How Anti-Intellectualism Is Destroying America

[Jack]

From Alternet.org:

"It's like these guys take pride in being ignorant." Barack Obama finally said it. Though a successful political and electoral strategy, the Right's stand against intelligence has steered them far off course, leaving them -- and us -- unable to deal successfully with the complex and dynamic circumstances we face as a nation and a society. American 15-year-olds rank 24th out of 29 countries in math literacy, and their parents are as likely to believe in flying saucers as in evolution; roughly 30 to 40 percent believe in each. Their president believes "the jury is still out" on evolution. Steve Colbert interviewed Georgia Rep. Lynn Westmoreland on "The Colbert Report." Westmoreland co-sponsored a bill that would require the display of the Ten Commandments in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, but, when asked, couldn't actually list the commandments. This stuff would be funny if it weren't so dangerous. In the 2004 election, nearly 70 percent of Bush supporters believed the United States had "clear evidence" that Saddam Hussein was working closely with al Qaeda; a third believed weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq; and more than a third that a substantial majority of world opinion supported the U.S.-led invasion, according to the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland. The political right and allied culture warriors actively ignore evidence and encourage misinformation. To motivate their followers, they label intelligent and informed as "elite," implying that ignorance is somehow both valuable and under attack.

and from Way of the Mind:

In my opinion, anti-intellectualism is one of the world’s most serious problems, these days. What is it? It’s the belief that what is good are the “simple people”, the “common people”, who are supposedly more honest and “real” than so-called “ivory tower” intellectuals. It’s also the belief that thinking and learning are trouble, that they lead people to unhappiness, sinfulness, asking too many questions, and such. It’s geeks, or more intelligent students, being called “brainy” or “nerds” and harassed by classmates. It’s science being seen as a waste of time and money. It’s a political candidate winning an election because he successfully depicted his opponent as an “egghead”. Incidentally, it’s likely that one of the reasons America currently has one of its worst presidents ever is that, by being less educated and articulate than Gore or Kerry, he appeared “more in touch” with the common man (of course, one should then wonder if you really want the village idiot in charge of the most powerful nation in the world… but I digress.) There are several sources of anti-intellectualism. Religion is an obvious one, of course, since being intelligent and learning makes one less likely to accept arguments from authority, and to question unproven assertions. An intelligent, learned man has no need for religion - therefore, we don’t want any intelligent, learned men (to paraphrase The Fountainhead’s Elllsworth Toohey). Besides “normal” religion, there’s also the usual mystical, new age thinking, according to which the mind is “flawed” and imperfect, incapable of perceiving any real “revelations”, which you supposedly can only grasp with “your heart” or “your spirit”. The mind is human, and therefore imperfect, while the heart/spirit are filled with “the cosmos’s love” or any other generic, meaningless terms. Another reason is populism, the belief that the honest, hard working “masses” are oppressed by the corrupt, privileged “elites”. While they certainly are, sometimes (in dictatorships, for instance), populism is wrong because of its belief of “the lower, the better”, and its worship of ordinariness. Populism, like most forms of collectivism, punishes people for ability and for success - therefore, it promotes mediocrity and sameness. And a populist certainly hates and feels threatened by anyone with more “brains” or education. Dictatorships (communism, fascism, etc.) always strongly promote anti-intellectualism, for mostly the same reasons as religion does: an intelligent, educated person is much more likely to question, and to see “what’s rotten”. The “unwashed masses” are much easier to keep in line. Higher education is seen as “dangerous” and “subversive”. An intellectual isn’t necessarily someone more intelligent or with more knowledge than the norm. It just means that the person highly values the mind, thinking, and the pursuit of knowledge. And it’s frightening, to me, how few intellectuals (by that definition) I personally know. Anti-intellectuals (people who deride the mind, who pride themselves on not thinking, on not using their reason), on the other hand, are everywhere.

During this presidential campaign we've heard the terms "elite" and "elitist" used as pejorative terms. I agree with Bill Maher when he said,

Say it loud: I'm elite and proud! The right-wing crusade to demonize elites has paid off. Now the country's run by incompetents who make mediocrity a job requirement and recruit from Pat Robertson's law school. New rule: Now that liberals have taken back the word liberal, they also have to take back the word "elite." By now you've heard the constant right-wing attacks on the "elite," or as it's otherwise known, "hating." They've had it up to their red necks with the "elite media." The "liberal elite." Who may or may not be part of the "Washington elite." A subset of the "East Coast elite." Which is influenced by "the Hollywood elite." So basically, unless you're a s___kicker from Kansas, you're with the terrorists. I don't get it: In other fields -- outside of government -- elite is a good thing, like an elite fighting force. Tiger Woods is an elite golfer. If I need brain surgery, I'd like an elite doctor. But in politics, elite is bad

(Source)

It's not just politics, though. As the influence of fundamental religion grows worldwide, it is becoming perceived as honorable, honest, down-to-Earth to be ignorant and bad-mouth intellectualism. A kid makes the news dropping out of high school to play Guitar Hero. Education and the desire to know are no longer priorities.

Do you value the intellect? Does the negative connotation of "elite" and "intellectual" bother you?

[Aussie]

I'm not sure intellect is associated with elitism? Last I checked Einstein did more for the planet than Brittany Spears, but I bet more people could tell you what Brittany has done....

Keep the population dumb and you can get away with murder.

[Calam]

We're in an age where, at least in this country, information is very easily and readily accessible. That doesn't make it all true, but at least there's enough that the average person could research and make their own conclusions about things.

So if people are dumb, it's their own fault.

As a side-note... The fact that people don't believe in evolutionary theory doesn't make them stupid. And being "intellectual", while it certainly has its merits, doesn't always mean you should question everything. It means you should draw your own conclusions about things, and sometimes that conclusion is to stay quiet because we simply don't know it all.

[Hurt]

Quote by: Calam We're in an age where, at least in this country, information is very easily and readily accessible. That doesn't make it all true, but at least there's enough that the average person could research and make their own conclusions about things. So if people are dumb, it's their own fault. As a side-note... The fact that people don't believe in evolutionary theory doesn't make them stupid. And being "intellectual", while it certainly has its merits, doesn't always mean you should question everything. It means you should draw your own conclusions about things, and sometimes that conclusion is to stay quiet because we simply don't know it all.

I'd agree with you on the evolutionary theory comment, but I think that most people don't even bother trying to learn it. For me, I guess, it's the fact that most people immediately discredit it, not the fact that not everybody believes in it. It's just how it's shot down that bothers me, I guess.

But yeah. Agreed to an extent. Not a solid fact to work off of.

[Calam]

Quote by: Hurt I'd agree with you on the evolutionary theory comment, but I think that most people don't even bother trying to learn it. For me, I guess, it's the fact that most people immediately discredit it, not the fact that not everybody believes in it. It's just how it's shot down that bothers me, I guess. But yeah. Agreed to an extent. Not a solid fact to work off of.

Anyone who discredits anything without knowing about it is being ignorant.

[Jack]

Anyone who discredits anything without knowing about it is being ignorant.

Clarification, please. Are you saying that no one has a right to point out the inconsistencies in someone's explanation unless they can offer an alternative explanation? No one can say, "I may not know what's right, but I do know what ain't"?

[Calam]

Quote by: Jack Clarification, please. Are you saying that no one has a right to point out the inconsistencies in someone's explanation unless they can offer an alternative explanation? No one can say, "I may not know what's right, but I do know what ain't"?

I mean they can't say it's wrong unless they know what it is they're saying is wrong about it. If you say "evolution" and someone spouts "that's wrong!" and you say "why?" and they go "erh, cuz, em, aaahh, it just is," then they obviously don't know why it's wrong.

[Clarence]

...

[adam10312]

I wouldn't say intellectuals and elitists are the same. I think the right wing perception of the "elites" is that they are out of touch with most people and are not subject to the same rules as everyone else. Basically rich people who don't know what it is like to be the common man but think they know what is best for him. These people do exist. I would put intellectuals in a different category. There may be some overlapping, but one is not the other.

That said, both major parties abuse the ignorant masses. Anytime you hear a statement made by a politician that isn't backed up by logic and fact, they are exploiting the ignorance of the common folk. Both candidates (Obama and McCain) come to mind. Listen to anything they say- most of it is ridiculous little motivational snippets that would make any intelligent person nauseous.

[xyzer]

Quite frankly Jack, anyone who adheres to the nonsense spouted on your two referenced websites does need an injection of intellect plus a dose of reality.

To suggest that any one national political entitiy is influencing the teaching profession is absurd? The Feds may subsidize some aspects of education but it is a constituional responsibility of the States to assure that its inhabitants are schooled.. Its the local school boards(not Bush) who hire the so called professionals and have allowed the curriculum and teaching goals to become a joke. It is the local authorities who insist on prohibiting any group that a reference to religion from using school facilties for advancin students understanding of relion or the absence of it.

In fact if any policial ideology is dumbing down the populace its is the leftist factions and elites in the country. The feel good society where compassion must rule and we don't want a kid to fail because if might damager his feeling of self? The tack of enacting cumpulsory attendance laws that keep trouble makers around to screw up the discipline and learning of the rest.(It should be up or out at the end of the students 18th year).

Lets next turn to industry and the leftist press which dazzles our youngsters with gagets that either make adding 2+2 easier or divert our students with phones and text messaging. A media elite that makes sports and entertaiment a fetish with youngsters and touches on the feel good aspects of getting high on drugs rather that the satisfaction of educational achievement. And a media which extolls criticism of religion and its important moral strictures on societal behaviour.

These bozos who write such nonsense would have a hard time blaming sectarian schools for turning our low intellect products.
the private and home schooled kids learn and normally outclass those in public school . Whereas the inner citypublic schools are a disgrace.

[famousde]

The democratic, liberal pigs in this country are destroying it. simple as that.

[??!]

Quote by: famousde The democratic, liberal pigs in this country are destroying it. simple as that.

Yep, that's it.

[grandpa]

Quote by: ??! Yep, that's it.

So far, that's all this guy has added anywhere.

Grandpa h.

[??!]

Quote by: grandpa So far, that's all this guy has added anywhere. Grandpa h.

Wow..

[nerdvincent]

Quote by: famousde The democratic, liberal pigs in this country are destroying it. simple as that.

Yay! We've got a specimen at hand! Here we see why evolution flaws: those were supposed to be instincted long ago.

[nerdvincent]

We must face the truth: many people are too lazy to think. It is so confortable just to let the media and the mainstream culture rule you're life.

As a teen, I'm despaired by my generation. I don't know if it was the same with the former generation, but some people even manage to despise me only for being "intellectual". They see everything that doesn't fit in their alcool/MTV/handjob diet as harmful and alien. I love free jazz, philosophy and physics, so what? They see me as pendantic and self-indulgent, dangerous. What do I do? I must resign and hide my "elitist" side. Studying such matters became a kind of prohibited ritual, a kind of sabbat in Middle-Age. I'm about to build a kind of Thinking People Association, where people sharing those interest could come and talk about it with people who won't judge you.

Here is the other question: is it elitist to be intellectual? No! Being elitist means "favorising the elite", not "being the elite" as long as you don't want to be favorised. Get the picture? When people part of a communist, anarchist or other socialist movement yell against "elitism", they yell against the people who consider plumbers to be inferiors to physicians and who agree with socially favorizing the physicians. They aren't for a intellectual witch hunt (well some are, but they just didn't get the concept). Marx, Engels...weren't they intellectuals?
It is our society which decided to favorize the "elite" as we call them and thus it is the which society built the whole "elitism" concept and its reactive counterpart, the people who are dumb and proud of being dumb. Here is how I interpret things: the elitists (not to confound with the "elite"!) took power and built a society which favorized the elite, an elitist society. The elit were very happy of how things worked, so they became elitist (exept for a few ones, like Marx and all, who were elite against elitism). Since then we confound the elite with the elitists, and the non-elit people, unable to reach the upper class, reacted by creating a new set of value for themselves. Result: some elitists are at the head of the state (happy of ruling the mass), whereas the non-elitist elite stayed with the "dumb" mass, overwhelmed by the defender of their "dumb" value (a kind of "will you ever leave us alone!" reaction).

Tadam.

[Jack]

Here is the other question: is it elitist to be intellectual? No!

True, and I like the distinction you draw. But there is a difference between what a word means and how it's being used and perceived. In some cases I'm hearing it used in the current political contest with a looser connotation than what its dictionary definition would allow. I think, too, of Oscar Wylde, a member of the upper class in his society who delighted in exposing his peers as less than noble.

To me, the key point of this thread was in the quote from Way of the Mind:

An intellectual isn’t necessarily someone more intelligent or with more knowledge than the norm. It just means that the person highly values the mind, thinking, and the pursuit of knowledge.

Both fundamentalist Christians and Muslims consider knowledge a dangerous thing (which it is, to them). As they try to exercise more influence on our society, their "values" blend into our national values. One of their "values" is their disdain for education and intelligence. So it's necessary to invent a moral advantage to ignorance. It doesn't have any evolutionary advantage, only a philosophical one.

One of the reasons I think Marx and Wylde got away with criticizing their own class, in fact were admired by many of the peers for doing so, was that they lived in a time when intelligence was appreciated, even if it was a natural intelligence and not one developed by years in university. I, and those quoted in the OP, don't believe that same context exists today.

[nerdvincent]

I totally agree, and that's my point, that people are confounding "elite" and "elitist", and that the context in which the intelligent man could be admired doesn't exist anymore.
The question we may ask is: Isn't the government are happy with this situation? Aren't they using this lack of popular intellectuals asking the good question the way religions used (and are still using) mainstream ignorance? Let's go even further: are they acting directly to prevent the development of intellectual minds, the way Nazi Germany and Soviet Union did, through medias and such?

[dan4reason]

I believe that society must be a blend of many types of people. I do not believe anyone or anything has the brains or authority to say that a group of people are harmful to society because of their personal profile. If they are litterally damaging society, that is a different point. Well, gotta go!

[Century 25]

It is a sad fact of life in America that having more than half a brain makes one an 'elitist' Why??

The only reason to make those questioning the machinations of our 'govt' & therefore our.. 'leaders' intentions on the world stage - is to call us.. 'elitists' And of course, not to be worthy of comment..