Is modern society anti-intellectual?

[Fulflood]

It is actually modern society that shows this, how many musical artists these days studied music at school? Why would we need it as part of national curricula?

Many more than average, I'd imagine, if you look at music broadly.

However, that of course is not the only use of studying a subject such as music, which provides a whole swathe of other benefits.

It shows a lack of intellect on your part that you're unable to see the intellectual and mental benefits of studying subjects not purely to take them into an immediate, direct and obvious occupation.

[Leningrad Union]

The new generation is becoming stupid because of too much social media. I think that art is important as well as science. Why shouldn't there be GMO labeling? You should be able to know. And the saying that Atheism and New Age beliefs are anti-intellectual is just plain bigoted.

Love it when people blame new technology for the cause of anti-intellectualism, stupidity, or laziness.

"This new cotton-gin will just make the slaves lazier!"

"The new assembly line will just turn us all into automatons!"

I think this is the true cause of anti-intellectualism, if there's any.

Technology is great, but always being on your phone is not. Kids base their self esteem on how many retweets, followers or likes that they have. If your whole life is in your phone such as calendars, you don't have to use your head or organize anything. It is all there for you. Smartphones are great for responsible adults and teenagers, but "tweens" (a word created by the corporations to sell adult clothes to 11 year olds) are not ready for it.

[Edlichbury]

It is actually modern society that shows this, how many musical artists these days studied music at school? Why would we need it as part of national curricula?

Many more than average, I'd imagine, if you look at music broadly.

However, that of course is not the only use of studying a subject such as music, which provides a whole swathe of other benefits.

It shows a lack of intellect on your part that you're unable to see the intellectual and mental benefits of studying subjects not purely to take them into an immediate, direct and obvious occupation.

And let's just remember: studies have shown a rather high positive correlation between academic performance in sciences/math and engaging in the Fine Arts. Music might not develop a cure for cancer, but it will help you develop the skills needed to do so.

[Tlaceceyaya]

Love it when people blame new technology for the cause of anti-intellectualism, stupidity, or laziness.

"This new cotton-gin will just make the slaves lazier!"

"The new assembly line will just turn us all into automatons!"

I think this is the true cause of anti-intellectualism, if there's any.

Technology is great, but always being on your phone is not. Kids base their self esteem on how many retweets, followers or likes that they have. If your whole life is in your phone such as calendars, you don't have to use your head or organize anything. It is all there for you. Smartphones are great for responsible adults and teenagers, but "tweens" (a word created by the corporations to sell adult clothes to 11 year olds) are not ready for it.

Recording things? Bah. Just remember it. Biggest brain is best brain!

[Hatsunia]

One need only look however to popular trends such as "I fucking love science" to see that the love of intellectuals is becoming more popular.

Not quite...

[Leningrad Union]

Technology is great, but always being on your phone is not. Kids base their self esteem on how many retweets, followers or likes that they have. If your whole life is in your phone such as calendars, you don't have to use your head or organize anything. It is all there for you. Smartphones are great for responsible adults and teenagers, but "tweens" (a word created by the corporations to sell adult clothes to 11 year olds) are not ready for it.

Recording things? Bah. Just remember it. Biggest brain is best brain!

You are missing the point. Write things down, do whatever on your phone, I don't care. It is when your whole life is on your phone and you use it 24/7 the problem begins.

[Brocwika]

You kidding?

There are tons of bourgeoisie hipsters nowadays who (claim to be) intellectuals.

Funny thing is, I know a bunch of hipsters who are communists and communists are known for having a contempt for intellectuals and the intelligentsia.

[Grave_n_idle]

You know condemning arts as "un-useful" because it hasn't say, cured an ailment, is just another type of "anti-intellectualism", right?

Oh, the irony.

The arts are, by their definition, useless. There's nothing wrong with useless.

Where did you find that definition?

[Chinese Regions]

Because printing nonsense doesn't cost money

"This produce has been genetically modified to withstand various plant viruses and preserve the shelf life."

See? Again. You call it "nonsense." Very patronizing.

Ink costs nothing apparently.

[Conscentia]

Love it when people blame new technology for the cause of anti-intellectualism, stupidity, or laziness.

"This new cotton-gin will just make the slaves lazier!"

"The new assembly line will just turn us all into automatons!"

I think this is the true cause of anti-intellectualism, if there's any.

Technology is great, but always being on your phone is not. Kids base their self esteem on how many retweets, followers or likes that they have. If your whole life is in your phone such as calendars, you don't have to use your head or organize anything. It is all there for you. Smartphones are great for responsible adults and teenagers, but "tweens" (a word created by the corporations to sell adult clothes to 11 year olds) are not ready for it.

Source?

[The Parkus Empire]

The arts are, by their definition, useless.

The fuck are you talking about?

[Chinese Regions]

Arts are a privilege of life they aren't a necessity.It is actually modern society that shows this, how many musical artists these days studied music at school? Why would we need it as part of national curricula?

I disagree with that vehemently. We are not mindless robotic automatons who can be satisfied merely by what is useful and practical.

Sport is a privilege as well. Perhaps it should be abolished, after all, what does it achieve? Other than making those who participate in it physically active and healthy, it does nothing.

Sorry, no dice.

Despite being not so athletic I enjoy participating in sport. My point is, society has shown you don't need to go to school to become a popular actor or musician, so why must we teach acting and music in school?

[Conscentia]

You kidding?
There are tons of bourgeoisie hipsters nowadays who (claim to be) intellectuals.
Funny thing is, I know a bunch of hipsters who are communists and communists are known for having a contempt for intellectuals and the intelligentsia.

Really?

[Wandering Argonians]

Society being anti-intellectual? I have no idea, though I do not see any evidence to support this.

I will, however, note that the quality of the majority of writing on NationStates has steadily declined over the past decade or so. Subtle concepts like grammar, syntax, and punctuation seem to be optional these days. Spelling I don't really factor in as there are spell-check programs in Google Chrome to correct that particular issue.

One needs only to browse Facebook to be further awakened to this phenomenon. It's not that people are illiterate, it's that they aren't as literate as they likely should be. This is, of course, a matter of opinion. The English language may very well be evolving into a far more logical and efficient format via such crucibles as shorthand text-speak and internet lingo. Then again that might just spawn another 'Art VS Science' debate in and of itself.

I'd just rather not pick up a book when I'm ninety and it be written in "i r lol 2 u rofl?" format.

It does seem that we've lost the sense of 'rugged individualism' that defined the United States in decades past. Perhaps this decline in 'literacy' is just a symptom of that.

Again, this is all based on observations I've made. It's just a matter of opinion.

[Threlizdun]

It has greatly decreased, but unfortunately such an attitude still does exist.

[Zottistan]

The arts are, by their definition, useless.

The fuck are you talking about?

Name an art that has a practical use.

[The USOT]

One need only look however to popular trends such as "I fucking love science" to see that the love of intellectuals is becoming more popular.

Not quite...

That page is well known, and is very selective. Yea the page does often involve photography, and
Loves Neil. It ignores that most the posts have links to articles that the photos display and the fact that obviously photos of events which are discussed in scientific magazines and those whotry to bring science to public knowledge is an effective tactic to spread public awareness. It's a dumb critique.

[Franklin Delano Bluth]

People pushing for arts over sciences in schools

1. How does this constitute "anti-intellectualism"? Are you quite sure you know what you're talking about?

2. I wish this were the case.

[Edlichbury]

I disagree with that vehemently. We are not mindless robotic automatons who can be satisfied merely by what is useful and practical.

Sport is a privilege as well. Perhaps it should be abolished, after all, what does it achieve? Other than making those who participate in it physically active and healthy, it does nothing.

Sorry, no dice.

Despite being not so athletic I enjoy participating in sport. My point is, society has shown you don't need to go to school to become a popular actor or musician, so why must we teach acting and music in school?

Because studies, intellectual studies, have shown that acting and music education provides benefits in other fields, especially math. What society has actually shown is that having an intellectual, innovative, and well-educated population starts by not deeming certain parts of an education wholly unimportant.

If you want to really combat anti-intellectualism, fight against those who, like yourself, assume that the arts have no practical benefit when statistical evidence strongly disagrees.

[The Parkus Empire]

The fuck are you talking about?

Name an art that has a practical use.

There is no absolute practicality, the term "practical" is used to refer to things more or less productive or feasible in a specific context.

[Conscentia]

Society being anti-intellectual? I have no idea, though I do not see any evidence to support this.
I will, however, note that the quality of the majority of writing on NationStates has steadily declined over the past decade or so. Subtle concepts like grammar, syntax, and punctuation seem to be optional these days. Spelling I don't really factor in as there are spell-check programs in Google Chrome to correct that particular issue.
One needs only to browse Facebook to be further awakened to this phenomenon. It's not that people are illiterate, it's that they aren't as literate as they likely should be. This is, of course, a matter of opinion. The English language may very well be evolving into a far more logical and efficient format via such crucibles as shorthand text-speak and internet lingo. Then again that might just spawn another 'Art VS Science' debate in and of itself.
I'd just rather not pick up a book when I'm ninety and it be written in "i r lol 2 u rofl?" format.

It's social media - not a novel.

It does seem that we've lost the sense of 'rugged individualism' that defined the United States in decades past.

Good.

Perhaps this decline in 'literacy' is just a symptom of that. [...]

I doubt it.

[Norstal]

Love it when people blame new technology for the cause of anti-intellectualism, stupidity, or laziness.

"This new cotton-gin will just make the slaves lazier!"

"The new assembly line will just turn us all into automatons!"

I think this is the true cause of anti-intellectualism, if there's any.

Technology is great, but always being on your phone is not. Kids base their self esteem on how many retweets, followers or likes that they have. If your whole life is in your phone such as calendars, you don't have to use your head or organize anything. It is all there for you. Smartphones are great for responsible adults and teenagers, but "tweens" (a word created by the corporations to sell adult clothes to 11 year olds) are not ready for it.

Please, we're not even ready for guns or nukes, yet anyone would be insane to say that we shouldn't have it.

[Chinese Regions]

Society being anti-intellectual? I have no idea, though I do not see any evidence to support this.

I will, however, note that the quality of the majority of writing on NationStates has steadily declined over the past decade or so. Subtle concepts like grammar, syntax, and punctuation seem to be optional these days. Spelling I don't really factor in as there are spell-check programs in Google Chrome to correct that particular issue.

One needs only to browse Facebook to be further awakened to this phenomenon. It's not that people are illiterate, it's that they aren't as literate as they likely should be. This is, of course, a matter of opinion. The English language may very well be evolving into a far more logical and efficient format via such crucibles as shorthand text-speak and internet lingo. Then again that might just spawn another 'Art VS Science' debate in and of itself.

I'd just rather not pick up a book when I'm ninety and it be written in "i r lol 2 u rofl?" format.

It does seem that we've lost the sense of 'rugged individualism' that defined the United States in decades past. Perhaps this decline in 'literacy' is just a symptom of that.

Again, this is all based on observations I've made. It's just a matter of opinion.

The art vs science part wasn't really the main point, the main point is people have a irrational fear for things being "unnatural", "artificial", "modified" or having chemicals. Crude Oil itself is from the fossils dead creatures, they are just as natural.

[Edlichbury]

The fuck are you talking about?

Name an art that has a practical use.

Economics, law, political theory, history, foreign languages.

That took about fifteen seconds and you got four for free.

[Norstal]

It does seem that we've lost the sense of 'rugged individualism' that defined the United States in decades past. Perhaps this decline in 'literacy' is just a symptom of that.

Rugged individualism never existed. How many FAMILIES were there in the Oregon Trail? No one ever lives in the frontiers alone or else they'd be dead. So I daresay, this is nonsense and has nothing to do with the thread.