Control education, control society’s future

Social liberals control the education system in America and some places abroad. They have considerably rewritten history along a tendentious (and untrue) narrative and have taught it long enough now that a generation has lost some historical reference points that guide society.

This little post by Mark Steyn issues a brief but clear warning.

When a society loses its memory, it descends inevitably into dementia. Allowing the cultural relativists to annex the education system ultimately destroys the grown-up world, too.

This reminded me of John Paul II’s book Memory and Identity, in which he (like Benedict is continuing to do today)  strongly criticizes the abandonment of the great intellectual tradition of critical thinking and inquiry in the university, in favor of ‘Enlightenment’ style ideologies. I’ve written a little about this, and Steyn’s remark brought that back.

In Memory and Identity, John Paul critically assessed Communist Poland, for one thing. Consider how current his thoughts are today throughout the Western world:

“In the universities, every form of philosophical thought that did not correspond to the Marxist model was subjected to severe restrictions, and this was done in the simplest and most radical way: by taking action against the people who represented other approaches to philosophy…

Clearly it was not possible to remove from the university’s teaching program such courses as logic and the methodology of science; yet in different ways the ‘dissident’ professors could be subjected to restrictions, thus limiting by every possible means their influence on students.”

‘Dissident’ of course, being the professors who dissent from Marxist thought.

I saved a letter I received from a gentleman when I hosted my former radio show, and it shows how current the problem is, and how pervasive. Here’s some of what he said:

“I am an adjunct professor of science. Most of the diversity claptrap, tolerance gobbledygook, etc. is propagated by a relatively small but influential segment of the university. If a student haplessly wanders into what used to be called a “Humanities” class they may be administered with a stiff dose of social and moral relativism based on assumptions that are accepted without question. For whatever reason, the propagators of these failed philosophies are also those who crave administrative positions, and therefore are those most obvious to the public.

In former ages, college students were given an inoculation consisting of “Classics” that allowed them to defend their intellect. This is no longer the case. Most of us old timers shake our heads, keep a low profile, and pray for the return of sanity…

I believe that most universities possess a pool of rational intellectual talent waiting for the skies to clear and the social engineers to depart. But then again, maybe I am just a naive scientist.”

No, sir, you are part of the remaining sanity in the university. And we can’t afford to wait for the skies to clear, because the social engineers have gained more power. You thanked me for the voices of reason in the great guests on the show, and said it’s high time we “moved out of the trenches and demand serious engagement with those who wish to dominate our culture.”

Yes, it is.

You also said the fact that my guests and I “are unwilling to accept the blanket dismissal of Catholic (and traditional moral) philosophic principles is encouraging…”

So is your letter. We’re in this together. Let’s roll…