I’d say there’s little hope of achieving a libertarian society as long as we treat today’s universities as freethinking centers of education, and not as the hotbeds of religious unreason and propaganda that they actually are.
I certainly agree with these values. Could you please elaborate as to why you view today’s universities as you do?
Also: are you referring primarily or exclusively to American universities?
]]>My view is that there is no hope of achieving a libertarian society without preserving every possible means to a highly and broadly educated populace.
Imagine applying this to the Catholic Church at its peak — i.e., considering the Church to be a “means to a highly and broadly educated populace”. That’s how negative I am about today’s university system.
I’d say there’s little hope of achieving a libertarian society as long as we treat today’s universities as freethinking centers of education, and not as the hotbeds of religious unreason and propaganda that they actually are.
]]>The current state-centric university system is certainly less than ideal, but it is far better than the institutions (primarily religious and familial) which would take over were the current universities simply to vanish.
As I posted later in that thread I linked to, I see today’s university system as just another religious institution — so you’re essentially backing a friendlier religion over an unfriendly one. That might make sense in one way, but it doesn’t have much to do with having a truly educated populace.
Nevertheless, to a certain degree I agree with you: I think the universities of our time are in terrible shape, and the established institutions are so shaky and incompetent that we may simply have to start over from scratch. But if this happens we should be prepared to brace against disaster, not to joyously celebrate.
I think we should do both. If you mean a given revolution can result in an order even worse than the one that was overthrown, I agree, and this would be a reason to brace against another disaster. But it would be impossible for me not to feel joy at the collapse of the modern university system.
]]>My view is that there is no hope of achieving a libertarian society without preserving every possible means to a highly and broadly educated populace. The current state-centric university system is certainly less than ideal, but it is far better than the institutions (primarily religious and familial) which would take over were the current universities simply to vanish. We’d lose the Enlightenment have open pogroms and witch-burnings within two generations.
I certainly hope for better alternatives. I greatly support alternative models of primary education, such as the Montessori or Sudbury models, or Jim Davidson’s recently proposed Individual Sovereign University project.
Nevertheless, to a certain degree I agree with you: I think the universities of our time are in terrible shape, and the established institutions are so shaky and incompetent that we may simply have to start over from scratch. But if this happens we should be prepared to brace against disaster, not to joyously celebrate.
I see a dark century before us. Fascinating for those who can safely survive it, perhaps. But horrifying.
]]>I would say that not nearly enough people go to university.
If you’re talking about some hypothetical, ideal university which has no connection to the State, maybe. But if you’re talking about today’s universities, I’d rather they were abolished today than encourage more people to go to them.
]]>There are so many ways that this conversation can go. Yes, I believe that it is wrong to have a united Negro Fund when you can not have a United English, United Scottish, United Mutt (because most americans are) Fund with out it being called racist.
I believe that it is wrong that I have been teased about being white and it was okay to the ones teasing, but should I have said anything back (which I wouldn’t) I would have been racist and they wouldn’t have been. But I know that not all of the black, mexican, asians, or any other race that I am not will act the same. I didn’t like being called snowflake, cracker, whitey (which I may be “white” but I have color, I’m not a ghost) , and all the other names that I was called. Like I said there are so many ways that this conversation could go, and to be truthful I am at times racist, because deep down I still remember the way it felt, but then I remember why and tell myself that not everyone is like that. We have to be able to move on from this. Stop putting the blame on the whole!!!
Oh and one last thing, what was written in the constitution may not be completely what WE want to live by, but it was written at a time that it was used for what was thought to be the right reasons at that time, and for the most part I believe that if it were followed with morals not by the loop holes then it might just be held in higher regards.
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