.
Fundamentalists, the authors write, don’t engage in rational argument, which entails weighing other points of view and objectively considering evidence, but instead assert what they insist are truths. There is nothing to be gained by trying to argue with fundamentalists, but doing so might be dangerous, as they’re often intolerant of dissent.
All right, but what does that have to do with higher education, where minds are broadened and people seek truth?
Morson and Schapiro are unhappy to report that fundamentalist habits of mind have invaded our colleges. Bear in mind that they are at one of America’s elite, extremely selective universities.
(Excerpt) Read more at jamesgmartin.center ...
Everyone who cares about America should stop giving money to these communist schools.
The Communist colleges are creating The New Soviet Man.
I just listened to Jordan Peterson interview with a North Korean defector named Yeonmi Park. Its easy to find on the internet.
When she got to South Korea, she achieved some fame for speaking out about North Korea, and a globalist organization then sent her to Columbia Univ. for her undergraduate degree.
Her response to spending 4 years at Columbia was “its a waste of time,” “its a shame America is turning into North Korea.” and “if my son ever wants to study humanities at such a place, there is no way I am paying for it.”
I retired from teaching this year. It’s all about equity, diversity, and graduation rates these days. Fortunately I was a Chemistry Instructor, but everyone eventually will have to incorporate the New Order into their courses.
In the 19th Century, rich men liked to create colleges and not merely fund them.
“The growing problem of fundamentalist thinking”
The German languages uses two words instead of one for ‘think’.
‘Denken’ means to think in depth/constructively.
‘Glauben’ means to think passively - to merely believe.
Active - create businesses, jobs & products
Passive - receive housing, indoctrination, food & money
The problem of fixed-mindset professors existed 45 years ago.
30 years later, University of Washington writes me begging for money. Every few years, I tell them I will never send money unless they get rid of the muti million dollar diversity department and all of the useless fiefdoms associated
You have Soviet style funding you will end up with Soviet style schools. Separation of School and State is an idea whose time has come.
Higher should always be in quotes.
I would challenge anyone to take the 8th grade test I found on the interweb some years ago. It was dated in the early to mid 1900’s. The content blew my mind and further reinforced my belief that, as a society, the intentional dumbing down in the education system has been ongoing for many decades.
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