- Capitalism and Alternatives -

nothing like it, here is a choice.

Posted by: Gee ( si ) on September 16, 1999 at 19:30:31:

In Reply to: That's what you said. posted by Samuel Day Fassbinder on September 16, 1999 at 16:08:09:

: SDF: It's not, and we can learn this by quoting once more your statement which you've omitted:

Which merely said that an awareness is useful. If you want to earn more then learn about those things which will enable you to do so. thats all. No imposition.

: They, and you, think: college is for a better job, not to make you into anyone who wants to learn something for the satisfaction of knowing it, and the knowledge it contains is to continually go whoring after money.

Wrong on two pre-supposed counts; 'they' and 'and you'. Learning for the satisfaction of knowing is an everyday event. Learning a college degree is to become more focussed on one area that interests you. If the area will result in sparse job opportunities then its the students responsibility to be aware of this, not everyone elses to supply a false demand for any subsequent knowledge, nor to feed and clothe said person against their wishes. To spit upon those who choose to leanr skills that enable to earn more is plain snobbery.

: SDF: Thanks for your permission Mr. Provost.

Not mine, but those who would teach you.

: SDF: No, I'm complaining that y'all have this mentality that the only rational purpose of knowledge is money-making.

Your predictable supposition. But knowledge is not an end in itself, it serves a purpose, dare I say a utility, whether it be the ability to design bridges or the satisfaction of winning trivial pursuits.

: SDF: Don't tell me how to pursue my life!

This is unrelated to my point. Why did you respond with this? There was no instruction regarding your life. Unless you find the notion that you require some basic skills to survive repugnant.

:: nor does 'being educated' become a claim upon others.

: SDF: This is itself a claim upon me.

How so?

: SDF: Those people don't found liberal-arts universities right and left, nor are the jobs they perform done "for money," nor do such jobs typically require a pre-employment interview nor the possession of a bachelor's degree. The above illustration is irrelevant to this thread.

You do so wish it was. It is relevant, it shows that what you learn affects your ability to pursue your goals in life, that the skills you learn are contextual and specific to gaining the means to live and prosper. You seem to think 'making money', which only means creating wealth, to be something unconnected - as if 'making money' is some mysterious activity with no paralell to 'making food' or any other good. Perhaps you are faultering on the matter that the hunter learns to hunt for himself and his tribe - a direct relationship. This learning would become 'whoring' if his hunting proceeds were exchanged for anothers' textile skills?

As a rough guess, Out of 230million people's preferences which of the following broad doctorate titles would attract more attention from people who wish to see the author develop his thoughts into something usable?

1. "on the development of the human infacts' immune system and its relation to immunological dysfunction"
2. "interpreting 18th century hungarian folk songs within a marxist dialectic framework"


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