🧠💰⚠️ The price you pay for being smart It’s Been a Minute
🤖 AI Summary
👃 This video discusses the concept of anti-intellectualism and its implications for society and democracy, using the viral outrage surrounding Dr. Ally Lukes’ PhD thesis as a central example [00:38].
- 📚 The Viral Thesis: Dr. Ally Lukes’ thesis, “Olfactory ethics: the politics of smell in modern and contemporary prose,” went viral on social media, attracting significant negative attention and mockery, particularly from right-wing accounts [00:47].
- 🧠 Anti-Intellectualism: The hosts and guests define anti-intellectualism as hostility and mistrust towards academics, experts, and education, highlighting how the backlash against Lukes’ thesis exemplifies this trend [02:35].
- 🤢 The Politics of Disgust: Dr. Jason Stanley explains that the far-right often targets scholars who study elements of their own politics, such as the politics of disgust, which frequently uses smell as a central feature [04:45].
- 🏛️ Critique of Elitism: The discussion explores how anti-intellectualism is fueled by a perceived connection between elite status and intellectualism, allowing for a populist movement against learning by associating academic institutions with “repugnant elitism” [08:05].
- 📖 Value of Humanities: The video emphasizes the importance of the humanities in understanding the complex social world, fostering critical inquiry, and supporting democratic citizenship, contrasting it with the current cultural premium on STEM fields [11:45].
- 👩🎓 Personal Impact: Dr. Lukes shares her experience of becoming known as the “smell lady” on social media and expresses excitement about seeing her work and ideas being applied by others in various contexts [14:55].
🤔 Evaluation
🤝 This video presents a clear perspective on anti-intellectualism, framing it as a threat to democracy and intellectual pursuits. 🧐 It would be beneficial to explore alternative perspectives on the critiques of academia, such as arguments regarding academic jargon, perceived detachment from practical concerns, or the role of public engagement in scholarly work. 💡 Further understanding could be gained by examining historical instances of anti-intellectual movements and their societal impacts.
📚 Book Recommendations
- 📚 by Richard Hofstadter: 📜 A classic exploration of the historical roots and manifestations of anti-intellectualism in the United States.
- 🧠 The Death of Expertise by Tom Nichols: 📉 Examines the decline of respect for knowledge and the rise of uninformed opinion in modern society.
- 👃 The Smell of Desire: Pathways to Novel Psychoactive Drugs by Elizabeth A. M. Jones: 🧪 While not directly about anti-intellectualism, this book delves into the science and cultural aspects of smell, offering a different lens on the topic of Dr. Lukes’ thesis.
- 🗣️ The Public Intellectual by Russell Jacoby: 🧐 Discusses the role and decline of public intellectuals in contemporary society.
- 🗳️ Democracy and Education by John Dewey: 🍎 A foundational text on the connection between education and democratic ideals.