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Victor Davis Hanson: Where the University Went Wrong

The Hoover Institution
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Posts: 0
Posted: 05.08.08, 05:58 PM
A tired screed
There is a cliched smugness to Mr. Hanson's complaints that show more evidence of his ignorance of the modern academic world than familiarity. He props up a number of feeble targets that cater to interests in popular culture and then demolishes them with cynicism rather than engage them with debate. I have no idea whether or not any of the classes he targets are worthy of a university environment, but I would not dismiss them based solely on the title proffered in the course catalogue. As a Classics student Mr. Hanson may believe that all wisdom resides in the canon (and some of it certainly does), but in fact the world and its inhabitants have changed, as have their interests and means of discourse. Mr. Hanson is preaching to exactly the kind of audience he decried at the beginning of his talk, a group of deductive reactors, who come with a set of prejudices and pre-conceptions that Mr. Hanson will flatter and compliment. He comes off as shallow and ideological in his thought, and lazy in his thinking and presentation skills. This was a profound disappointment on a topic for which I care deeply.
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Umfundisi
Posts: 3
Posted: 06.14.08, 11:20 PM
Brilliant guy, and a great speaker.
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