After reading the introductory readings to this course and learning how the intellectual class came into existence it is clear that they do occupy a certain niche in our society different from any other. This in itself is important for close consideration and research into what makes them tick. As Collins, indicates “truth” is the sacred object to the intellectual class as “art” is for artistic communities. “Truth” is a commonly used word thrown around in our society as of recently and can be analogous to other words often used in the media, such as “facts” or “legitimacy”. Today with new viruses, scientific discoveries and political uncertainty/corruption constantly in the media is difficult to decipher what is true and what is false; what in information is being skewed to deceive the public and which is not. It is especially important to put intellectuals under a critical lens to learn the inner workings of their society. What in particular drives them and what do they hold valuable. This is no different than studying different religions or different political parties, they all have certain characteristics, rituals and customs that define them and differentiate them from other classes.
I hope that in this course we delve deep into the meaning of truth and what kind of truth the intellectuals hold so captive. Truth can be relative and can be clouded when influenced by peers or society as a whole. As Professor Riley brought up in class the French writer/philosopher that denied that Gulags existed is a prime example of the relativity of truth, although this individual knew he was telling a lie he convinced himself that this was right and true. Mattias Desmet, a psychologist that wrote a book called The Psychology of Totalitarianism, incorporated a study in his book that showed four lines of varying length labeled 1, A, B and C. The participants were asked to identify which of the lettered lines were the same length as the line labeled 1 but some of the participants were the researchers conducting this study who purposely chose the wrong lettered line to throw off the other participants. Some of the participants did conform with what the others were saying while some did not. I bring this up as another example of the effect peer pressure can have on your idea of truth no matter what the case be, whether it be something trivial like the line study or something more serious like one’s health.
In all, the intellectual class has the greatest potential to contribute greatly to the world and provide “truth” to the world with their research and scholastic endeavors. Yet, they also have the ability to deter the public and lead people by their own idea and interpretation of the “truth”. Coming from a university where intellectuals are bred it is important to think critically of ourselves and the environment that we are set in and create. It is all too easy to get caught up in power aspect of class hierarchy.
One reply on “Blog 1”
I agree that it is crucial to take a critical look at the intellectual class and their notion of truth. As you mentioned, truth can be relative and can be influenced by societal and peer pressure. It is important for intellectuals to be self-aware and conscious of their own biases in order to prevent the distortion of truth. Additionally, it is important for the public to also be critical of the information presented by intellectuals and not blindly accept it as truth. I think only through a combination of self-awareness and critical thinking that we can truly uncover and understand the truth.