Recognizing the Obelisk
This from Terry Eagleton's After Theory:
"[A]llowing sensitive, politically idealistic young people to gather together for several years on end remains an imprudent policy. There is always a risk that education may put you at odds with the tasteless, clueless philistines who run the world and whose lexicon stretches only to words like oil, golf, power, and cheeseburger. It may make you less sanguine about entrusting the governance of the globe to men who have never been excited by an idea, moved by a landscape, or enthralled by the transcendent elegance of a mathematical solution. You may develop grave doubts about those who have the nerve to speak of defending civilization and would not recognize an obelisk or an oboe concerto if it were to slap them in the face. These are the men and women who prate of freedom and would recognize it only in the form of a hand-out" (26).
Discuss.
"[A]llowing sensitive, politically idealistic young people to gather together for several years on end remains an imprudent policy. There is always a risk that education may put you at odds with the tasteless, clueless philistines who run the world and whose lexicon stretches only to words like oil, golf, power, and cheeseburger. It may make you less sanguine about entrusting the governance of the globe to men who have never been excited by an idea, moved by a landscape, or enthralled by the transcendent elegance of a mathematical solution. You may develop grave doubts about those who have the nerve to speak of defending civilization and would not recognize an obelisk or an oboe concerto if it were to slap them in the face. These are the men and women who prate of freedom and would recognize it only in the form of a hand-out" (26).
Discuss.
posted by Shane @ 7:17 PM
1 Comments:
At 7:23 PM,
Anonymous said…
while i do think some of the people in charge are pretty smart (although rarely very wise), i tend to agree that they are only interested in using their intellect to serve their ends, and not for intellectualism alone.
unfortunately, saying so outright just plays into their "don't-listen-to-the-high-falutin'-ivory-tower-folk" hands.
soooo...yes...good quote, but shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!
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