Issue #4: Anti-Intellectualism
Day 4,267, 04:03
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Published in United Kingdom 
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by
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by Ebrietas
This time it’s an issue which, although hardly new, has been gaining prominence worldwide alongside the rise of populism in the post-2008 political climate. Many would even argue that it’s emerged at the forefront of much of western politics, what with the rise of Trump in America and Brexit in the UK; that, however, remains an area of controversial debate which I shan’t take sides (too much) in here for the sake of neutrality.
Theme: Anti-Intellectualism
"people in this country have had enough of experts"
- Michael Gove, (behold, the new Cabinet Chair)
"The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge"
- Isaac Asimov
"Socrates gave a lot of advice, and he was given Hemlock to drink"
- Rose Kennedy
"Whereas it is impossible to conclusively prove that a politician is morally innocent or that a news report is undistorted, it is far easier to demonstrate the opposite. Scandals, leaks, whistleblowing and revelations of fraud all serve to confirm our worst suspicions. While trust relies on a leap of faith, distrust is supported by ever-mounting piles of evidence."
- William Davies, (on the reasons for the increasing distrust of intellectuals/professionals and the association with the idea of anti-elitism)
Recommendations:
The 1984 movie “The Killing Fields”; it’s been a long time since I’ve seen it, but it depicts a true story that came out of the Khmer Rouge’s Cambodian Genocide. One of the most chilling episodes of 20th Century genocides, and perhaps one of the two most extreme manifestations of anti-intellectualism yet seen.
The other most extreme manifestation in living memory would be the Cultural Revolution of China. I can’t personally recommend any specific materials, but if anyone has any good suggestions that cover this period, then I’ll likely make an edit with them.
Another recommendation is a book that’s been hovering near the top of my to-read pile for a while, and probably deserves more attention than I’ve given it: “Anti-intellectualism in American Life” by Richard Hofstadter. I’ve put off reading it due to its specifically American focus, but given that so many quotes I encountered for this issue originated from this book, I feel it has earned not just quotation but a recommendation simply to read.
Finally, I suggest reading this recent article, detailing a contemporary example of suppression and fraudulent adulteration of scientific material in favour of a political agenda that is, at heart, perhaps the best current example of widespread anti-intellectualism.
Theme: Anti-Intellectualism
"people in this country have had enough of experts"
- Michael Gove, (behold, the new Cabinet Chair)
"The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge"
- Isaac Asimov
"Socrates gave a lot of advice, and he was given Hemlock to drink"
- Rose Kennedy
"Whereas it is impossible to conclusively prove that a politician is morally innocent or that a news report is undistorted, it is far easier to demonstrate the opposite. Scandals, leaks, whistleblowing and revelations of fraud all serve to confirm our worst suspicions. While trust relies on a leap of faith, distrust is supported by ever-mounting piles of evidence."
- William Davies, (on the reasons for the increasing distrust of intellectuals/professionals and the association with the idea of anti-elitism)
Recommendations:
The 1984 movie “The Killing Fields”; it’s been a long time since I’ve seen it, but it depicts a true story that came out of the Khmer Rouge’s Cambodian Genocide. One of the most chilling episodes of 20th Century genocides, and perhaps one of the two most extreme manifestations of anti-intellectualism yet seen.
The other most extreme manifestation in living memory would be the Cultural Revolution of China. I can’t personally recommend any specific materials, but if anyone has any good suggestions that cover this period, then I’ll likely make an edit with them.
Another recommendation is a book that’s been hovering near the top of my to-read pile for a while, and probably deserves more attention than I’ve given it: “Anti-intellectualism in American Life” by Richard Hofstadter. I’ve put off reading it due to its specifically American focus, but given that so many quotes I encountered for this issue originated from this book, I feel it has earned not just quotation but a recommendation simply to read.
Finally, I suggest reading this recent article, detailing a contemporary example of suppression and fraudulent adulteration of scientific material in favour of a political agenda that is, at heart, perhaps the best current example of widespread anti-intellectualism.
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Took about 19 edits, but finally got it to recognise the image
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Plenty more examples, Stalin's Russia being notable. For a general rule, look for where intellectuals are a threat by providing an alternative narrative to the carefully corralled mass of voting sheep. Similarly religion has a particularly long history of feeling threatened by independent thinkers.
The important point to remember is that intellectuals exist on all sides of a debate, a regime or group claiming they are the intellectuals is seeking to discredit another viewpoint and likely have little more use for said persons than the credibility they provide.
True, persecution of academics and anyone seen as supporting thought that doesn't confirm to a regime's ideology is a hallmark of authoritarianism. There are a vast many examples, from historical cases like Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia to current cases like Turkey and India.
For all the historical examples, though, it seems more and more like people are unable or unwilling to recognise its pervasiveness in the current political dialogue.
I think a large part of the *not learning from history* is that we put a lot of effort into creating an image of points in history and another for *now*, but generally very little effort goes into linking the two. I'm more interested in why someone thinks what they do, than what they think. Additionally we're fed a narrative of simplified ideas, the lost information being vital to understanding what is likely to occur going forward.
I listen to 'Philosophize This!' podcast, it's very helpful in giving a handle on the thought patterns that built upon each other to bring us to where we are today. It's just getting to the point of feeling more relevant to the politics of today.
The most recent episodes (#132/133) explore liberalism: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Shpxw7dPoxRJCdfFXTWLE?si=wu7_WM6pT1ulKEmuTi5KQw
Too often we are closed to ideas and thinkers who provide succinct windows on the human condition, groping around in the dark for an 'acceptable' answer.
We don't learn from history due to the constant revisionism that goes on. Hitler being a 'right winger' is the prime modern day example. With Google seemingly willing to supress and alter their algorithms with gay abandon it's only going to get worse as time goes on. In due time Stalin will be held up as a model citizen of the world and the 100+ million deaths socialism/communism has caused will be largely forgotten.