[lit-ideas] Re: education
- From: Robert Paul <rpaul@xxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 06 Nov 2011 15:10:29 -0800
Andy wrote
This is a little long, a bit rambling, but it's either that or 37
posts. I looked at the article on foreign students in the U.S. and
it confirms what I said, that graduate science is being carried in
this country by foreign students. After a downturn following the
Patriot Act (if ever there was a word dripping with communist
baggage, it's the word patriot), the numbers of foreign students are
moving back up again. So, we agree at least on that. And yes, those
who promote teaching creationism in addition to, or even instead of,
evolution, are among those who are decreasing the number of
scientists that this country turns out, by definition.
Nowhere in higher education is creationism taught as a viable
alternative to or disproof of the current
standard accounts of evolution taught in nearly every college and
university in the United States. Bob Jones
University, in Greenville, South Carolina, which teaches 'young-earth
creationism.' (There's an 'old-earth
creationism,' and the advocates of each believe the other to be not only
scientifically, but theologically
mistaken.) Although Oral Roberts University, founded, as was BJU, by a
Christian evangelist, seems to endorse
YEC, I'm not sure it's actually taught there. Aside from these
institutions, I doubt that any college or university
teaches creationism as a live theory.
It is absurd to say imply there is a cohort of creationists that is
somehow 'replacing' those students who would
otherwise have become 'scientists.' The number of creationist-believers
who have, rather mysteriously, taken
the jobs that would otherwise have gone to reputable scientists is
probably less than 0 x 0 + 0 It would be
interesting to know just where (and how) you believe this is happening.
As far as business majors experiencing a downturn because of the
economy, that's hard to argue with, but everything is experiencing a
downturn...
[snip]
So basically, if all jobs are
down, then business major jobs will be down too.
You cannot have read any of the links I provided (I provided too many,
and apologize) without seeing
that my point was /not/ that there are fewer business majors than in
former years (I don't know if this is
universally true or not), but that 'businesses' themselves are beginning
to prefer, and to hire, liberal arts
majors over business majors who are increasingly less adaptable to
change in a 'corporate environment,'
/and/, that MBA programs---which are themselves becoming less
valued---are now urging those considering
studying for the MBA, to get a liberal arts education first.
If you are indeed replying to what I wrote about this earlier, the
argument above is an /ignoratio elenchi/.
(I just had to say that.)
Robert Paul
Mutton College
Sheepskin, Nebraska
Other related posts:
