How come conservatives aren't a larger part of the intellectual community?

Not always, Nyder. The overwhelming majority of lectures in the Politics department where I study is moderate, and the leftists seem to all teach from a dialectics position - for every thesis (left/center/right) put forward by someone, they'll find the antithesis, then resolve the difference by a synthesis. The Australian Politics lecturers are Labor Right, the the Gender Politics are left, the IR staff are mostly moderates.


E_S

 

Most of my PoliSci teachers are liberals. I'm usually the soul Republican (though I fancy myself a right-leaning independant) in my class.

Most of my teachers are good about keeping their ideology out of the lessons.

My favorite teacher is much like Condi Rice in that he's conservative on issues pertaining to foriegn policy, but liberal in social and domestic issues.

 

Because conservatives are delivering practical solutions to real-world problems, while left-wingers rely on theories!

I'm a PolSci major too. And yes, most of my lecturers/tutors are raving left-wingers!

Some are good at keeping their politics out. But others don't care.

One of my tutors said in class 'The Governor of the Reserve bank should be elected, that would be fairer after all'.

 

Jansons, I'm very similar; conservative internationally, centrist-liberal domestically. However, this doesn't tend to mix well with the "conservatives" here because of my perceptions of certain situations and belief in international law.

E_S

 

Meh!

 

Marv, don't make me kick ya in the nuts again!

E_S

 

Indeed. I wouldn't be able to return the favour, after all!!

 

//kicks Marv in the nuts...again

E_S

 

You Communist!!

 

I can see Marx addressing the Paris Commune:
"There is a <kick> spectre <kick> looming over all of <kick> Europe..." as the entire room lies clutching their nads.

Call me a commie again, and I shall torture you with cushions! And not just any cushions! Cushions with the stuffing in one end!"

We're sooooo off topic...

E_S

 

ES, I didnt know you felt that way about me!

I am flattered

 

It's my experience, being at University, that the proportions of Leftist/Rightist lecturers tends to drift somewhere around 75%/25%. That 75% are GENERALLY concentrated in humanities and arts subjects (English, Politics, Sociology, etc., and pretty much all of them except history, which seems to be a Conservative subject (mostly because Conservatives are traditionalists and history is the subject expression of this)). Conservatives tend to group closer towards the 'bread and butter' subjects like Maths and Science.

I can't offer any reason for this, except that, within it's ideologies, leftism is much more complex than the Right (fascism and nationalism are easier to understand than, say, Marxism and Anarchism in their economic and social forms). For that reason, since University-types are more apt to study them, and thus understand them, they're better influenced.

As an alternate reason, consider this: people who study math and the "hard" sciences tend to be more well-rounded.

Hear me out, first. I am a Computer Engineering student. My courses have a stronf emphasis on math and physics (as well as their applications to engineering). I need to take calculus, differential equations, matrix algebra, discrete math and statistics. I also have to take at least 3 semesters of calculus-based physics. However, I am still required to take a fairly strong series of english classes (both composition and literature), social sciences (in my case I took government), communications, and economics.

Compare this with an English or History major at my school. They only need 2 math classes (nothing more complex than algebra), 2 science classes (which are, frankly, a joke) and that's it. While I have to become functional in their disciplines, they need to learn almost nothing about my fields. There is no way that they can possibly receive as well-balanced an education that way.

Take my brother, for instance (sorry, bro). He got his degree in Political Science, but is currently working on becoming an author/screenwriter. As a scene in one of the movies he has written, he wanted to do something that is impossible according to the laws of physics. It was something that you cover in high school physics. We have had many arguments/discussions about that scene, but he still does not seem to understand why it wouldn't work.

As one person said on SlashDot, "If you can't discourse on the structure of a sonnet and the second law of thermodynamics with equal ease, then you're uncultured, period."

Kimball Kinnison

 

I see your point there.

I think that there should be basic courses that are compulsory for ALL students.

Like, for example, all students, no matter what degree they do, should do basic courses in the following:
1. Basic Maths
2. Governemnt
3. English
4. Basic Basic science
5. Basic computer skills.

 

Maths? **** that!

I walked out of my final maths exam after staying the minimum 15 mins.

E_S

 

The tell me what log2 15 is!

 

AFTER you tell me who Ahmed ben Bella was!

E_S

 

He's my bitch!

log2 15!

 

Wrong!

E_S

 

LMAO

you guys slay me, but i seriously think that we're way off topic here. let's try to preserve this thread, ok? heh heh.

cheers!

 

I appologise for Ender Sai's behaviour...ever since he started post grad study, he hasnt had much to do!

 

i totally get where ender's coming from. i'm in the same situation myself. i'm just tryin to get my MS and get on with my life. this, of course, leaves me with nothing much to do as well.

cheers!

 

Off topic? Nay! We're demonstrating why some just should not be in academia.
It must be a Friday thing.

//kicks Marv in the nuts
E_S

 

Plus, all of us lazy-asses need to do something, we need to appear legitimate!!

 

soon enough, marv will be singin like a soprano.

cheers!

 

//kicks marv in the nuts

heh heh. just curious.

//kicks ender in the nuts

heh heh. just the same.

cheers!