Fred Hutchison
The diversity cult is intellectually bankrupt
By Fred Hutchison
Letter to the Editor — The Columbus Dispatch
We are living in the worst of all possible worlds in terms of intellectual culture. The diversity cult which reigns in academia and journalism is, in no small measure, responsible for this cultural fiasco. Mary Lynne Plageman said in her Now You're Talking section, "Diversity, in fact, is a priority of the Dispatch." Three fallacies in the diversity cult have brought our culture to intellectual bankruptcy.
1) The picture perfect diversity of skin pigment is childishly superficial and drives out considerations of quality and intellectual depth.
2) The liberals who are the most zealously devoted to picture book diversity are the most intolerant about ideas which are contrary to liberal orthodoxies. Liberal group think, free from the challenge of the market place of ideas, has become intellectually lazy and tolerant of irrationality.
3) Some moderates in the Dispatch are authentically tolerant to all points of view. Is this kind of tolerance good for intellectual culture? Nope. Sorry editor. Your heart is in the right place but your kind of diversity will also lead to intellectual decadence.
Some moderates of intellectual diversity, base their belief on cultural determinism. If man is an artifact of his culture, every culture must have its say. In academia, a mediocre author who authentically expresses his culture, is often preferred over better writers and thinkers who came from the same culture, but dissent from the group think of their culture. Furthermore, not all cultures are equally accomplished in every field. After all, Polynesia has produced no equivalent to Shakespeare, Mozart, Aristotle or Einstein.
Some moderates have adopted the idea of intellectual and cultural relativism. They hold that every idea and value is equally valid. If every idea is equally valid, we have no incentive to develop our minds to find the best idea. If every value is equally valid, then Hitler's values are just as acceptable as Mother Theresa's values.
Until academia and journalism scraps their absurd diversity cult, and pursues quality and truth as their first priority, this culture will be on intellectual life support.
© Fred Hutchison
Letter to the Editor — The Columbus Dispatch
We are living in the worst of all possible worlds in terms of intellectual culture. The diversity cult which reigns in academia and journalism is, in no small measure, responsible for this cultural fiasco. Mary Lynne Plageman said in her Now You're Talking section, "Diversity, in fact, is a priority of the Dispatch." Three fallacies in the diversity cult have brought our culture to intellectual bankruptcy.
1) The picture perfect diversity of skin pigment is childishly superficial and drives out considerations of quality and intellectual depth.
2) The liberals who are the most zealously devoted to picture book diversity are the most intolerant about ideas which are contrary to liberal orthodoxies. Liberal group think, free from the challenge of the market place of ideas, has become intellectually lazy and tolerant of irrationality.
3) Some moderates in the Dispatch are authentically tolerant to all points of view. Is this kind of tolerance good for intellectual culture? Nope. Sorry editor. Your heart is in the right place but your kind of diversity will also lead to intellectual decadence.
Some moderates of intellectual diversity, base their belief on cultural determinism. If man is an artifact of his culture, every culture must have its say. In academia, a mediocre author who authentically expresses his culture, is often preferred over better writers and thinkers who came from the same culture, but dissent from the group think of their culture. Furthermore, not all cultures are equally accomplished in every field. After all, Polynesia has produced no equivalent to Shakespeare, Mozart, Aristotle or Einstein.
Some moderates have adopted the idea of intellectual and cultural relativism. They hold that every idea and value is equally valid. If every idea is equally valid, we have no incentive to develop our minds to find the best idea. If every value is equally valid, then Hitler's values are just as acceptable as Mother Theresa's values.
Until academia and journalism scraps their absurd diversity cult, and pursues quality and truth as their first priority, this culture will be on intellectual life support.
© Fred Hutchison
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