Sorry. I cannot countenance accepting such a trend. In fact, I would go so
far as to suggest that it cannot continue. The trend for academics,
asepcially those in administrative positions, to take up the discourse
legitimises the process. It is an abhorrent trend thought for me to think
that academics would succumb to or endorse such a thing. Here, dear Hodges,
we definitely diverge. Dialectic opposition is the only course of action
for conscientious educators.
I was at a governance conference the other day and I was talking to a
seasoned bureacrat from the federal gov (of about 20 yrs). He said
"Academics give us the intellectual tools to formulate policy. When you
guys [sic] write stuff that strikes a chord in us, that resonates, and that
we can understand, we can take it up and do something about it. It's a nice
symmetry, dont you think?".
I had to agree.
His statement reinforces what I say. I will NOT accept the trend. I will
NOT buy into the discourse and thus reproduce it.
>*think* like terrorists, *act* like diplomats.
>I mean, rather than lament the inevitable, perhaps we seriously need to
>rethink how to work with what IS happening.
It's not inevitable. Nothing is.
>As for the utilitarianism of Humanities,
>in fact, many corporations are now demanding a liberal arts education for
>their prospective employees, no matter what industry, 'cause they have
>found that students who study liberal arts are more open-minded, more
>creative, and generally easier to work with and who work well with
>others. They are better at critical thinking, and so on. , :-)
That's the myth. How many philosophers do you know in the financial,
manufacturing, or accounting industries? I haven't met one and I've worked
with them for some 20 years. The worst offenders are in the communication
and education dsiciplines (No offence intended, I have and do work in both).
>there's hope: it just has to be strategic.
Hope is useless. Action is effective. Resist, I say.
Phil
Phil Graham
pw.graham who-is-at student.qut.edu.au
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Palms/8314/index.html