Intellectuals versus Common Sense

American Thinker.com ^ | June 6, 2020 | Robert Curry

[Kaslin]

In his book Intellectuals and Society, Thomas Sowell takes America's "public intellectuals" on a well deserved trip to the woodshed. He makes many interesting claims, including this one: "The unarticulated cultural distillations of mass experience over the generations are often summarily dismissed as mere prejudices [by public intellectuals]."

"The unarticulated cultural distillations of mass experience over the generations." What is Sowell referring to? Why, common sense, of course.

In fact, every book and every article Sowell has written is replete with common sense. Sowell is a true master of common sense. I have written two books with "common sense" in the titles, Common Sense Nation and Reclaiming Common Sense, and Sowell is one of the most important influences on the way of thinking found in those books. My grandparents got me going on the common sense good foot, C.S. Lewis revealed to me the depths of it, Thomas Sowell taught me the range of it, and the Scottish philosopher Thomas Reid articulated common sense in a way that brought clarity over its range and its depth.

I quote Samuel Taylor Coleridge on the epigraph page of Reclaiming: "Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom." My grandparents had that. Sowell has, and C.S. Lewis and Thomas Reid had, in addition to their common sense in an uncommon degree, an uncommon ability to articulate common sense.

[Vinnie]

Having dealt with some university professor types over the years I came to the conclusion that in general,
Intelligence and common sense is inversely proportional.

Probably not actually true but I’ve seen a lot of evidence to support it.

[bankwalker]

Intelligence and common sense is inversely proportional.

more accurately, intelligence and modern education are inversely proportional.

[aquila48]

“Intelligence and common sense is inversely proportional.

Probably not actually true but I’ve seen a lot of evidence to support it.”

Most of these type of generalizations are useless and even harmful. Reason is the terms are not defined.

Define intelligence and common sense and see if the generalization still makes sense.

[bert]

Rush is the ultmate personification

He has no science. He listened to the task force but having no science or mathematics did not understand what he heard

So, he turned to the climate change models as an example. He derided the present based on the past while not understanding his blather exposed his ignorance. He continues now, everyday his Monday Morning Waterboy (he ‘s not even a quarterback) pronouncements

[JayAr36]

Another true believer in covidism.

[BEJ]

Common sense is like a quick snap shot — you see the problem and solution. Reasoning along political lines is fine but if the premises are wrong then the conclusions will be wrong.

For example, a premise might be that all people are inherently good. This is Rousseau’s idea that the left believes and that given the right situation Utopia will emerge and people, as Marx describes, will live in social harmony — a heaven on earth.