Conservatives need not apply? < "stupid people are generally conservative ">

Charleston.net ^ | Wednesday, February 11, 2004 | Editors

[Helms]

Story last updated at 6:42 a.m. Wednesday, February 11, 2004

Conservatives need not apply?

Robert Brandon, chair of the Duke University Philosophy Department, gives this explanation of why faculties at U.S. universities usually lean to the political left: "We try to hire the best, smartest people available. If, as John Stuart Mill said, stupid people are generally conservative, then there are lots of conservatives we will never hire." Professor Brandon, expounding on the 21st century implications of that 19th century British philosopher's observation: "Mill's analysis may go some way towards explaining the power of the Republican party in our society and the relative scarcity of Republicans in academia. Players in the NBA tend to be taller than average. There is a good reason for this. Members of academia tend to be a bit smarter than average. There is a good reason for this too."

That scholarly perspective was reported in Tuesday's Duke Chronicle, the "independent daily" at the school. So were these statistics from a Duke Conservative Union study that cross-referenced the university's faculty list with North Carolina voter registration records: Of the faculty members and deans included in the survey, 128 are registered Democrats, 8 are registered Republicans and 28 are unaffiliated.

In political terms, that's a landslide.

In intellectual terms, Professor Brandon's smug thesis raises another question: If he's so bright, how could he be dim enough not only to believe such an absurd notion, but to hail it publicly?

Meanwhile, academics, like the rest of us, can be outstanding, mediocre or lousy at their jobs regardless of their political persuasions. Professors also aren't the only ones who advance interesting -- occasionally even persuasive -- theories on why conservatives are so rarely found on our nation's university faculties.

But no political party or ideology has a monopoly on intelligence -- or virtue. And that's a higher-education lesson to remember during this election year.

[Dan from Michigan]

Half of the educrats out there don't know a damn thing. There's the 'theoretical' world, and then there's reality.

[papertyger]

The political left, they deal in symbols rather than reality.The general difference between conservatives and liberals is that liberals like pretty pictures and conservatives like to build bridges that people can drive across. And conservatives are indeed conservative because if the bridge falls down then people die, where as the liberals figure, we can always build a nice memorial and make people forget it ever happened and was our fault. They're very good at making people forget it was their fault.

Tom Clancy

[CommandoFrank]

So how does he explain Algore?

[smiley]

Well.....Mr. Brandon....just how many of your "C" students became President of the United States???

(You ignorant blowhard).

[RightWhale]

He might be a Conservative to judge by his definition and by the looks of him.

[sauropod]

Thank you for this. The picknose will be receiving a missive...

[RandallFlagg]

"If liberals were prevented from ever again calling Republicans dumb, they would be robbed of half their arguments"--Ann Coulter: "Slander" page 121

Right again, Annie!!

[whereasandsoforth]

More than a few serial killers have had very high IQ's too.

If liberals are so smart, why don't they seek treatment for their mental illness and try to overcome being liberal?

Liberals are the functioning mentally ill.

[mabelkitty]

Stupid people that manage to control most of the government in this country in the form of elected and appointed officials? Then what does that make the folks out of power?

[AmericanVictory]

Anyone who has read Mill, of course, realizes that to him, and in 19th century England generally, "liberal" meant being free market oriented as opposed to those of inherited wealth in the British aristocracy, who believed in status. The terms have almost, but not quite, been completely reversed today in America. A "liberal" in 19th century England today in America would be considered libertarian conservative. It is somewhat dishonest for a professor of philosophy at a leading university to use Mill's version of liberalism as if it were equivalent to the Statists who call themselves liberal in America today. Mill had no confidence in the mechamisms of the State nor in the kind of speech fascism that is attendant upon modern American "liberalism." The trashing at Duke today of what today are labeled "conservative" thinkers and speakers and students would be appalling to John Stuart Mill.

[skeeter]

The Latin word educare, means to grow or bring forth. Education involves open inquiry, patience, experimentation, honesty, and the ability to know you don't know.

The opposite of this process is indoctrination. Indoctrination is putting in - not drawing out. It is an imposing of information, not a search for truth, it empowers the teacher not the student.

- Bill Tara

[malakhi]

Members of academia tend to be a bit smarter than average. There is a good reason for this too."

I wonder how many blacks are on the faculty of the Duke philosophy department, and if Mr. Brandon would care to make the same comments regarding their representation.

[Bigun]

I've been hearing variations of this canard for over 10 years, that academics and journalists are liberal because they're "smarter" than everyone else. To me it only proves their own elitist biases -- assuming that anyone who disagrees with you is stupid is one of the most foolish mistakes you can make.

A M E N ! ! !

Here's another canard I've heard for years which seems appropriate to this discussion:

"Those who can do! Those who cannot teach!"

[JoJo Gunn]

Okay, everybody, let's take it from the top. Repeat after me:

"Intellectuals" only exist if you believe they do.

[TheBigB]

A quick search through the department faculty revealed one. But there are a few with no pictures, so I can't say for sure.

[sauropod]

Heh. Pertinent information went to my e-mail list.

[Helms]

http://www.elsewhere.org/cgi-bin/postmodern/

[CholeraJoe]

The best and brightest are typically in high demand in the business world.

[Arrowhead1952]

Of the faculty members and deans included in the survey, 128 are registered Democrats, 8 are registered Republicans and 28 are unaffiliated.

Maybe it's time to start a conservative university and not allow a single liberal RAT in any faculty position. Make sure the applications for professors and deans says:

DUMBOCRATS NEED NOT APPLY.

[sauropod]

In "philosophy" you can make an argument for or against anything.

There is no right answer.