This article by psychologist Jonathan Haidt nicely sums up my distaste for university work, given how campus environments have deteriorated. It's ironic to see universities, which were supposed to be cradles of free speech and thought, degenerate into noisome swamps of politically correct repressiveness. But that's the academe we've got these days.
To which I say: no, thanks.
UPDATE: Training Tyrants at Yale.
UPDATE 2: Pat Condell on "Dumbing Down University."
Sunday, October 30, 2016
why I'll never be a college prof
4 comments:
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I think you'd like working at St. John's College, particularly the Asian Classics program at their Santa Fe campus, though your title would be "tutor" instead of professor:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.sjc.edu/academic-programs/graduate/masters-eastern-classics
I've heard very good things about St. John's and its unique approach to education. Alas, my formation isn't in Asian classics; I have neither the linguistic mastery nor the research background to be competent in that field.
ReplyDeleteYou wouldn't need any specific research background. When I was there, I don't think any of the tutors had made a formal study of Eastern subjects, though some of them had lived in Asia at one time or another. As far as I remember, one of the younger tutors only had an MA.
ReplyDeleteThe seminar format is one of mutual exploration, with the readings approached entirely on their own terms, though the tutors structure the discussions. They actually discourage bringing outside knowledge into class. This is, or at least was, true for the language tutorials as well (Classical Chinese and Sanskrit). The tutors weren't experts in these languages, so the translation and interpretive work were basically collaborative.
Anyway, you're most likely qualified.
Here's an excellent example of what you speak of: Interview with Dr. Jordan B. Peterson | Free Speech & Social Justice. Today's college campuses are become truly horrifying due to PC-ism run amuck, and anyone just wanting an honest discourse is labeled a racist, a sexist, or worse. However, judging by the recently-graduated Millennial interviewer, there is still a glimmer of hope for the world. I will definitely be watching more of her interviews as to not be labeled "sexist."
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to leave a more detailed response on your "Cabin" review comment thread concerning my comment, but it is going to have to wait while I track down a new lawyer to help me deal with my own never-ending university problems. But to put it as simple as possible, let's take most of the baddies in the film, including the Ancient One(s), and the re-use of a couple of plots/settings from two great TV programs ("Buffy" and "Angel") that were no longer on the air. Put them in a blender with lesser characters/actors. And hope no one remembers the original series/pedigree that his film hails from, well...except those fans of the originals who now label this film as the missing, and well below-average, "Buffy" episode (see Internet). A quick example of this is the
rather entertaining short, lesbian spy film, D.E.B.S. (WATCH IT, you won't be disappointed). This 8 minute short even stars the beautiful and talented Clare Kramer, who played that giant "Cabin" snake years before on "Buffy." Because this decent, but very flawed short, generated a lot of interest (beautiful lesbian spies that seemingly kick ass but can't shoot straight), it was decided that there was more to the story to tell (there was not). So a feature film version of "D.E.B.S." with crappier, proven film actors was green-lit. Judging by me eyes, and the votes on IMBd, it was a mistake. And while "Cabin" was not quite that bad of a mistake, it still is second-rate when put up against the masterpieces that are Joss Whedon's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" from which it derived.