The mediocrity of modern social sciences - How does a discipline of academia become so pathetic?

[Non-Existent]

In contrary to what the title might seem, I actually see a lot of potential in the social sciences. The ability to self reflect at the deepest possible level and understand complex processes of thought is an insanely useful skill. However for whatever reason(s), the discipline has become extremely warped and twisted in to this pathetic Neo-Marxist, Woe Is Me, group therapy session of self validation. My question to the community is "how?". How does a discipline with so much potential fall to such a pathetic standard? Do you see it improving at all? Is there any hope for a bounce back? Thank you for reading and I look forward to hearing your responses.

 

[Paralethal]

It's a thin line between self-reflection and navel gazing.

 

[Graffiti canvas]

Studying a subject = Enlightenment on a subject > Enlightenment on a subject = A sense of authority on the subject. >A sense of authority on the subject = "I'm right and you're wrong"

The above matrix doesn't lead to other disciplines becoming cesspools of opinionated screeching because most of them have benchmarks, agreed on points of reference and very little room for the 1000 shades of grey that Social Sciences contain. Any time you allow people to be considered an "authority" on a subject that has no definable boundaries AND also has an easily changed framework based on current events, you end up with a bunch of people yelling at each other in a room.

 

[Non-Existent]

So-called 'self reflection at the deepest level' starts with the ability to critically think through logical progressions. It is very rare to find someone that can critically think nowadays. I have said this before, but I will repeat it: the educational system in the United States has succeeded in its goal of retarding the population.

With a population that is mentally handicapped, it is simply illogical to expect them to ever be able to develop the ability to critically think. And the fundamental reason that our university and college students can no longer critically think is because our country has actively worked to prevent them from developing that ability.

I couldn't agree more. The modern education system in the United States has bred people to be reactionary, illogical, and blind to their own flaws. However, there are still viable fields of study like Computer Science and Biomedical Engineering, so they must be doing something right. Perhaps it's just foolish optimism, but with the somewhat-recent discoveries in neuroplasticity, we now know that the human brain can rewire itself at any time. Its morals, values, thought processes, everything; all a blank slate just waiting to happen. Maybe through a similar process along with the proper information, we'll see a change. Probably not, but I sincerely hope so. Anyway, thank you again for your respectable responses.

 

[Kyria the Great]

I couldn't agree more. The modern education system in the United States has bred people to be reactionary, illogical, and blind to their own flaws. However, there are still viable fields of study like Computer Science and Biomedical Engineering, so they must be doing something right. Perhaps it's just foolish optimism, but with the somewhat-recent discoveries in neuroplasticity, we now know that the human brain can rewire itself at any time. Its morals, values, thought processes, everything; all a blank slate just waiting to happen. Maybe through a similar process along with the proper information, we'll see a change. Probably not, but I sincerely hope so. Anyway, thank you again for your respectable responses.

I would disagree with the brain being a blank slate for that would entail that we has humans are only shaped by our environment and would ignore the very nature of humanity. This blank slate idea is the precise reason why the humanities are in such a terrible state with professors not trying to open their students to other possibilities, but to reshape them into their own image. I do believe that humanities and social sciences to have good with many of their subjects at their base stemmed in contemplation and critical thinking of the world around us, but this isn't the case right now and the death of critical thinking in these fields sicken me. It has gotten so bad that I at times want to become a history professor if for the only reason to make sure that historical revisionist that are dangerously skewing farther left don't lead this generation's thinkers into the very ideas which allowed the havoc of the French, Russian and Chinese Revolution to be so bloody and murderous.

 

[Non-Existent]

I would disagree with the brain being a blank slate for that would entail that we has humans are only shaped by our environment and would ignore the very nature of humanity. This blank slate idea is the precise reason why the humanities are in such a terrible state with professors not trying to open their students to other possibilities, but to reshape them into their own image. I do believe that humanities and social sciences to have good with many of their subjects at their base stemmed in contemplation and critical thinking of the world around us, but this isn't the case right now and the death of critical thinking in these fields sicken me. It has gotten so bad that I at times want to become a history professor if for the only reason to make sure that historical revisionist that are dangerously skewing farther left don't lead this generation's thinkers into the very ideas which allowed the havoc of the French, Russian and Chinese Revolution to be so bloody and murderous.

Perhaps you're right. After all, my understanding of neuroplasticity is very minimal. I suppose I'm just looking for a silver lining. However, you definitely make a fair point regarding the professors. They absolutely bare some, if not most of the responsibility for the politically biased shift we're seeing in the social sciences. Maybe that's where the rehabilitation will begin; a new generation of articulate, sensible professors with enough intellectual honesty and moral motivation to fix the Marxist mess that has become the modern social sciences. Anyway, I sincerely appreciate your dispute regarding neuroplasticity. Thank you

 

[Kyria the Great]

Perhaps you're right. After all, my understanding of neuroplasticity is very minimal. I suppose I'm just looking for a silver lining. However, you definitely make a fair point regarding the professors. They absolutely bare some, if not most of the responsibility for the politically biased shift we're seeing in the social sciences. Maybe that's where the rehabilitation will begin; a new generation of articulate, sensible professors with enough intellectual honesty and moral motivation to fix the Marxist mess that has become the modern social sciences. Anyway, I sincerely appreciate your dispute regarding neuroplasticity. Thank you

Well the lack of people with right-leaning tendencies retreating from this absolute madness is only hastening the truly echo-chamber mentality of the social sciences making it become a self-fulling prophecy. I just hope this hysteria raised on campuses will cause colleges and universities to rethink their courses and not instead lead to a doubling down of their ideas or make the idea of high education being poisonous to the mind seem like a viable idea. All I know is that this divide needs to be bridged soon or we are looking at a scenario in the United States we haven't seen since the Civil War.

You are totally welcome as discourse and understanding folks positions is the cornerstone of moving forward as a society.

 

[PsychoNerd054]

From what I'm seeing, even a few technical college are falling onto the same path of being overly sensitive about their students. A few of them don't even encourage critical thinking, but instead rely heavily on the feelings of other people. That's mainly if they're associated with a liberal arts college, though.

 

[SomeSonicFag]

From what I'm seeing, even the technical college are falling onto the same path of being overly sensitive about their students. A few of them don't even encourage critical thinking, but instead rely heavily on the feelings of other people.

I can say that this is true. Personally, I think that all of this comes from people never being told "no" when they were younger. I believe that most of us had somewhat reasonably thinking parents that would cut us off from things that we enjoyed if we went overboard and would attempt to get us to do our schoolwork or other important things. My generation, sadly, seems like it mostly had parents that would give their children whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted it.

Look at Christian Weston Chandler, he won that stupid contest back in the 90's and now expects that everything should come to him, just because he puts in the minimal amount of effort and he is "autistic". Stuff like this has obviously caused most of us to become egomaniacs, which has lead to many people taking on lolcow traits and personalities.

People can't stand not having their every wish fulfilled since they have grown up, been taught in, and graduated in safe spaces, where they are taught that if they just bitch and scream, they can have whatever they want. When they have to face reality, get a job, or come to grips with the face that we didn't get the president that we wanted, they start throwing temper tantrums, like the ultra left did when Donald Trump became the president. ANTIFA is pretty much what toddlers would do if they could walk, riot, and start fires.

TL;DR society is fucked because lolcows can't feel empathy for others and only care for themselves.

 

[GS 281]

In contrary to what the title might seem, I actually see a lot of potential in the social sciences. The ability to self reflect at the deepest possible level and understand complex processes of thought is an insanely useful skill. However for whatever reason(s), the discipline has become extremely warped and twisted in to this pathetic Neo-Marxist, Woe Is Me, group therapy session of self validation. My question to the community is "how?". How does a discipline with so much potential fall to such a pathetic standard? Do you see it improving at all? Is there any hope for a bounce back? Thank you for reading and I look forward to hearing your responses.

Are you basing this on YouTube claptrap or scholarly research claptrap

 

[Kyria the Great]

I know this sounds rather harsh, but I partially blame a society that has been cultivated to protect the weak rather than build them up to become strong. We are a point where strength is sneered apawn and abject weakness is to be celebrated. The fact that most journalists and academic circles sneer at those who are more athletically and physically inclined because they might be more assertive and therefore more often lean right should be a damning tell about our current state in America.

 

[PsychoNerd054]

TL;DR society is fucked because lolcows can't feel empathy for others and only care for themselves.

Yet it's somehow a crime for calling out on these Lolcows bullshit because "WAHH, U R HIRTING DARE FEEWINGS!!1"

 

[PsychoNerd054]

I know this sounds rather harsh, but I partially blame a society that has been cultivated to protect the weak rather than build them up to become strong. We are a point where strength is sneered apawn and abject weakness is to be celebrated. The fact that most journalists and academic circles sneer at those who are more athletically and physically inclined because they might be more assertive and therefore more often lean right should be a damning tell about our current state in America.

I think it's much of the same. I feel like the main reason for all of this though is their constant appeal to pity and appeal to emotion. Plus, they seem to use their emotions as their intelligence. Logic is ultimately defined by how other people would feel in their eyes.

 

[Non-Existent]

Are you basing this on YouTube claptrap or scholarly research claptrap

No. These are merely my thoughts. If you disagree with any of them, I'd be glad to have an actual discussion with you.

 

[GS 281]

No. These are merely my thoughts. If you disagree with any of them, I'd be glad to have an actual discussion with you.

What I am asking is how did you form your ideas. Is it from reading scholarly research in different fields of social science or from watching youtubevideos of tards pretending they know what theyre talking about

 

[Non-Existent]

What I am asking is how did you form your ideas. Is it from reading scholarly research in different fields of social science or from watching youtubevideos of tards pretending they know what theyre talking about

A combination of philosophy, statistics, psychological and sociological research, and personal experience. I'd say those are the primary attributes of what formed my thoughts on this matter.

 

[PsychoNerd054]

There are macroeconomic influences on those fields that render them totally useless to study.

Not to mention, Computer Science always has the shit advertised out of them. So many of these programming companies make Computer Science look like the one thing that goes above everything else, that if you take up Computer Science, you'll always live a nice and stress-free life.

The common argument for signing for a Computer Science job always seems to be that it's high paying. I could never stress this enough though, so many people have already taken up the job, which means that it's not worth as much as it was in the 1980s.

Do I believe schools should obliterate CS classes completely? Absolutely not. In my mind, it's very important to teach computer literacy since every job nowadays makes use of a computer in one way or another. The real issue though is that the economy milks that shit like crazy out of college students, and because of that, the jobs aren't worth as much as they used to be.

 

[Kyria the Great]

Not to mention, Computer Science always has the shit advertised out of them. So many of these programming companies make Computer Science look like the one thing that goes above everything else, that if you take up Computer Science, you'll always live a nice and stress-free life.

The common argument for signing for a Computer Science job always seems to be that it's high paying. I could never stress this enough though, so many people have already taken up the job, which means that it's not worth as much as it was in the 1980s.

Do I believe schools should obliterate CS classes completely? Absolutely not. In my mind, it's very important to teach computer literacy since every job nowadays makes use of a computer in one way or another. The real issue though is that the economy milks that shit like crazy out of college students, and because of that, the jobs aren't worth as much as they used to be.

The problem is that courses like Computer sciences feed into the tech and education bubble that states like Massachusetts and California currently find themselves in and lack of educational or financial diversity can lead these currently booming states to reach a crisis if these fields should crash or at least take a noticeable decline.

Another major hurdle in fixing the Social sciences is that alot of these schools are also driven by raw profit rather than education, so much like FOX news or CNN end up feeding their students their biases to placate them so they don't attempt to find another school and thus end up with the mess we are currently in. This thought process is coming from a rather staunch Free market advocate by the way.

 

[Non-Existent]

Those are not 'viable fields of study'. There are macroeconomic influences on those fields that render them totally useless to study. I consider all forms of modern 'higher education' to be fundamentally evil. Regardless, your comment on 'neuroplasticity' is just a nod to the notion of free will. All humans are born with the free will to either follow or reject logic. The etymology of 'logic' comes from the Greek word, 'Logos', meaning the Word of God. So although I say the United States has succeeded in retarding the population, it is ultimately the population's free choice to reject logic since logic, by definition, is the Word of God. Nobody can force you to reject God, Who is logic itself.

I actually wrote an essay on this topic a few months ago—an essay where I defined evil. I also wrote an essay that described how it is possible for people to escape evil. It is not easy to escape evil, which is the base premise that causes people to lose the ability to critically think. Once you have rejected logic, it typically takes a supernatural miracle to return to God.

In regards to Kyria suggesting that becoming a professor is the remedy to this civilization situation—it is not. It is a waste of your time. This civilization is over, so the most you can do is work on yourself and preach to the people closest to you. I have written before about how our civilization will end with landmass redistribution, massive bloodshed, and hyperinflation.

You're not wrong. At the moment, those are just examples of fields that the current market has a high demand for. However, the reason I chose those two majors is because I firmly believe those particular fields of study have a solid potential to benefit mankind. If you don't mind me asking, what do you classify as higher education? The point I was trying to make in my response was that even though a fair proportion of the United States education curriculum is flawed, there are still plenty of potential skills to be learned; showing that there is some light to shine, even when things seem their darkest. However, I'm very interested on your thoughts of neuroplasticity and free will. Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I've read, neuroplasticity has stated that even though a person has established a solid set of morals and perspective, that those are subject to change at any time if said person is willing to pursue that change. I suppose you could categorize that as free will, however, I would humbly debate that it's fairly more complex than that. Look at activists for example. They've built an entire ego & identity around savagely opposing some form of ideology. Sure, you could apply free will there, but to subconsciously reconstruct yourself in a manner that changes your very identity and sense of self, I'd say that's a calling for a closer look of what exactly is going on. Sorry for the blunt transition, but if you're open to it, I'd really like to read your essay. I'm always looking for new material.

 

[Bum Driller]

In contrary to what the title might seem, I actually see a lot of potential in the social sciences. The ability to self reflect at the deepest possible level and understand complex processes of thought is an insanely useful skill. However for whatever reason(s), the discipline has become extremely warped and twisted in to this pathetic Neo-Marxist, Woe Is Me, group therapy session of self validation. My question to the community is "how?". How does a discipline with so much potential fall to such a pathetic standard? Do you see it improving at all? Is there any hope for a bounce back? Thank you for reading and I look forward to hearing your responses.

Being a former student of certain field in humanities, I can simply say that this isn't a new phenomenon, at least in Europe. From the seventies onward, academia has been dominated by marxists, and as the real marxism was unfashionable for some time, the leftists just appropriated other things like green movement etc. as their guises. Now when communism is all the rage once again, these vermin are just crawling out from the woodwork.