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The Closing of the American Mind is a 1987 book by Allan Bloom. It describes "how higher education has failed democracy and impoverished the souls of today's students." He focuses especially upon the "openness" of relativism as leading paradoxically to the great "closing" referenced in the book's title. Bloom argues that "openness" and absolute understanding undermines critical thinking and eliminates the "point of view" that defines cultures.

he Closing of the American Mind is a critique of the contemporary university and how Bloom sees it as failing its students. In it, Bloom criticizes the modern movements in philosophy and the humanities. Philosophy professors involved in ordinary language analysis or logical positivism disregard important "humanizing" ethical and political issues and fail to pique the interest of students.[1] Literature professors involved in deconstructionism promote irrationalism and skepticism of standards of truth and thereby dissolve the moral imperatives which are communicated through genuine philosophy and which elevate and broaden the intellects of those who engage with these imperatives.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Closing_of_the_American_Mind

More.

Understanding How Modern Liberals Think- Evan Sayet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIboXTpF6t4

1 posted on 02/21/2014 5:24:09 PM PST by Zeneta
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To: Zeneta

Kids have to be given good writing to read, not just any old thing. At the first publishing job I had, we used to call books that were competently written with no artistry “linoleum”: they did the job but had no beauty.

Many books that are best-sellers today are linoleum. They are plot-driven, and they keep those pages turning, but there is nothing to marvel at in the prose.

I have to have both when I’m reading for pleasure: Elmore Leonard, John le Carre, the two Amises, others I can’t think of now. In nonfiction, James O’Keefe, Pat Buchanan, the Game Change and Double Down books, Ann Coulter.

The English have an unfair advantage, it being their language. Their education in reading and writing is better, but also the English are clever in the way they speak. They don’t just blurt out any old thing but value wit and good phrasing and succinctness in their daily talk with others. Totally unfair.


171 posted on 02/22/2014 1:56:40 AM PST by firebrand
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To: Zeneta

Several years before the late Allan Bloom published The Closing of the American Mind, he wrote an eye-opening article for National Review documenting and warning about what has come to be known as political correctness at colleges and universities. That was years before the scourge of political correctness completely overran not only our institutions of higher learning but every aspect of our society: government, the workplace, the courts, the media, the military, churches, etc. I would like to find an reread that article someday.


172 posted on 02/22/2014 2:39:02 AM PST by Atticus
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To: Zeneta

Public schools, unions.


174 posted on 02/22/2014 4:30:49 AM PST by AdaGray
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To: Zeneta

I taught college courses in writing and worked in a writing clinic in the late 90s and early 2000s.

They can’t write because they aren’t taught the basics of grammar before they get to college.

Some fully tenured professors simply overlook the writing component in their grading of papers because so many would fail-—and their own grading by the students wouldnt be very good if that happened. And then there are those who believe that writing in Ebonics is a legitimate language skill.

Writing is a skill which will get worse as illiterate students are graduated with degrees in education as “teachers”


180 posted on 02/22/2014 10:53:48 AM PST by wildbill
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