During my reading of chapter 3 in Amusing Ourselves to Death I began to wonder who the leading intellectuals are in today's world. Postman mentions authors such as Henry Ward Beecher, Horace Greeley, Louis Agassiz and Ralph Waldo Emerson and explains how men (and even woman such as Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin) could be successful if they could write efficiently. He goes to say that when Charles Dickens visited America he received the same welcome that quarterbacks or Michael Jackson would have received in 1985.
But Michael Jackson was not a leading intellectual and most quarterbacks surely do not meet this title either. When Postman mentions Thomas Paine published a very popular book he states that "the only communication event that could produce such collective attention in today's America is the Superbowl,”
These facts make me disappointed in "today's America". Who are our leading intellectuals? In the nineteenth century it was the authors. And surely the twentieth centuries "Albert Einstein" would qualify as a "leading intellectual". In today’s world even fans of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series don't scream "Team Stephenie". It's "Edward" or "Jacob". Authors don't receive the same respect as they used to. And so many inventions and discoveries occur each year that it's hard to pinpoint a leading intellectual. Is this good or bad?
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Bad. For the most part, people don;t even know what is being discovered. And even if they do, it is to difficult to understand and at times may seem pointless. What is the purpose of the String Theory in Physics, for example? How can we apply that to everyday life? What is the function of molecular research? What benefits can it yield?
ReplyDeleteScientist don't want to explain because people don't want to take the time to understand. So, it would appear we have reached an impasse.
There are intellectuals in many fields who are writing and working today. Just because they aren't media darlings doesn't mean they don't exist. Have you looked for them?
ReplyDeleteI think in today's world, it is hard to label our "leading intellectuals". There are so many different fields in which intellectuals exist in.
ReplyDeleteJust as you have said Melissa, I also believe that authors, inventors, and scientists have not been given the credit that they deserve, especially compared to those in the entertainment business. To answer your question, I would consider this bad. How can we live in a society that uses the latest inventions, innovations, and knowledge that these "leading intellectuals" provide but do not have the common decency to appreciate all that they have done? The question that I ask is this: Is it truly society's fault for being unaware of these intellectuals or is it the media's fault for not putting them out in society?
Melissa, this is an interesting topic. I have to agree with Angel though, and I think she sums up my opinion perfectly. People like authors, inventors, and scientists deserve a lot of credit for what they do.
ReplyDeleteauthors can bring new ideas and thoughts into our minds,
inventors can make tools to make our life function a lot better,
scientists make amazing discoveries each and every day...
But wait, what about doctors?
I'm quite surprised that no one had mentioned doctors! They, in my opinion, are true heroes. They find cures for illnesses and save hundreds of lives every day. I also agree with Mrs. Fletcher, however. There are so many other honorary mentions out there, but we just don't know it yet.
"There are intellectuals in many fields who are writing and working today. Just because they aren't media darlings doesn't mean they don't exist. Have you looked for them?"
ReplyDeleteCertainly. But that's the problem. People aren't gonna go out of their way to look for books written by some scientist on abstruse scientific research.
As a reply to Angel's question, I must say neither.
ReplyDeleteThere would be no reason for the media to put authors, inventors, or scientists out there. What would be the point? Our society would not care anyways.
The media's sole purpose is to get money, and they can only carry that out by entertaining us. No matter how great the contributions these intellectuals have made are, and no matter how much they deserve recognition, they will not get it unless were to go out there and make a spectacle just so our society would acknowledge them.
Melissa, I happened to have the TIME issue, "The 100 Most Influential People in the World". In this edition there happens to be an article called "The Influence Index". Here is the link to the article:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1984685_1984713,00.html
"Certainly. But that's the problem. People aren't gonna go out of their way to look for books written by some scientist on abstruse scientific research."
ReplyDeleteRaul, I've read many books on useless physics, so why wouldn't someone take the time to read books written by some scientist on abstruse scientific research? You might as well tell all Twilight fans to burn those books and sci-fi lovers to get a life. I'm a big fan of physics but seriously, the truth of it is that physics is useless for most everyday phenomena. We can't really use it for everyday life, but that won't stop someone like me from reading books about it. And that won't stop me from reading sci-fi, and that won't stop me from reading fiction and that won't stop Christians from reading the Bible.
"Raul, I've read many books on useless physics, so why wouldn't someone take the time to read books written by some scientist on abstruse scientific research?"
ReplyDeleteJust because YOU read them, doesn't mean other will. sure, there's a good many people that do read them, but for the most part, people don't care.
"We can't really use it for everyday life"
Really? The computer you posted that on, the TV you watch, and the cellphone you use are all the offspring of Physics. And you use that everyday don't you?
May I direct you to this Wikipedia article, Breahna.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Converse_accident
Angel, thanks for the link to that article. It was super interesting. Still, I find it disappointing that pop stars like "Taylor Swift" is labeled an "influential person".
ReplyDeleteBreahna. I would like to point out that technically physics is very useful in daily life- since it rules everything we do. I have an old physics book and read it from time to time, and, as Raul said, the technology we use is the "offspring of Physics,"
Different people can have different interests; it's why so many people are good at different things. I think that perhaps the reason the doctors and the inventors of today aren’t recognized as well as they were back then because there are too many to keep track of. We make jumps in technology all the time. The progress is speeding up.
I agree how Melissa says she finds it disappointing that pop stars like "Taylor Swift" are labeled as an "influential person." And I also second the opinion that authors are such philosophers that deserve overt respect and attention.
ReplyDeleteAs for the whole Physics thing, I seem to have a better understanding of it now. Thank you both Raul and Melissa. When I was saying that Physics is pretty much unnecessary for everyday life I was talking about formulas; torque = force x distance..things like that. But I was pretty vague on that. You are right, Physics is T.V. it is Computers it is Cellphones. Your alarm clock is probably plugged into an electrical outlet. The voltage from the outlet sends current running through your alarm clock powering it. That's physics.
You take a shower in the morning. The pressure that is built up in the pipes sends water up to the shower head. That's physics.
The water comes crashing down to the floor of the shower, and you can hear it because the impact generates sound waves. That's physics.
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That's the type of Physics I am such a nerd about--the fascination, but as for the real hardcore math formulas...that's something I can live without as for it's such a burden. But I guess that is trying to run before I can crawl. Thank you guys for your insight!
Do I have to understand how my car operates in order to drive it? Do I have to understand computer science in order to use computers effectively? People become specialists based on interest, talent and natural inclination. I love physics and chemistry when they are translated into prose — a language I read and understand. I don't "speak" math. I rely on those who are to translate for me, much like reading Rimbauld's The Drunken Boat in English. I don't read French. Yes, something is lost in the translation, I'm sure, but I can't focus on EVERYTHING...to do so would be to focus on nothing. Ha, interesting paradox -- never really occurred to me before in just those words.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate intellectuals outside my field of expertise because they offer me glimpses inside their world --
By the way, this is one of the perks of teaching high school. I am surrounded by people who are historians, mathematicians, scientists, artists, linguists, writers, athletes, musicians. When things come up that pique my interest but I don't quite understand, I hunt down a colleague and ask them.
ReplyDelete