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2007-02-08 Home Front: Culture Wars

Harvard in biggest curriculum overhaul in 30 years

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Posted by Seafarious 2007-02-08 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11131 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Looks like someone high-up in the Univers missed both CNN's + Fox's specials on Osama's theats agz America.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2007-02-08 02:37|| 2007-02-08 02:37|| Front Page Top

#2 "aims to help students overcome U.S. "parochialism" by "acquainting them with the values, customs and institutions that differ from their own.""

This has never been the problem. The problem is that it's forbidden to employ "empirical and ethical reasoning" to reach the conclusion that often these "differing values and customs" suck. I'd love to know how it's "parochial" to judge that living in the US is better than living in North Korea, Pakistan, or Somalia.

Posted by exJAG 2007-02-08 03:52|| 2007-02-08 03:52|| Front Page Top

#3 "I'd love to know how it's "parochial" to judge that living in the US is better than living in North Korea, Pakistan, or Somalia." -- but that is Harvard's definition of parochialism. Harvard's antagonism to organized religion is about to change, into advocacy for Islam. Its hostility towards other organized religions will, however, increase.
A poster on Jerry Pournelle's site said it well: Students "need to learn how to make accurate judgments. They should not be taught to be equally respectful of Aztecs and Greeks; they should focus on the best that has come before them, which will mean a light dose of Aztecs and a heavy one of Greeks. The primary purpose of their education should not be to let the little darlings express themselves, but to give them the tools and the intellectual discipline for expressing themselves as adults." At one time a "liberal education" meant to prepare free men and women to do their duty. Harvard has been running away from this goal for years, this overhaul is a giant leap in that misguided direction.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2007-02-08 05:35|| 2007-02-08 05:35|| Front Page Top

#4 Oh, I know, AH9418, it's just a rhetorical question. I agree with you 100%. What infuriates me is that the word "parochial" suggests that the judgment that the US is superior to the aforementioned crapholes is an uninformed one. A judgment based on ignorance, rather than on very substantial study, travel, and experience. As if we would judge these places to not be crapholes if only we knew more, when knowing more is precisely what leads us to conclude that they are crapholes. Just as knowing more helps us understand how Islam is the blueprint for a death machine, surpassing even communism. I find people who do not reach these conclusions to be the ignorant, parochial ones.

Posted by exJAG 2007-02-08 06:07|| 2007-02-08 06:07|| Front Page Top

#5 One of the eight new required subject areas -- "societies of the world" -- aims to help students overcome U.S. "parochialism" by "acquainting them with the values, customs and institutions that differ from their own," said a 34-page Harvard report on the changes.

This is something new? Fifteen years ago we called it "non-Western Civilization" and it was required at a university not nearly as famous as Harvard. But, apparently, a hell of a lot better.

Posted by Rob Crawford">Rob Crawford 2007-02-08 07:51|| http://www.kloognome.com/]">[http://www.kloognome.com/] 2007-02-08 07:51|| Front Page Top

#6 Why don't they have a course that teaches how to read the liberal media to find missing facts, and to ignore the spin adverbs and adjectives.
Are they afraid their students may become smarter rather than dumber ?

Posted by wxjames 2007-02-08 09:35|| 2007-02-08 09:35|| Front Page Top

#7 The trailing daughters read Rantburg and have lived abroad. (Trailing daughter #2 was actually born in Germany so her children must be born on American soil to inherit US citizenship, which may complicate her career goal of international management.) This overhaul doesn't sound profound enough to induce me to allow them to apply to Harvard -- they still don't meet my standards.

Posted by trailing wife 2007-02-08 11:46|| 2007-02-08 11:46|| Front Page Top

#8 The curriculum at the oldest U.S. university has been criticized as focusing too narrowly on academic topics

A curious criticism. I think the point of a top university is to be academic, and an academic Ivy leaque branding is what attracts top students. There's even less point to paying Harvard tuition if it's going to have the same standards as state schools.

Posted by DoDo 2007-02-08 12:38|| 2007-02-08 12:38|| Front Page Top

#9 Now they will concentrate on making their curriculum fully one of "sludge, waffle, and fads."

Posted by Anonymoose 2007-02-08 13:22|| 2007-02-08 13:22|| Front Page Top

#10 I've a strong hunch as to which religion they've in mind.

p.s. IMO, Americans are parochial. That's why they're so successful.

Posted by gromgoru 2007-02-08 13:26|| 2007-02-08 13:26|| Front Page Top

#11 In my experience, Americans are no more parochial than anyone else. It's just that our continent contains a great many cultures within only three countries, and the others divide the cultures of their continent into a great many individual countries. This blinders their perspective, making them think the differences are more meaningful. The American version of Greece, for instance, could be said to be New Orleans, and our version of France, California. (Yes, except for San Diego and such, Frank G, so don't get mad at me, 'k?). And I s'pose we can be grateful the continental culture doesn't allow for a Zimbabwe or Sudan.

Posted by trailing wife 2007-02-08 13:38|| 2007-02-08 13:38|| Front Page Top

#12 And I s'pose we can be grateful the continental culture doesn't allow for a Zimbabwe or Sudan.

Oh, I don't know about that, TW. There's always *hope* for Dearborn and Minneapolis, lol!

Posted by BA 2007-02-08 13:45|| 2007-02-08 13:45|| Front Page Top

#13 No Minneapolis is screwed. Keith Ellison is just he tip of the shitberg.

Posted by Icerigger 2007-02-08 13:59|| 2007-02-08 13:59|| Front Page Top

#14 I concur. Minneapolis is fucked.

Posted by Mike N. 2007-02-08 14:24|| 2007-02-08 14:24|| Front Page Top

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